Coraline is handily named after the lead character in the story, Coraline Jones. It's a pretty basic title. But it's important to notice that the title is just Coraline's name. Many times, a book that features the main character's name in the title also mentions a few other things: think Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter and the fill-in-the-blank, Harold and the Purple Crayon. The title Coraline emphasizes Coraline the character above the wacky adventures she's going to have.