Top 30 Most Common Names for Western Authors

Do you have a common author name or have a baby you need to name? Check out this list of the most common names for authors!

McKenna Hendricks –
Book Culture Bookish Trends Just For Fun Pop Culture

“Words have meaning but names have power.” This quote from an anonymous writer argues that the name given to someone could potentially influence their life. If you have a baby on the way, thinking of names is always a big step. Maybe you hope your child grows up to be a famous author since you love books. These 30 of the most common names for authors in North America and West Europe, so maybe try your luck in getting a writer in the family by naming your child one of them!

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Male author names

  1. John (ex. John Sandford, John Irving, John C. Maxwell)
  2. David (ex. David Baldacci, David Mitchell, David Eddings)
  3. James (ex. James Patterson, James Rollins, James Agee)
  4. Robert (ex. Robert Jordan, Robert Greene, Robert Harris)
  5. Michael (ex. Michael Lewis, Michael Connely, Michael Peterson)
  6. Paul (ex. Paul Theroux, Paul G. Tremblay, Paul Doirin)
  7. Richard (ex. Richard Ford, Richard Powers, Richard Evans)
  8. Chris/Christopher (ex. Chris Pavone, Christopher Pike, Chris Carter)
  9. Dan/Daniel (ex. Dan Brown, Dan Wells, Daniel H. Pink)
  10. William (ex. William Shakespeare, William Faulkner, William Boyd)

Female author names

  1. Jan/Jane/Janet (ex. Jane Harper, Jane Green, Jane Yolen)
  2. Mary (ex. Mary Stone, Mary Shelley, Mary Stewart)
  3. Susan (ex. Susan Cain, Susan Isaacs, Susan Mallory)
  4. Ann/Anne/Anna (ex. Anne Lamott, Ann Hood, Anna Todd)
  5. Elizabeth (ex. Elizabeth Berg, Elizabeth Acevedo, Elizabeth Strout)
  6. Laura/Lauren (ex. Laura Dave, Laura Scott, Lauren Groff)
  7. Caroline/Carolyn (ex. Carolyn Hart, Carolyn Haines, Caroline Leavitt)
  8. Judith (ex. Judith McNaught, Judith Guest, Judith Viorist)
  9. Jennifer (ex. Jennifer Egan, Jennifer Vogel, Jennifer Ryan)
  10. Barbara (ex. Barbara Kingsolver, Barbara Davis, Barbara Taylor Bradford)

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Unisex author names

  1. Alex (ex. Alex Kava, Alex Haley, Alex Finlay)
  2. Jay/Kay (ex. Jay McInernery, Jay Asher, Kay Hooper)
  3. Pat (ex. Pat Conroy, Pat Simmons, Pat Barker)
  4. Jean (ex. Jean M. Auel, Jean Genet, Jean Rhys)
  5. Joan (ex. Joan Aiken, Joan Anderson, Joan Hunter)
  6. Lee (ex. Lee Smith, Lee Cole, Lee Jackson)
  7. Terry (ex. Terry McMillan, Terry Roberts, Terry Pratchett)
  8. Gail (ex. Gail Tsukiyama, Gail Godwin, Gail McHugh)
  9. Robin (ex. Robin Sloan, Robin Lee Hatcher, Robin McKinley)
  10. Harper (ex. Harper Lee, Harper Sloan, Harper Lin)

Were you surprised by these names? If you want to see more about authors, read our article 11 of the Busiest Authors.

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