Katniss, the story's protagonist, is a gifted archer. It serves her well both in the Games and during the rebellion in "Mockingjay." To honor Katniss' talent, Collins chose to name her after the arrowhead plant, aka katniss. It has arrow-shaped leaves, and is edible, which comes in handy for a forager like Katniss.
Her last name, Everdeen, also has a double meaning. It's a nod to a character, Bathsheba Everdene, in "Far From the Madding Crowd." Collins told Entertainment Weekly that "the two are very different, but both struggle with knowing their hearts."
Aside from that struggle, both are fiercely independent and have problems letting other people truly know them. In both "The Hunger Games" and "Far From the Madding Crowd," Katniss and Bathsheba eventually decide that they love their best friends (Peeta and Gabriel, respectively).