There are few books that have inspired generations of baby names like Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. It's a love story that still leaves girls swooning after Mr. Darcy, and it's chalk full of great names.
Before I wrote this post, I looked up other Pride and Prejudice baby name lists. Most of them focused on famous FIRST names in the book: Eliza, Lydia, and even Fitzwilliam. While Regency Era names like Jane and Charlotte are both beautiful and timeless, these aren't the names that I fell in love with when I first read Pride and Prejudice.
My top 5 baby names from Pride and Prejudice are actually all LAST names from the book!
5. COLLINS (Rev. William Collins)
While Mr. Collins has a bad wrap in the book for being a bit of an overbearing creeper, he has the good fortune of having a great name. One of the things I like most about the name Collins is that it's gender neutral, and thanks to The Blind Side I wouldn't mind having a daughter named Collins.
4. LUCAS (Miss Charlotte Lucas)
I have to admit that I fell in love with the name Lucas while I was serving a church mission in Brazil. Lucas is Portuguese for Luke (go figure, right?) and is such a solid yet uncommon name. It's gaining popularity right now, so this might have to be my firstborn's name!
3. DENNY (Mr. Denny)
Mr. Denny is a minor character in Pride and Prejudice. His role in the militia may have been overshadowed by Mr. Wickham, but his name definitely was not. This is a nice change from the more common Daniel or Danny. I really like how changing one letter (the "a" for the "e") creates a fresh new name. Denny is a great name a boy could grow up with as it suits toddlers, teens, and adults.
2. BENNETT (Miss Elizabeth Bennet)
You probably noticed the spelling change from the Pride and Prejudice's famous Bennet family. It's just a personal preference adding an extra "t" on at the end. I've always loved the nickname Ben but was never in love with Benjamin. Bennett adds a foreign feel to the full name while still letting me keep my more traditional Ben.
1. DARCIE (Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy)
This name is hands down my favorite, and the proof is in the fact that I couldn't wait for a daughter and ended up naming my dog Darcie. I opted to change out the "y" for a more feminine "ie." This name is both strong and delicate, which makes it the perfect girl name! Now...will my daughter be named after my dog or Pride and Prejudice?
