This collection presents 38 Literary girl names that start with C, spanning from “Calliope” to “Cynthia”. You’ll find classical, myth-inspired, and modern literary coinages, useful for expectant parents and creative writers.
Literary girl names that start with C are feminine given names drawn from novels, poetry, myth, and authors’ inventions. For example, “Calliope” appears as the muse of epic poetry in ancient Greek literature and resurfaces in modern fiction.
Below you’ll find the table with Name, Origin, Pronunciation, and Meaning.
Name: The given name as used in literature, so you can spot familiar or fresh choices at a glance.
Origin: The author, work, and language where the name appears, helping you trace cultural and literary roots quickly.
Pronunciation: A simple phonetic respelling that helps you say each name confidently, useful in introductions and writing.
Meaning: Etymology or literary significance, so you understand origins, symbolic associations, and thematic resonance for each name.
Literary girl names that start with C
| Name | Origin (author/work & language) | Pronunciation | Meaning/Etymology |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cosette | Victor Hugo, Les Misérables (French, 1862) | koh-ZET | little thing; Hugo’s affectionate diminutive |
| Celie | Alice Walker, The Color Purple (English, 1982) | SEE-lee | Possibly short for Celestine/Celia; “heavenly” |
| Clarice | Thomas Harris, The Silence of the Lambs (English, 1988) | kla-RISS | Diminutive of Clara; “clear, bright” |
| Clarissa | Samuel Richardson, Clarissa (English, 1748) | kla-RIS-uh | From Clara + -issa; “clear, famous” |
| Cordelia | William Shakespeare, King Lear (English, c.1606) | kor-DEE-lee-uh | Possibly “heart” or Celtic roots; literary emblem of honesty |
| Cressida | Geoffrey Chaucer / Shakespeare, Troilus and Cressida (English, 14th c./1602) | KRES-ih-duh | Greek/medieval roots; linked to “golden” |
| Calypso | Homer, Odyssey (Ancient Greek, c.8th c. BC) | kuh-LIP-so | concealer or “she who hides” |
| Cassandra | Homer & Greek myth (Ancient Greek) | kuh-SAN-druh | she who entangles men; prophetic woman |
| Calliope | Hesiod / Homeric Hymns (Greek, ancient) | kuh-LYE-oh-pee | beautiful-voiced (muse of epic poetry) |
| Circe | Homer, Odyssey (Ancient Greek) | SUR-see | Possibly “falcon” or magical epithet |
| Chloe | Longus, Daphnis and Chloe (Ancient Greek, 2nd c.) | KLOH-ee | green shoot; blooming |
| Claribel | William Shakespeare, The Tempest (English, c.1610) | kla-RIH-bel | clear, beautiful (poetic) |
| Constance | Geoffrey Chaucer, The Man of Law’s Tale (English, 14th c.) | KON-stans | steadfastness |
| Clorinda | Torquato Tasso, Jerusalem Delivered (Italian, 1581) | kloh-RIN-dah | Possibly “bright” or Greek origin |
| Clarimonde | Théophile Gautier, “La Morte Amoureuse” (French, 1836) | kla-ree-MOND | Poetic coinage; “clear world” sense |
| Cathy | Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights (English, 1847) | KATH-ee | Diminutive of Catherine; “pure” |
| Carmilla | Sheridan Le Fanu, Carmilla (English, 1872) | kar-MEE-lah | Possibly from Carmel; poetic/formal coinage |
| Carmen | Prosper Mérimée, Carmen (French, 1845) | KAR-men | song (from Spanish “cantar”) |
| Clytemnestra | Aeschylus, Agamemnon (Greek tragedy, ancient) | kli-tem-NES-truh | famous for her spear (Greek) |
| Corinne | Madame de Staël, Corinne, or Italy (French, 1807) | ko-RIN | From Greek korē “maiden” |
| Celia | William Shakespeare, As You Like It (English, c.1599) | SEE-lee-uh | heavenly (from Latin Caelia) |
| Christine | Gaston Leroux, The Phantom of the Opera (French, 1910) | KRIS-teen | follower of Christ |
| Ceridwen | Taliesin cycle, Welsh myth/poetry (Welsh, medieval) | keh-RID-wen | Possibly “poetry/blessed” or “beloved” |
| Catriona | Robert Louis Stevenson, Catriona (English, 1893) | ka-tree-OH-nuh | Scottish Gaelic form of Catherine |
| Cinderella | Charles Perrault, “Cendrillon” (French, 1697) | sin-deh-REL-uh | little ash girl |
| Cecily | Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest (English, 1895) | SEH-sih-lee | Diminutive of Cecilia; “blind”? archaic meaning |
| Camilla | Virgil, Aeneid (Latin, 19 BC) | ka-MIL-uh | young attendant |
| Coraline | Neil Gaiman, Coraline (English, 2002) | ko-RAH-lyne | Invented variant of Caroline; likely “little coral” |
| Chryseis | Homer, Iliad (Ancient Greek) | krih-SEE-is | daughter of Chryse (golden association) |
| Christabel | Samuel Taylor Coleridge, “Christabel” (English, 1816) | KRIS-tuh-bel | follower of Christ poetic form |
| Chimène | Pierre Corneille, Le Cid (French, 1636) | shee-MEHN | famous; noble (French form) |
| Calpurnia | William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar (English, c.1599) | kal-PUR-nee-uh | calm or Roman family name |
| Callirhoe | Chariton, Callirhoe (Greek novel, 1st c. AD) | kal-ih-ROH-ee | beautiful flow (Greek roots) |
| Callisto | Ovid, Metamorphoses (Latin, 8 AD) | kuh-LIS-toh | most beautiful or “lady” (Greek roots) |
| Cynthia | Propertius / Roman elegy (Latin poetry, 1st c. BC/AD) | SIN-thee-uh | woman of Kynthos; moon epithet |
| Camille | Alexandre Dumas fils, La Dame aux Camélias (French, 1848) | ka-MEEL | attendant Latin roots |
| Catherine | Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights (English, 1847) | KATH-rin | pure |
| Charlotte | Jane Austen, Charlotte Lucas (Pride and Prejudice, English, 1813) | SHAR-luht | free man (feminine of Charles) |
Descriptions
Cosette
Fantine’s rescued daughter and central heroine; a melodic French name tied to 19th-century Parisian literature.
Celie
Protagonist whose letters trace growth and resilience; intimate, soulful Southern voice.
Clarice
FBI trainee Clarice Starling: smart, determined heroine in modern psychological thriller.
Clarissa
Title heroine of a famous epistolary novel; tragic, virtuous, and complex.
Cordelia
Lear’s youngest daughter; loyal, tragic figure often associated with sincerity.
Cressida
Famed tragic lover in medieval and Elizabethan romances; name evokes doomed romance.
Calypso
Enchanting nymph who detains Odysseus; exotic, mythic name with island allure.
Cassandra
Trojan prophetess cursed to be disbelieved; literary shorthand for ignored warnings.
Calliope
Muse of epic poetry; poetic, lyrical name with classical weight.
Circe
Sorceress who transforms men; compelling mythic figure of power and seduction.
Chloe
‘Pastoral’ heroine of an ancient romance; fresh, pastoral name evoking youth and nature.
Claribel
Mentioned as Alonso’s daughter; lyrical Shakespearean name with noble tone.
Constance
Chaucerian heroine celebrated for endurance and faith; classic virtue-name in medieval literature.
Clorinda
Warrior maiden in the crusade epic; brave, tragic, and martial.
Clarimonde
Alluring courtesan/vampire figure; Gothic symbol of love and death.
Cathy
Catherine Earnshaw’s pet name; passionate, willful heroine of Romantic Gothic fiction.
Carmilla
Early female vampire in Gothic novella; eerie, sensuous, influential on vampire fiction.
Carmen
Fiery, free-spirited heroine of Mérimée’s novella and Bizet’s opera; evokes passion and music.
Clytemnestra
Queen who murders Agamemnon; complex tragic figure of revenge and power.
Corinne
Romantic-era heroine: poet, improviser, emblem of female artistic genius.
Celia
Roseate, loyal cousin of Rosalind; bright Shakespearean companion name.
Christine
Young soprano Christine Daaé: innocent, musical heroine at the story’s center.
Ceridwen
Enchantress of Welsh legend linked to inspiration and transformation; magical, Celtic resonance.
Catriona
Heroine in Stevenson’s sequel to Kidnapped; Highland flavor and spirited character.
Cinderella
Folktale heroine popularized in Perrault’s literary version; enduring fairytale name.
Cecily
Naïve, romantic ward in Wilde’s comedy; elegantly old-fashioned and playful.
Camilla
Swift warrior maiden allied to Turnus; classical, martial, and graceful.
Coraline
Modern literary coinage: brave, curious girl in a dark, whimsical tale.
Chryseis
Trojan woman central to a major conflict in the Iliad; ancient epic resonance.
Christabel
Title figure in Coleridge’s gothic poem; evokes mystery and Romantic atmosphere.
Chimène
Noble, grieving heroine torn between love and honor in classic French tragedy.
Calpurnia
Caesar’s prophetic wife in Shakespeare’s tragedy; dignified Roman matron with ominous dream.
Callirhoe
Heroine of an early Greek novel; adventurous romantic heroine with classical pedigree.
Callisto
Nymph transformed into a constellation; mythic name tied to heavens and transformation.
Cynthia
Poetic name for a beloved and for Artemis; literary, lunar, and lyrical.
Camille
English title heroine “Camille” (Marguerite) became emblem of tragic courtesan in 19th-century fiction.
Catherine
Catherine Earnshaw: intense, central figure of Gothic romance; name carries passion and tragedy.
Charlotte
Practical friend of Elizabeth Bennet; a steady, socially savvy literary character.