Dystopia is red hot in young adult lit—and young adult movies. After the huge success of Hunger Games, there’s Divergent, about a young girl who has to pick which group of people in a divided, dark Chicago to join, all based on personality types— there’s Abnegation, for those who self-sacrifice; Amity, for the peace lovers; Candor, for the brutally honest; Dauntless, meant for the brave; and Erudite, for those with high brain power.
Unlike her fellow dystopian authors, Veronica Roth chose some pretty standard names for her characters—no Katniss or Glimmer here. So what stands out as something unique to consider for your child? Try these:
Beatrice (Tris) is the heroine of this series, a girl who is labeled Divergent (that’s not a good thing), because she could fit into more than one group. Beatrice means happiness—and I love the offbeat nickname that was chosen for her.
Caleb is Tris’s brother, and his name is the 32nd most popular name for boys right now. It’s an Old Testament name that means “devoted to God.”
Tris’s love interest is named Tobias, but given the nickname Four. (Could numbers become big for names, a la the Beckhams’ daughter Harper Seven?) Tobias means “God is good,” and it’s currently just shy of the top 500.
Uriah is one of Tris’s allies—his name means “God is my light,” and sits in the top 600 names in the U.S.
And finally, there’s Tris’s mom, Natalie, a top 20 name here in the U.S., that means “God’s birthday.”
What do you think of the Divergent baby names? Do you like it better when fantasy novels pick out-there names, a la Daenarys and Katniss? Or do you prefer when they pick names that are more wearable in the real world?
Have a little fun with your child’s name by trying out our Celebrity Name Generator, or find the perfect name with our Baby Name Finder. And don’t forget to like In Name Only on Facebook to keep up with the latest in baby names!
Baby Names: Is It Too Popular?
Image: Courtesy of Lionsgate