Narnia

Few things are as magical as that moment when the four Pevensie children first enter Narnia together

Like many avid readers, when it comes to thinking about the names I may someday use for my future children, I think about my favourite books. About the characters that I have loved, those that have inspired me and those that have intrigued me. Or sometimes we turn to an author that has written several books we adore, because it's hard to encapsulate everything we love about their stories with just one character. But in today's naming landscape, we find that we can cast our nets much wider, and that a name doesn't necessarily have to come from a real or fictional person. Names can also come from words - real or fictional.

I know I am not alone in my love of the 'Chronicles of Narnia' books by C.S. Lewis. I remember my excitement when my mother brought me the box set, and suddenly the land of Narnia went from being just 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe' to being seven (yes, SEVEN) whole books! And while some characters such as Lucy, Edmund, Susan, Caspian and even Aslan himself appear in multiple books, there is only one real constant throughout all of them. And that is the enchanting world of Narnia.

So why not Narnia as a possible name? I know I'm not the only one to think of it, as I've seen other people on Nameberry discussing using it as a girls name. Turns out that Narnia made it to the US Social Security popularity lists in 2006, when it was bestowed upon 6 girls. This coincides with the release of the first of the modern movie adaptations - 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe' - in 2005. For me, the movies not only revived fond memories of the books, but also the 1988 BBC production of the books, which I watched on TV as a child. And I dare say that it did the same for many other people, reminding them of the magic and strength of these tales.

It is this feeling of magic, strength and honour that fans think of when they hear the word Narnia, and this is probably the type of feeling that parents who consider this name are aiming for. We all know children are special, and many people try to emphasise this with their choice of name for their child. And Narnia definitely holds a special place in many people's hearts.

So far Narnia has only charted as a girls name - possibly due to it's similarity to Nadia, or because "a" endings most often indicate a feminine name. But there's no reason why it couldn't work on a boy too. That is, if you think it works as a name at all. What do you think? Usable? As a first name, or is it strictly middle name material? Either way, this is one name that would ensure it's wearer is not soon forgotten.

View of the Stone Table in Narnia