Romantasy Baby Names: How ACOTAR and Fourth Wing Are Reshaping the Lists

TL;DR: The romantasy genre — A Court of Thorns and Roses (Maas), Fourth Wing (Yarros), Folk of the Air (Black) — is sending fantasy character names up the charts faster than any genre since Game of Thrones. Conrad surged 36%, Cassian is climbing, and Violet/Vi is breaking out. 12 romantasy-coded names below.

Reading time: 6 minutes Last updated: May 2026

Romantasy is a real naming force now

Five years ago, naming your daughter "Aelin" or your son "Xaden" would have read as overly committed to a fandom. In 2026, these names are sitting comfortably alongside Emma and Noah on US baby registries.

A few real data points:

Conrad (Henry's brother, The Summer I Turned Pretty) jumped 36% in popularity in 2024 — the largest single-year increase for a boy's name.
Violet has been climbing for a decade but accelerated when Rebecca Yarros's Fourth Wing hit BookTok.
Rhysand, Feyre, Cassian, and Azriel from ACOTAR have all entered the US Social Security Administration's tracked names.
Aelin (Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass) is being used by ~120 American babies per year — up from zero a decade ago.

Romantasy now matches Game of Thrones (2011–2019) and Twilight (2008–2012) as a major literary force in baby naming.

Why this trend is different from earlier fandom naming

A few earlier fantasy waves felt borrowed — naming your daughter Khaleesi or Daenerys would mark you as a fan, not just someone who loved a name.

Romantasy character names work differently. Many of them are subtly Anglicized fantasy names that pass as regular names:

Violet sounds like a flower name, not a Fourth Wing protagonist
Cassian sounds Roman, not just an ACOTAR warrior
Astrid has been used for centuries; Twisted readers don't know that
Rowan predates Maas's Rowan Whitethorn by ten centuries

This means parents can pick romantasy-coded names without the "she named her kid after a book" awkwardness. The names work both as fandom homages and as standalone choices.

The defining sound of romantasy names

If you've read three romantasy novels you'll notice the protagonist names follow a pattern:

Often 2–3 syllables
Often start with a strong consonant (C, R, X, V)
Use vowel-hiatus combinations (Aelin, Feyre)
Tend toward Celtic, Roman, or Persian root structures
Often have a one-syllable nickname (Vi, Cas, Rhys)

This is intentional — romantasy authors are aware their names get adopted by readers.

12 romantasy-coded baby names worth considering

For girls

1. Violet (Latin, "violet flower" / Fourth Wing) Tripled in usage between 2018 and 2024. The nickname Vi sounds modern; the full name feels Victorian. Pronounced: VYE-uh-let

2. Aelin (Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass) Originally a fictional invention but feels rooted in Celtic tradition. Best for parents who want an unmistakably literary name. Pronounced: AY-lin

3. Feyre (ACOTAR / fictional) The female lead of A Court of Thorns and Roses. Spelled to read mysteriously; sounds like "fair." Used by ~80 US babies per year now. Pronounced: FAY-ruh

4. Astrid (Old Norse, "divinely beautiful") Pre-existing name newly fashionable thanks to romantasy crossover. Pronounced: AS-trid

5. Bryce (Welsh, "speckled" / Crescent City) Strong, short, gender-flexible. Pronounced: BRYCE

6. Yrene (Throne of Glass) Less common than Aelin but rising. Has Greek roots (eirene = peace). Pronounced: YEAR-ah-nee

For boys

7. Cassian (Latin, "hollow / Cassian was a Roman saint and an ACOTAR warrior") A textbook romantasy crossover — both classical and fandom-coded. Pronounced: KASS-ee-un

8. Xaden (Fourth Wing) Pure romantasy invention. Spiky, modern. Used by ~60 US babies per year and climbing fast. Pronounced: ZAY-den

9. Rhysand (ACOTAR) Welsh-coded. Comes with the nickname Rhys (already a top-300 name). Pronounced: RYE-sand

10. Azriel (Hebrew, "God is my help" / ACOTAR) Predates ACOTAR by millennia but gained 400% in usage. Pronounced: AZ-ree-el

11. Conrad (Germanic, "bold counsel" / The Summer I Turned Pretty) Up 36% in 2024 — the biggest leap of any boy's name that year. Pronounced: KON-rad

Gender-neutral

12. Sky / Skye (English / Norse, "cloud") Used across multiple romantasy novels. Short, modern. Pronounced: SKY

How to name a romantasy-coded baby without going overboard

Three rules from naming professionals:

Use the name, not the character. Naming your daughter "Violet" reads as literary. Naming her "Violet Sorrengail" (the full Fourth Wing heroine name) reads as cosplay.
Pair with a classic middle name. "Cassian James" feels grounded. "Cassian Rhysand" feels overcommitted.
Ask yourself: would I love this name if I'd never read the book? If yes — it's a great name. If no — keep looking.

For a personalized list of romantasy-adjacent names that fit your family's style and surname, our AI naming engine takes 90 seconds. Try Fablely free →