A Is for Atticus: Baby Names from Great Books

by Lorilee Craker

Pick up a celebrity magazine and you'll see that the art of naming babies has reached new heights of self-expression, with recent choices like Shiloh, Sailor, Apple, and notably, Elijah Bob Patricius Guggi Q. Hewson. Baby namers today want monikers that reflect something personal. Where better to draw inspiration than the books you cherish and the characters you love? A IS FOR ATTICUS mines the classics for the best names and brings them all into one volume. Unlike massive baby name books, which offer endless, dry lists with cursory dictionary definitions, each of the carefully selected names (including Beckett after the Irish playwright Samuel Beckett and Esme from J.D. Salinger's For Esme with Love and Squalor ) is fully profiled in a fun, savvy, info-packed listing that includes a name's meaning, uniqueness, modern appeal, and cultural significance. Helpful sidebars guide you to the perfect name for your perfect baby.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Reference

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Lorilee Craker is a writer in Michigan, United States. She grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She has three children. She advocates participation in community-supported agriculture and shopping at farmers' markets. She is an entertainment writer for MLive. Craker co-authored Lynne Spears' memoir Through the Storm. Craker and Spears appeared together at the 20th annual MOPS International convention in Grapevine, Texas in 2008. Craker co-authored My Journey to Heaven: What I Saw and How It Changed My Life with Marv Besteman, who died before the book was published. In a 2011 Time article, Zac Bissonnette writes that Craker "might be the most versatile journalist in America".

Reviews

[Jaguar · Rating 4 out of 5]

»RATING--4.5 stars.
Note: I read this for character name ideas.

Wow! This is the best name book I have read! I have many things I loved about this book.

1) The names were separated with genders.

»This is a problem I have run into most of the time in the huge 500 pg. name books.


2) It did not have 500 names that start with A, B, C, etc.

»It had the PERFECT amount a names for each letter of the alphabet.


3) I liked that there were some middle name ideas as well.

»Only a tiny small amount, but still helpful.


4) There were names in here that I have never heard of.

»Most name books include the same names that are in EVERY. SINGLE. NAME. BOOK. I get it, but seriously, I want some unique and fresh names...not a name 50 million people in the world are already named.


5) I found names in here that I loved, and will be using in my books.
»*fist pump*

In conclusion...
»If you are looking for a name book for character name ideas, read this book.

»If you are looking for a name to name your child, read this book.

[Katthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a cute little book. Very useful. Lacked a section on gender-neutral names.

[Melina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely book, with lots of literary background info on names. Don't get this book if you want meanings as it has none. But if you want to know names that have literary connections, here ya go. It has a good variety of common and uncommon traditional type names.

[Lindsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Many names were interesting and there was many facts and background for each name. I felt like the author only pulled from a specific set of literary references.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely dated, but a lot of great ideas!

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited to read about A Is for Atticus: Baby Names from Great Books (I think I read about it on the blog Cup of Jo) because I was looking for a literary name, since I'm a librarian and love to read. The premise is that you don't really NEED all of those names in your standard baby name book, because most people really just pick from about 200 names. Consider it a curated list if you will. This book is divided into a girl section and a boy section and has names along with the author's thoughts on each name. I did really like the name selection offered, and wrote a few of them down. However, I had a lot of issues with the book and I'll spell them out below.

1) Possibly redundant: Lorilee Craker includes a lot of biblical names in the book, and while I don't have a problem with that, she ALSO mentions that she has a biblical name baby book ("A" Is for Adam: Biblical Baby Names, which means that a lot of these names are redundant if you read/buy both books! Kind of annoying.

2) Because Craker mentions a lot of celebrities in her book (i.e. Scout Willis), it gets pretty dated. Take, for example, the name "Blue." Not mentioning a certain Blue Ivy Carter when a lot more obscure celebrity babies are mentioned just seems silly. Same thing with predicting that certain names won't get popular, when in the time since the book's been published, they've definitely cracked the top 100, possibly even 50 (i.e. Harper Beckham).

3) I suppose some people are reading this for Craker's commentary on the name selection, but I really didn't care what her top 10 names were, or if she thought certain names were overplayed or ugly or boring.

4) A lot of these names are quite a stretch to be considered "literary." Shouldn't they be from works of great literature or at least well-known ones? There are some obscure books in here. I feel like she's just stretching for ideas.

Again, I liked the names suggested, but if the book had an index, I could've just read that in a minute or two and I would've been just as satisfied.

[Eastofoz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was just excellent especially if you’ve gone through countless dull and boring baby name books that just present lists with a blurb on the origin of a name or get into some long winded explanation about not only origin but also tracing it back to days of yore droning on like a tedious dictionary about when it first appeared and all the Joe Blow Shmoes who were named it (most of whom you’ve never even heard of anyway) and more blah blah blah –thankfully you won’t find any of that here! If you’re an avid reader or lover of general culture, this is a book you’ll no doubt appreciate if the stork is coming your way. It makes for an even better gift to receive because it’s fresh and odds are the person hasn’t received anything like it already. It has a more personal touch to it I think.

The majority of names are taken from English literature (primarily the UK and US) but there are some smatterings from all over the globe which I really liked. It’s divided in two parts, boys and girls, making it very easy to flip through. There are a few pages of intro by the author that were fun to read too. Craker has three main levels of names: common (ie makes the top 20 year in and year out pretty much), less common (likely makes the top 50 for those parents looking for a bit of spice) and very adventurous (for the oh so brave!) so there’s a little bit for everyone. She gives a few pros and cons for some names which I thought were helpful. For example some names look and sound great but maybe they’re too “original” for the school playground, though that could be what some parents are looking for too. The names are presented in a reader friendly, humorous and informative way indicating the character, book and author and why the author thought they should be included.. She also gave a few chart summaries with her own personal faves. Sure there are names missing but she’d have to write a 900 pager to include just about everything. I was generally pleased with her selection and it was an enjoyable quick read that never got stale.

So if you’re looking for a little something to give expectant parents, or wanting to pick up something cute and original for yourself, this book should certainly get people thinking and talking about what to name baby :)

[Dayna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lorilee Craker loves names ... and it shows. I am a fellow "name freak" and book lover, and so I enjoyed Craker's approach to the baby name book. There are no boring lists here. "[...:] each name selected for A is for Atticus is profiled for its uniqueness, image, and whether or not it is up-and-coming or more stale than last week's doughnuts." That's accurate, as this is not a comprehensive list of literary names. It's really a collection of Craker's favorite names from literature. As should be expected with any name book, I didn't like all of Craker's choices. I didn't agree with her assessments of some names. I associated some of the names with different books than she references. And some stuff she just gets wrong. She associates "Anna" with Little House on the Prairie. I think what she was trying to convey is that the name "Anna" has a lot of pioneer spirit. But none of the main characters in LHOTP have that name, and I don't remember any significant secondary characters in the series with that name. So, it bugs me that she even references LHOTP in the Anna-profile. Under "Dorothy" Craker writes, "Readers of the Oz books (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz came out in 1900) were enthralled with spunky Princess Dorothy of Oz and her ruby red shoes." Ummm, as anyone who has actually read the book knows, Dorothy's shoes were actually silver. The color was changed for the movie, because the filmmakers wanted something vivid to show off in Technicolor. And, under "Edith," Craker mentions Edith Wharton and "doilies and fussy wallpaper" in the same sentence. She may have just meant that "Edith" reminds her of doilies and fussy wallpaper, but it reads like she means that, by way of the name "Edith," Edith Wharton reminds her of doilies and fussy wallpaper. Edith Wharton was an interior designer as well as a writer, and she actually despised the excess in decor of her day ... such as doilies and fussy wallpaper. These are examples of things that bug me, and because of them I can't give the book more than three stars. And I feel like I'm being pretty generous doing that.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A is for Atticus (Lorilee Craker)
Major disclaimer here, DO NOT SKIP: We are not pregnant, nor immanently expecting to be so. I just wanted to explore our options and start strategizing for the next. The tag line is: Baby Names from Great Books. From the back: Is your bookshelf an untapped gold mine of fabulous baby names? Every name is spoken of in a lighthearted, conversational tone, with at least one literary reference, and often times with cultural/ethnic ones as an added bonus (what famous couples named their child(ren) and how that changed its popularity. Here's a little teaser: our next girl's name (if we have one) - both first and middle are in the book as are both the names we had for if Naomi turned out to be a boy. Nicknames are also included.

I loved this: In the dedication/introduction, we get to learn what the author named her children (Jonah, Ezra, and Pheobe) and what her husband's name is (Doyle). She gives general standings of where the name is now if super-popular, or the standings "across the pond" for comparison's sake. Also, her opinion as to whether a name will skyrocket in popularity. I really enjoyed this. I would love an Atticus, myself, but I'm not sure my other half is interested. At the risk of writing the longest reviews ever, particularly for a book with no plot or climax, I'm going to insert one name review just to give everyone a taste:

Graham: This is a cozy, well-built, good-looking name that somehow never caught fire on this side of the ocean (unlike similar hotties Ian and Gavin). I say, don't ask questions, just grab this goody and run! Graham has the nice advantage of not being the least bit trendy, like fellow Scottish/English names Keegan or COlin. Graham Greene wrote travel essays, short stories, plays, and novels, including the Power and the Glory and the End of the Affair.

(This is not a name in our running, just a good example, I thought). Many thanks to Phil's brother Joel who gave Phil this for Christmas!! I'm glad he didn't listen to me and not get it.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second review-4 stars (June 2016)
So apparently I already read this book and totally forgot about it. And I have a completely different perspective the second time around. Much more fun to read than your average baby name book. Deducting one point because her description of Milo is all about Liv Tyler's kid and makes no reference to The Phantom Tollbooth. Also minus that same one star because it didn't help us find a name.

Original review-1 star (October 2011)
The subtitle to this book is a scam. It should be called "Commentary on all the names celebrities have given their children in the last 3 years." Half of the name contain no explanation of what "great books" they are referencing and no meanings of any names are included. It takes about 30 minutes to read the whole thing and has very little in the way of interesting suggestions, except to take the surname of an author you like and make it your kid's first name. A total bust.

[SmarterLilac · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the only baby name books incisive and fascinating enough for me to include on my Goodreads list. I read it for what it says about why certain baby names are more popular than others, and feel Craker's take on the mood of modern parents is spot on. For instance, she writes that names beginning with the letter 'Z' are less appealing because today's parents are very, very careful about the identity their children may draw from a name, and the last letter of the alphabet is simply too striking, exotic and scary for many. I didn't notice what Craker does besides write--sociology, maybe? :-)

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you need to name a human, take the small amount of time to read through the names listed in this book. Although we didn't use it when naming our two children, I was pleased to see both of their names in the book. The names we are considering for our third were also listed. So this book confirmed our hipness. ;-)

There is nothing too outlandish, but enough uniqueness for most discriminating parents. Of course there are a few traditional names too...but the layout of the book makes it easy to skip reading about names you wouldn't even consider.

[Zoey · Rating 4 out of 5]

As far as baby name resources go, this one has been a gem. The book highlights classic and cool names following the vintage trend that have the added bonus of being drawn from literary sources. Each name seemed carefully chosen for this collection, with fun commentary about literary and current contexts. This was a fun read because the author was so clearly invested in the project. (Contrast this to mass-produced baby name books and apps that reach 50,000 names by stooping to include unpronounceable and unusable names.)

[Bianca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not your usual baby name book, but a collection of meaningful literary names that have been taken from those books you've loved.
The idea is to identify a character with personality traits that you'd also like to see your baby possess.
I'd recommend it for any pregnant book lover - it's been a fun read.

[Jacqueline]

My favorite baby name book. Limited number of carefully selected names - organized alphabetically for reference, but so readable that I wanted to read it cover to cover. All of the names have some sort of literary connection, and the author shares her opinion of impressions and connotations of the names.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very entertaining and informative look at baby names. Not your typical book of lists and meanings.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

great concept, I only wished it was longer in length!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seriously struggling with this baby naming task!

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting background on names in literature.

[Britt, Book Habitue · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I love the idea behind this baby name book, I didn't love the execution.

[Rebekah Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this!!! Also, I named my son Attikus. This book is now in his bookshelf!!!

[Mainon]

Great source for literary baby names. Well organized, with little blurbs about the literary heritage of each name.