This list includes 19 Literary girl names that start with F, from “Faline” to “Félicité”. They come from novels, poems, and plays and suit expectant parents, writers, and literary fans.
[Literary girl names that start with F] are female names that appear in literature, from classic characters to author-created inventions. For example, Félicité is the heroine of Flaubert’s novella “A Simple Heart,” showing classic literary use.
Below you’ll find the table with Name, Origin, Pronunciation, and Meaning.
Name: The given name as it appears in literature, so you can identify candidates quickly.
Origin: The author, work, and language where the name appears, helping you understand historical and cultural context.
Pronunciation: A simple phonetic respelling so you can say the name confidently in conversation or reading aloud.
Meaning: Etymology or literary significance that explains origins, symbolism, or why the name resonates in stories.
Literary girl names that start with F
| Name | Origin | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fanny | Jane Austen — Mansfield Park, English | FAN-ee | Diminutive of Frances; “free” |
| Fantine | Victor Hugo — Les Misérables, French | FAN-teen | Possibly Hugo-coined; evokes innocence and tragedy |
| Fleur | J.K. Rowling — Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, English/French | FLUR | French “flower” |
| Flora | Henry James — The Turn of the Screw, English | FLOR-uh | Latin “flower” |
| Francesca | Dante Alighieri — Divine Comedy (Inferno), Italian | fran-CHEZ-kah | Feminine of Francis; “from France” or “free” |
| Fiammetta | Giovanni Boccaccio — Elegia di Madonna Fiammetta, Italian | fee-ah-MET-tah | little flame (Italian) |
| Freya | Norse mythology — Prose Edda and sagas, Old Norse | FRAY-uh | noble lady; goddess of love |
| Flavia | Alan Bradley — The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, English | FLAY-vee-uh | Latin “golden, blond” |
| Faline | Felix Salten — Bambi, A Life in the Woods, German | fuh-LEEN | little fawn (suggested) |
| Fosca | Iginio Ugo Tarchetti — Fosca, Italian | FOHS-kah | Possibly from Italian “fosco” meaning “dark” |
| Franny | J.D. Salinger — Franny and Zooey, English | FRAN-ee | Diminutive of Frances |
| Félicité | Gustave Flaubert — Un cœur simple, French | fay-lee-see-TAY | happiness (French) |
| Fidelma | Peter Tremayne — Absolution By Murder (Sister Fidelma series), English/Old Irish | fih-DEL-muh | faithful (from Latin root) |
| Fortunata | Benito Pérez Galdós — Fortunata y Jacinta, Spanish | for-too-NAH-tah | fortunate; lucky |
| Fenella | Sir Walter Scott — Peveril of the Peak, English/Scottish | feh-NEL-uh | Possibly Gaelic origin; suggested “white shoulder” |
| Fedora | Victorien Sardou — Fedora (play), French | feh-DOHR-uh | gift of God (related to Theodore) |
| Felicitas | Classical Latin literature — personification in Roman texts (Virgil, Ovid), Latin | feh-lih-SIH-tahs | good fortune; happiness |
| Fortuna | Classical and medieval literature — Roman goddess in Virgil, Ovid and medieval texts, Latin | FOR-too-nah | luck; fate |
| Florence | Charles Dickens — Dombey and Son, English | FLOR-ens | Latin “blossoming” |
Descriptions
Fanny
Austen’s morally frail but principled heroine; a classic Victorian-era name with literary pedigree.
Fantine
Tragic young mother whose fate drives Hugo’s social critique; lyrical, sorrowful name choice.
Fleur
Beauxbatons champion Fleur Delacour is elegant and brave; romantic, floral name with French flair.
Flora
The haunted child at the heart of James’s ghost novella; poetic, vintage botanical name.
Francesca
Francesca da Rimini is Dante’s famous tragic lover; distinctly Italian and romantic.
Fiammetta
Boccaccio’s introspective narrator/muse; lyrical Renaissance name with fiery imagery.
Freya
Norse goddess appearing across myths and retellings; strong, mythic, increasingly popular modern choice.
Flavia
Flavia de Luce is a precocious young sleuth; literary, slightly old-fashioned with spunky appeal.
Faline
Bambi’s gentle companion and later mate; nature-inspired, whimsical name drawn from classic children’s literature.
Fosca
Obsessive, intense heroine of an Italian romantic novel later adapted for stage and musical theatre.
Franny
Franny Glass is a disillusioned college student in Salinger’s story; intimate, literary diminutive.
Félicité
Flaubert’s devoted servant; quietly poignant French name with vintage charm.
Fidelma
Sister Fidelma is a 7th-century Irish nun-lawyer detective; evocative historical-fiction heroine.
Fortunata
Passionate central figure in Galdós’s realist portrait of Madrid society; strong, classical Spanish name.
Fenella
A Highland heroine in Scott’s novel; evocative, distinctly Scottish literary choice.
Fedora
Title character in Sardou’s melodramatic play; dramatic, vintage stage name.
Felicitas
Personified virtue/goddess in classical poetry; ancient, uplifting name with philosophical resonance.
Fortuna
Personified goddess of chance and fate appearing across classical and medieval literature; powerful mythic name.
Florence
Florence Dombey is Dickens’s gentle, resilient daughter; elegant Victorian name with floral roots.