Eloise
You know this girl: She lives in a room on the “tippy-top floor” of the Plaza Hotel in New York City, with her pup Weenie and her turtle Skipperdee. The first Eloise book, written by Kay Thompson and printed in 1955, and the subsequent series has remained a favourite for generations of kids.

Meaning: Healthy, hale, famous warrior

Ramona
You knew this list had to have a Beverly Clearly reference (which obviously had to be Ramona). The award-winning Ramona series includes eight books, published over 44 (!) years, and follows the adventures of daring and precocious Ramona Quimby.

Meaning: Protecting hands

Marilla
You probably expected to see Anne on this list, but we’re adding a wild card from L.M. Montgomery’s famous books instead. Marilla is Anne’s stern but kind-heartened guardian, who saves her from the clutches of Mrs. Blewett and her gaggle of kids, and makes Green Gables Anne’s forever home. (Marilla doesn’t do it for you? How about Diana, Muriel or Rachel?)

Meaning: Shining sea

Jillian
Our thinking is, if you’re going to name your child after Jillian Jiggs, expect all the energy and excitement in the world (with buckets of imagination!). Phoebe Gilman’s title character is boatloads of fun, despite being just a titch messy.

Meaning: Youthful

Amelia
Our favourite, much-too-literal character Amelia Bedelia is the inspiration for this one. Housekeeper Amelia uses phrases and terminology incorrectly time and again, which makes kiddos of all ages laugh out loud.

Meaning: Industrious, striving

George
Well, we originally pulled George from Harry Potter but this classic name shows up in many a children’s book—including Curious George, Peppa Pig and George and Martha. But if you want a Potteresque name, this one fits the bill, as does Harry, Ron, Cedric, Nigel or Lucius.

Meaning: Farmer, tiller of soil

Charlie
We know you’d probably also find this moniker in the Hogwart’s yearbook, too (remember the dragon-chasing Weasley brother?) but we were thinking Charlie of the Chocolate Factory variety. This young man is chockfull of integrity, for which he’s famously rewarded by Mr. Wonka himself.

Meaning: Manly

Max
In Where the Wild Things Are, Max is the king of all the wild things, the bringer of the wild rumpus. But his imagination is as big as the ocean, and in and out of weeks, and through a day, and he always comes home for supper.

Meaning: Greatest

James
In Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach, mistreated James meets seven, magical insect friends inside the mystical peach and ends up living in Central Park, in New York City (we imagine he lunches with Eloise). The resilient James is one of our favourite Dahl characters, though we’re still a little afraid of his creepy aunts.

Meaning: One who follows

Iggy
In Iggy Peck, Architect, industrious Iggy loves to build things, to solve problems with construction (and he’ll use just about any material!). But in the second grade, his teacher wants him to just stop and do as he’s told instead. Poor Ig finds school a bore (naturally) from then on, until a field trip requires him to call upon his passion for structures. This is why we equate the name Iggy with tenacity, of course.

Meaning: Fire