Gonorilla is a feminine name from literature, recorded as the original Latin form used by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Historia Regum Britanniae. The name is essentially a variant spelling of Goneril, the character later popularized by William Shakespeare in his tragedy King Lear (1606).
Geoffrey of Monmouth tells the story of King Leir, a legendary early ruler of Britain who decided to divide his kingdom among his three daughters based on their professions of love. Goneril is the eldest daughter, who artfully flatters her father with exaggerated declarations of affection, only to later betray and mistreat him once she gains her share of power. Her treachery—along with that of her sister Regan—drives Leir mad and forces him to wander, finding true loyalty only from his youngest daughter Cordelia.
Shakespeare inherited the story from Geoffrey and Raphael Holinshed’s Chronicles but changed the spelling of the eldest daughter’s name from Gonorilla to Goneril. The etymology of the name has always been uncertain, but Geoffrey may have drawn from older Welsh mythological names such as Goneril or from the legendary figure associated with Leir. As a result, Gonorilla today exists primarily as an archaic literary reference and a curiosity among historians and Shakespearean scholars.
In modern usage, the name is rare and essentially limited to discussions of Arthurian or early British legend. It carries dark connotations due to the character's betrayal and selfishness, making it an unconventional choice for a real child.
Etymology and Linguistic Origin
The name Gonorilla is the Latinized rendition of a name of unknown ultimate origin. Geoffrey of Monmouth, writing in Latin, applied the ending -a to standardize the feminine form. The shift to ‘Goneril’ by Shakespeare may reflect contemporary anglicization or a misspelling. The root name Leir may be connected to the city of Leicester or the Welsh deity Llŷr, father of Bran and other mythical figures, linking the entire family to a pre‑Christian strongman story.
Notable Bearers in Fiction
- Gonorilla (Goneril) – eldest daughter of King Leir in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae and in Shakespeare’s adaptation King Lear; synonym for ingratitude and ambition.
- Gonorilla – occasionally appears as a minor figure in folklore retellings historically distinct from Shakespeare.
Cultural and Literary Significance
Gonorilla/Goneril is an archetype of the wicked older sister in Western literature, often named alongside her malevolent counterpart Cornwall’s ruthless ally. The name is also sometimes used to satirize greed or hypocritical declarations of loyalty. In the annals of historic mythology, Goneril remains the pivotal dynamo of mortal conflict and loss studied in Early English drama.
- Meaning: uncertain; possibly adapted from a Celtic name connected to King Leir
- Origin: Latinized variation of Goneril (from Geoffrey of Monmouth)
- Type: Literary first name
- Usage: Basically limited to literature (Middle English → Renaissance texts)
- Popularity: Essentially extinct; used no longer publicly