Names Categorized "Shakespearean characters"

Iago is the Welsh and Galician form of the Late Latin name Iacobus, which itself is derived from the Hebrew Yaʿaqov (see Jacob). It shares its ultimate origin with the English name James, and like James, Iago can be inte...

Imogen is a female given name of English origin, chiefly used in the United Kingdom and Australia. The name originates from Shakespeare's Cymbeline (1609), where Imogen is the virtuous daughter of King Cymbeline. Shakesp...

Iris is a feminine given name derived from the Greek word "rainbow". In Greek mythology, Iris was the goddess of the rainbow and a messenger to the gods, often depicted as a link between heaven and earth. The name began...

Isabella is a feminine given name of Italian origin, the Latinate form of Isabel (from which the French Isabelle also derives), which itself is a variant of Elisabeth, ultimately from the Hebrew name Elisheva, meaning “G...

Isidore is a masculine given name derived from the Greek name Isidoros (Ἰσίδωρος), meaning 'gift of Isis.' The name combines the name of the Egyptian goddess Isis with the Greek element doron ('gift'). It has survived in...

EtymologyJack is a given name of English origin, derived from the medieval diminutive Jackin (earlier Jankin), a pet form of John. The name John itself comes from the Hebrew Yochanan, meaning "Yahweh is gracious." There...

EtymologyJames is an English given name that ultimately derives from the Hebrew name Jacob (Ya'akov). The name evolved through the Late Latin Iacomus, a variant of the Biblical Latin Iacobus, and then into Old French as...

Jaques is a variant spelling of the French name Jacques, famously adopted by William Shakespeare for a character in his pastoral comedy As You Like It (1599). The name Jaques itself is a literary invention, distinguished...

Jessica is a female given name with origins in English literature, famously coined by William Shakespeare for his play The Merchant of Venice (1596), where it belongs to the daughter of Shylock. Shakespeare likely adapte...

Joan is the medieval English form of Johanne, an Old French version of Iohanna, which ultimately derives from the Joanna. The name is a feminine form of John, tracing back through Latin and Greek to the Hebrew Yahweh (th...

John is a very common male name in the English language, ultimately of Hebrew origin. It is the English form of Iohannes, the Latin form of the Greek name Ἰωάννης (Ioannes), itself derived from the Hebrew name יוֹחָנָן (...

EtymologyJulia is a feminine given name, ultimately derived from the Roman family name Julius. The name likely has Latin origins, possibly connected to the word iulus meaning 'downy-bearded' or 'youthful', or related to...

Juliet is an Anglicized form of Giulietta or Juliette, the Italian diminutive of Giulia, itself from Julius. This particular spelling was immortalized by William Shakespeare for the heroine of his tragedy Romeo and Julie...

Junius is a Latin family name (Latin: Iūnius) with origins that reach back to ancient Rome. It is derived from the name of the Roman goddess Juno, queen of the gods, combined with the common adjectival suffix -ius, givin...

Jupiter is the Latin name derived from Iuppiter, ultimately from the vocative form of Indo-European *Dyēws-pətēr, meaning “sky father” (elements: Dyēws, see Zeus, and pətēr “father”). In Roman mythology, Jupiter was the...

Kate is a feminine given name predominantly used in Croatian and English. It is a short form of Katherine (and its variant Katherina), often used independently as a standalone name. In English, it has been used since the...

Etymology and OriginsKatharine is a variant of the name Katherine, itself derived from the Greek Αἰκατερίνη (Aikaterine). The etymology is uncertain, with possible roots in the Greek ἑκάτερος (hekateros) meaning "each of...

Katherina is a Latinate form of Katherine. The name is most famously associated with Shakespeare's comedy The Taming of the Shrew (1593), where Katherina—often called Kate—is the sharp-tongued protagonist whom Petruchio...

EtymologyKatherine is a feminine given name of Greek origin. It derives from the Greek name Αἰκατερίνη (Aikaterine), whose etymology is debated. Possible origins include an earlier Greek name Ἑκατερινη (Hekaterine) from...

Laertes is a name of ancient Greek origin, meaning "gatherer of the people". It appears most famously in Greek mythology as the father of Odysseus, the hero of Homer's Odyssey. While Odysseus himself is celebrated for hi...

Launce is a short form of Launcelot, a variant of Lancelot. The name is most famously associated with a clownish character in William Shakespeare's play The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594), where Launce serves as a comic...

Laurence is an English masculine given name derived from the Roman cognomen Laurentius, meaning "from Laurentum." Laurentum was an ancient city in Italy, whose name likely comes from Latin laurus "laurel." The laurel wre...

Lavinia is a name of uncertain meaning, probably of Etruscan origin. In Roman mythology, Lavinia was the daughter of King Latinus and the wife of Aeneas, the Trojan hero and legendary founder of the Roman people. Accordi...

Lennox is a unisex English given name derived from a Scottish surname. The surname itself originates from a district in Scotland called Leamhnachd in Gaelic, which likely means "place of elms." This name has steadily ris...

Leonardo is the Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese form of Leonard, a name of Germanic origin that derives from the elements lewon meaning "lion" and hardu meaning "brave" or "hardy." Thus, the name carries connotations of...

Etymology and OriginLewis is an English masculine given name that originated as a medieval anglicized form of Louis, itself derived from the Old Frankish name Chlodowig, meaning "famous warrior." Other orthographic varia...

Lodovico is an Italian masculine given name, the Italian form of Ludwig. It derives from the Germanic name Hludwig, composed of the elements hlut meaning "famous, loud" and wig meaning "war, battle," thus carrying the me...

Lorenzo is the Italian and Spanish form of Laurence 1, derived from the Roman cognomen Laurentius, which meant "from Laurentum". Laurentum was an ancient city in Italy, its name probably coming from Latin laurus "laurel"...

Lucetta is an Italian feminine name that functions as a diminutive of Luce, itself a variant of Lucia. The name ultimately derives from the Latin lux meaning "light," and is a feminine form of Lucius. Lucetta carries con...

Luciana is a feminine given name of Roman origin, a variation of the masculine name Lucius. Specifically, it is the feminine form of Lucianus, a Roman family name derived from the praenomen Lucius, which in turn comes fr...

Lucianus is a Roman family name that was derived from the Roman praenomen Lucius, itself from Latin lux "light". The name is best known from its Greek form Λουκιανός (Loukianos), as borne by Lucianus of Samosata, a 2nd-c...

Lucio is the Italian and Spanish form of the Latin name Lucius. Derived from the root Lucius, which itself comes from the Latin word lux meaning "light," Lucio carries the metaphorical sense of "light" or "illumination."...

Lucius is a masculine given name of Roman origin, derived from the Latin lux meaning "light." It was one of the most common praenomina (personal names) in ancient Rome, typically abbreviated as "L." The name may also tra...

Lucrèce is the French form of both Lucretia and its masculine counterpart Lucretius. As a feminine given name, it derives directly from Lucretia, the feminine form of the Roman family name Lucretius, which may be related...

Lysander is a Latinized form of the Greek name Λύσανδρος (Lysandros), derived from the Greek word λύσις meaning "a release, loosening" and ἀνήρ meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός). Thus, the name can be interpreted as "relea...

Mab is a female name best known as the name of the queen of the fairies in William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet (1596), where she is described as a mischievous, dream-bringing figure. The name's origin is uncertai...

Macbeth is the Anglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic given name Mac Beatha, meaning "son of life", implying holiness or righteousness. This etymology reflects the Gaelic tradition of names beginning with mac-, meaning "...

Malcolm is a masculine given name of Scottish origin. It is the Anglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic Máel Coluim, which means "disciple of Saint Columba". The Gaelic element máel means "shavenhead," a term that histori...

Malvolio is a fictional character invented by William Shakespeare for his comedy Twelfth Night, or What You Will (1602). The name derives from Italian mal volere, meaning "ill will" or "malevolence," which directly mirro...

Marcellus is a Roman family name that was originally a diminutive of Marcus, a common Roman praenomen derived from the name of the Roman god Mars. The name Marcellus thus carries the meaning of "little warrior" or "dedic...

Marcius is a Roman family name derived from the praenomen Marcus. The name ultimately stems from Mars, the Roman god of war, making Marcius a patronymic or clan name that literally means "belonging to Marcus" or "of Mars...

Marcus is a masculine given name of Ancient Roman origin, classified as a praenomen, or personal name, that was common among Roman citizens. Its etymology is closely tied to the Roman god Mars, the deity of war, though s...

Margaret is a classic feminine given name derived from Latin Margarita, which was from Greek μαργαρίτης (margarites) meaning "pearl". The Greek word was probably ultimately borrowed from an Indo-Iranian language, reflect...

Margery is a medieval English form of Margaret, derived ultimately from the Greek word margarites, meaning "pearl." This name was particularly common in England from the 13th to the 15th centuries, serving as a vernacula...

Maria is a feminine given name used in numerous languages, including Armenian, Basque, Bulgarian, Catalan, Corsican, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Faroese, Finnish, Frisian, German, Greek, Italian, Norwegian, Occitan...

Mariana is a feminine given name of Latin origin, the feminine form of Marianus, a Roman family name derived from Marius, which itself originates from the Latin mas, maris meaning "male" or from the name of the Roman god...

Marina is a feminine given name widely used across many cultures. It is the feminine form of the Latin name Marinus, which itself derives either from the Roman family name Marius or directly from the Latin word marinus m...

Matthew is an English masculine given name, ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Mattityahu, meaning “gift of Yahweh.” It entered Greek as Ματθαῖος (Matthaios) through the New Testament, where it belonged to Matthew t...

Mercutio is a fictional character from William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet (first performed around 1596). He is a close friend of Romeo and a blood relative of Prince Escalus and Count Paris, making him one of...

Etymology and OriginMichael is a masculine given name derived from the Hebrew rhetorical question מִיכָאֵל (Miḵaʾel), meaning "who is like God?" The name combines the interrogative pronoun מִי (mi) meaning "who?", the pa...

Miranda is a feminine given name derived from Latin mirandus, meaning "admirable, worthy of being admired". The name was coined by William Shakespeare for the heroine of his play The Tempest (1611), in which Miranda and...

Ned is an English diminutive of Edward or Edmund, and less commonly of Edgar or Edwin. It has been used since the 14th century and likely originated from the medieval affectionate phrase mine Ed, which was later reinterp...

Nell is a medieval diminutive of names beginning with El, such as Eleanor, Ellen 1, or Helen. The shift from El to Nell likely originated in the medieval affectionate phrase mine El, which was later reinterpreted as my N...

Nerissa is a feminine given name created by William Shakespeare for a character in his play The Merchant of Venice (1596). The name is likely derived from the Greek word Νηρηΐς (Nereis), meaning "nymph, sea sprite," whic...

Nestor is a male given name with Greek origins, derived from the Greek word neomai (νέομαι), meaning "to return," and nostos (νόστος), "one who returns from travels." The name thus conveys the sense of a "returner" or "h...

Nick is a masculine given name, predominantly used in Dutch and English-speaking countries. It is most commonly encountered as a short form (hypocorism) of the name Nicholas, though it can also serve as a diminutive for...

Oberon is a fairy king in medieval and Renaissance literature, best known from William Shakespeare's comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595), where he rules over the fairies alongside his queen, Titania. The name is a va...

Octavia is the feminine form of the Roman family name Octavius. Derived from the Latin word octavus, meaning 'eighth,' Octavia originated as a name for girls born eighth—or in some cases, as a feminine counterpart to the...

Octavian is a name of Latin origin, deeply rooted in Roman history. It is derived from the Roman name Octavianus, which itself comes from the family name Octavius. The root meaning of Octavius is from Latin octavus, mean...

Octavius is a masculine given name of Roman origin, derived from the Latin octavus meaning "eighth." It originated as a Roman praenomen (given name) for the eighth child, but became more famous as a nomen gentile (family...