6 Books with Characters Who Have Awesome Names

The Dot, by Peter H. Reynolds
In this inspiring book, a frustrated, scowling Vashti is encouraged by her teacher to value even her smallest creative contribution. The first dot she begrudgingly draws leads to a vast, dot-based oeuvre and Vashti’s desire to encourage artistic impression in other reluctant kids.
The meaning of the name Vashti can be: good; best; excellent; drinks; or thread, depending on who you ask. The name Vashti may be familiar to many people from the Jewish festival of Purim, where the Book of Esther tells (among other things) of Queen Vashti and her royal banishment for disobeying her husband’s drunken demands to dance at his party. Some feminists have written about Queen Vashti as an early feminist figure.

Lentil, by Robert McCloskey
Otherwise happy Lentil deeply desires to make music, but can’t sing or pucker his lips to whistle. Determined to produce sounds, Lentil learns to play the harmonica, much to the delight of most the residents of Alto, Ohio. Eventually, even curmudgeonly Old Sneep is charmed by Lentil’s harmonica, when the boy who can’t pucker his lips saves the hero’s parade from being a flop.
Lentils, a type of legume, are among the world’s healthiest foods. Lentils are inexpensive, packed with nutrition, and used in cuisines around the world. The lentil is a very popular bean, but underutilized as a name, although there were slightly more Lentils born this year than last.

The Name Jar, by Yangsook Choi
The Name Jar is a tender story of a young Korean girl and her concerns about acceptance and identity upon joining an American school. Unhei tells her new classmates that she will choose an American name from the ones they suggest, and imagines what life will be like as a Suzy or Amanda. Throughout the book, Unhei experiences many conflicting pressures from wanting to be like her classmates to desiring to please her family. Ultimately Unhei realizes the beauty and value of her own name and chooses to be known to her new, American friends that way. Unhei means “grace” or “graceful”.

Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge, Mem Fox and Julie Vivas
In this sweet book about a special friendship, Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge is a young boy living next door to a retirement home. He loves to visit the residents, especially Nancy Alison Delacourt Cooper because she also has four names. When he learns that Miss Nancy has lost her memory, Wilfrid Gordon makes it his mission to help her get it back.
Wilfrid, an alternate spelling of Wilfred, comes from the Old English words for “will” and “peace”. Gordon comes from the surname Gordon, which has uncertain origins. Wilfred has been a more popular baby name than Gordon for the past five years. One famous Gordon with four names (none of them Wilfrid) chooses to be known as “Sting”.

Chrysanthemum, by Kevin Henkes
Chrysanthemum loves her name until she’s teased about it. Her classmates, like all good bullies, run with the flower theme: they threaten to pluck and smell poor Chrysanthemum, making her feel terrible. A kind teacher names her new daughter Chrysanthemum and shows our heroine (and her classmates) how lovely it is to have a botanical name.
The name Chrysanthemum comes from Ancient Greek and means “golden flower”. Chrysanthemums are attractive, edible, can be used to prevent mosquito bites, and help purify the air. Chrysanthemums have different cultural significance throughout the world. Chrysanthemum is the birth flower for November.

Hooper Humperdink…? Not Him!, by Dr. Seuss and Scott Nash
An unnamed narrator plans an enormous party and lists all the guests (and musical acts) in alphabetical order and rhyme. There’s just one person who won’t be invited, and that’s poor Hooper Humperdink, for whatever reason. This book is a bountiful banquet of names, from Abe to Zacharias, and everything in-between including Olivetta Oppenbeem. We don’t know why Hooper is being left out, and he looks pretty sad watching the party assemble, but he has his dog and trumpet for company at least. And, of course, eventually the host relents and Hooper is welcome to join Lucy, Luke, Lum, Mark, Mary, Mike, Mabel, Nora, Norton, Nat, and Newt et. al. at the gargantuan celebration.
What are your favorite books about people with awesome names?