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Shakespearean Spirit: Baby Names Inspired by the Bard
What's in a name? A lot, it turns out. If you're a theater buff, history lover, or literature fan, consider the works of the Bard for inspiration. With 37 plays full of characters ranging from the heroic to the romantic to the diabolical, William Shakespeare has a name for any personality. From the strong and regal Cordelia from King Lear to the romantic Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare's characters offer timeless name options. Boys might find inspiration in names like Orlando from As You Like It, Sebastian from Twelfth Night, or the powerful Macbeth. For girls, consider the enchanting Miranda from The Tempest, the intelligent Portia from The Merchant of Venice, or the fairy queen Titania from A Midsummer Night's Dream. Even Shakespeare's lesser-known characters provide unique options like Florizel, Cressida, or Lysander that will give your child a name with literary depth and historical significance.
Baby girl names
Heroines and female characters from the Bard's plays
Shakespeare's timeless plays feature strong, complex female characters who have inspired parents for centuries. Consider Cordelia, King Lear's loyal daughter, representing honesty and devotion. Juliet remains eternally popular for its romantic associations, while Ophelia from Hamlet brings delicate beauty and tragedy. Miranda from The Tempest embodies innocence and wonder, and Viola from Twelfth Night represents resilience and cleverness. Other beautiful options include Rosalind (As You Like It), Beatrice (Much Ado About Nothing), Bianca (The Taming of the Shrew), Helena (A Midsummer Night's Dream), Portia (The Merchant of Venice), Titania (A Midsummer Night's Dream), Emilia (Othello), Jessica (The Merchant of Venice), Cressida (Troilus and Cressida), and Desdemona (Othello). Each name carries the weight of literary significance while maintaining timeless appeal for modern children.
| Name | Source |
|---|---|
| Adriana | The Comedy of Errors |
| Aemilia | The Comedy of Errors |
| Anne | The Merry Wives of Windsor |
| Audrey | As You Like It |
| Beatrice | Much Ado About Nothing |
| Bianca | The Taming of the Shrew / Othello |
| Calphurnia | Julius Caesar |
| Celia | As You Like It |
| Charmian | Antony and Cleopatra |
| Cleopatra | Antony and Cleopatra |
| Constance | King John |
| Cordelia | King Lear |
| Cressida | Troilus and Cressida |
| Desdemona | Othello |
| Diana | All's Well That Ends Well |
| Dionyza | Pericles |
| Doll | Henry IV, Part 2 |
| Duchess | Richard II / Richard III |
| Emilia | Othello / The Winter's Tale |
| Gertrude | Hamlet |
| Goneril | King Lear |
| Helen | Troilus and Cressida |
| Helena | A Midsummer Night's Dream / All's Well That Ends Well |
| Hermia | A Midsummer Night's Dream |
| Hermione | The Winter's Tale |
| Hero | Much Ado About Nothing |
| Hippolyta | A Midsummer Night's Dream |
| Imogen | Cymbeline |
| Iris | The Tempest |
| Isabella | Measure for Measure |
| Jessica | The Merchant of Venice |
| Joan | Henry VI, Part 1 |
| Julia | The Two Gentlemen of Verona |
| Juliet | Romeo and Juliet / Measure for Measure |
| Katherine | The Taming of the Shrew / Love's Labour's Lost / Henry V |
| Lady | Macbeth / Richard III / Romeo and Juliet / King John / Henry IV |
| Lavinia | Titus Andronicus |
| Lucetta | The Two Gentlemen of Verona |
| Luciana | The Comedy of Errors |
| Margaret | Much Ado About Nothing / Henry VI / Richard III |
| Maria | Love's Labour's Lost / Twelfth Night |
| Marina | Pericles |
| Mariana | Measure for Measure / All's Well That Ends Well |
| Mistress | The Merry Wives of Windsor / Measure for Measure |
| Miranda | The Tempest |
| Nerissa | The Merchant of Venice |
| Nurse | Romeo and Juliet |
| Octavia | Antony and Cleopatra |
| Olivia | Twelfth Night |
| Ophelia | Hamlet |
| Paulina | The Winter's Tale |
| Perdita | The Winter's Tale |
| Phebe | As You Like It |
| Portia | Julius Caesar / The Merchant of Venice |
| Queen | Richard III / Richard II / Henry VIII |
| Regan | King Lear |
| Rosalind | As You Like It |
| Rosaline | Love's Labour's Lost |
| Silvia | The Two Gentlemen of Verona |
| Tamora | Titus Andronicus |
| Thaisa | Pericles |
| Titania | A Midsummer Night's Dream |
| Ursula | Much Ado About Nothing |
| Viola | Twelfth Night |
| Virgilia | Coriolanus |
| Volumnia | Coriolanus |
| Widow | All's Well That Ends Well / The Tempest |
| Witch | Macbeth |
Baby boy names
Heroes and male characters from Shakespeare's works
Shakespeare's plays offer a treasure trove of distinctive and timeless names for baby boys. From tragic heroes to comic characters, these names carry literary significance and historical charm. Consider Aaron from Titus Andronicus, Benedick from Much Ado About Nothing, Claudio from Measure for Measure, or Duncan from Macbeth. Other powerful choices include Hamlet, Horatio, Orlando, Othello, Romeo, and Sebastian.
| Name | Source |
|---|---|
| Aaron | Titus Andronicus |
| Adam | As You Like It |
| Adrian | The Tempest / Antony and Cleopatra |
| Aegeon | The Comedy of Errors |
| Aemilius | Titus Andronicus / The Comedy of Errors |
| Agamemnon | Troilus and Cressida |
| Agrippa | Antony and Cleopatra / Coriolanus |
| Ajax | Troilus and Cressida |
| Alarbus | Titus Andronicus |
| Albany | King Lear |
| Alcibiades | Timon of Athens |
| Alexander | Troilus and Cressida / Coriolanus |
| Alexas | Antony and Cleopatra |
| Amiens | As You Like It |
| Angelo | Measure for Measure / The Comedy of Errors |
| Angus | Macbeth |
| Antigonus | The Winter's Tale |
| Antonio | The Merchant of Venice / Much Ado About Nothing / Twelfth Night / The Tempest |
| Archibald | Henry VI |
| Ariel | The Tempest |
| Artemidorus | Julius Caesar |
| Arthur | King John |
| Autolycus | The Winter's Tale |
| Balthazar | The Comedy of Errors / The Merchant of Venice / Much Ado About Nothing / Romeo and Juliet |
| Banquo | Macbeth |
| Barnardine | Measure for Measure |
| Bartholomew | The Taming of the Shrew |
| Basset | Henry VI |
| Bassianus | Titus Andronicus |
| Bassanio | The Merchant of Venice |
| Beadle | Henry IV / Henry VI |
| Benedick | Much Ado About Nothing |
| Benvolio | Romeo and Juliet |
| Bertram | All's Well That Ends Well |
| Berowne | Love's Labour's Lost |
| Boatswain | The Tempest |
| Bolingbroke | Richard II |
| Bottom | A Midsummer Night's Dream |
| Boyet | Love's Labour's Lost |
| Brabantio | Othello |
| Brandon | Henry VIII |
| Brutus | Julius Caesar / Coriolanus |
| Caliban | The Tempest |
| Camillo | The Winter's Tale |
| Capulet | Romeo and Juliet |
| Casca | Julius Caesar |
| Cassio | Othello |
| Cassius | Julius Caesar |
| Catesby | Richard III |
| Cato | Julius Caesar |
| Celia | As You Like It |
| Cinna | Julius Caesar |
| Clarence | Richard III / Henry IV / Henry VI |
| Claudio | Much Ado About Nothing / Measure for Measure |
| Claudius | Hamlet |
| Cleon | Pericles |
| Clitus | Julius Caesar |
| Cloten | Cymbeline |
| Cobweb | A Midsummer Night's Dream |
| Cominius | Coriolanus |
| Conrade | Much Ado About Nothing |
| Cordelia | King Lear |
| Corin | As You Like It |
| Cornelius | Hamlet / Cymbeline |
| Cornwall | King Lear |
| Costard | Love's Labour's Lost |
| Curan | King Lear |
| Curio | Twelfth Night |
| Cymbeline | Cymbeline |
| Dardanius | Julius Caesar |
| Demetrius | A Midsummer Night's Dream / Titus Andronicus / Antony and Cleopatra |
| Dennis | As You Like It |
| Diomedes | Troilus and Cressida / Antony and Cleopatra |
| Dogberry | Much Ado About Nothing |
| Donalbain | Macbeth |
| Dorcas | The Winter's Tale |
| Duncan | Macbeth |
| Edgar | King Lear |
| Edmund | King Lear |
| Edward | Richard III / Henry VI |
| Egeus | A Midsummer Night's Dream |
| Eglamour | The Two Gentlemen of Verona |
| Elbow | Measure for Measure |
| Enobarbus | Antony and Cleopatra |
| Eros | Antony and Cleopatra |
| Escalus | Measure for Measure / Romeo and Juliet |
| Fabian | Twelfth Night |
| Falstaff | Henry IV / The Merry Wives of Windsor |
| Fenton | The Merry Wives of Windsor |
| Ferdinand | The Tempest / Love's Labour's Lost |
| Feste | Twelfth Night |
| Florizel | The Winter's Tale |
| Fluellen | Henry V |
| Ford | The Merry Wives of Windsor |
| Fortinbras | Hamlet |
| Francisco | Hamlet / The Tempest |
| Frederick | As You Like It |
| Friar | Romeo and Juliet / Much Ado About Nothing |
| Gower | Pericles / Henry IV / Henry V |
| Gregory | Romeo and Juliet |
| Gremio | The Taming of the Shrew |
| Griffith | Henry VIII |
| Guiderius | Cymbeline |
| Guildenstern | Hamlet |
| Hamlet | Hamlet |
| Hector | Troilus and Cressida |
| Helicanus | Pericles |
| Henry | Henry IV / Henry V / Henry VI / Henry VIII |
| Hermia | A Midsummer Night's Dream |
| Horatio | Hamlet |
| Hortensio | The Taming of the Shrew |
| Hortensius | Timon of Athens |
| Iago | Othello |
| Iachimo | Cymbeline |
| Iden | Henry VI |
| Imogen | Cymbeline |
| Iras | Antony and Cleopatra |
| Jaques | As You Like It |
| John | Much Ado About Nothing / King John / Henry IV / Henry V / Henry VI / Richard III |
| Jove | Troilus and Cressida / Cymbeline |
| Julia | The Two Gentlemen of Verona |
| Juliet | Romeo and Juliet / Measure for Measure |
| Katharine | The Taming of the Shrew / Love's Labour's Lost / Henry V |
| Kent | King Lear |
| Laertes | Hamlet |
| Lafeu | All's Well That Ends Well |
| Launce | The Two Gentlemen of Verona |
| Launcelot | The Merchant of Venice |
| Lear | King Lear |
| Lennox | Macbeth |
| Leonardo | The Merchant of Venice |
| Leonato | Much Ado About Nothing |
| Leontes | The Winter's Tale |
| Lepidus | Julius Caesar / Antony and Cleopatra |
| Lodovico | Othello |
| Longaville | Love's Labour's Lost |
| Lorenzo | The Merchant of Venice |
| Lovell | Henry VIII |
| Luccentio | The Taming of the Shrew |
| Lucilius | Julius Caesar / Timon of Athens |
| Lucio | Measure for Measure |
| Lucius | Titus Andronicus / Julius Caesar / Timon of Athens |
| Lysander | A Midsummer Night's Dream |
| Macbeth | Macbeth |
| Macduff | Macbeth |
| Malcolm | Macbeth |
| Malvolio | Twelfth Night |
| Marcius | Coriolanus |
| Marcus | Titus Andronicus |
| Mardian | Antony and Cleopatra |
| Marullus | Julius Caesar |
| Mecaenas | Antony and Cleopatra |
| Menas | Antony and Cleopatra |
| Menelaus | Troilus and Cressida |
| Menenius | Coriolanus |
| Mercutio | Romeo and Juliet |
| Messala | Julius Caesar |
| Michael | Henry VI |
| Miranda | The Tempest |
| Montague | Romeo and Juliet |
| Montano | Othello |
| Moth | Love's Labour's Lost / A Midsummer Night's Dream |
| Mowbray | Richard II / Henry IV |
| Mustarseed | A Midsummer Night's Dream |
| Nathaniel | The Taming of the Shrew / Love's Labour's Lost |
| Nestor | Troilus and Cressida |
| Norfolk | Richard III / Henry VIII / Richard II |
| Northumberland | Richard II / Henry IV / Henry VI |
| Oberon | A Midsummer Night's Dream |
| Octavius | Julius Caesar / Antony and Cleopatra |
| Oliver | As You Like It |
| Orlando | As You Like It |
| Orsino | Twelfth Night |
| Osric | Hamlet |
| Oswald | King Lear |
| Othello | Othello |
| Page | The Merry Wives of Windsor |
| Pandarus | Troilus and Cressida |
| Paris | Romeo and Juliet / Troilus and Cressida |
| Parolles | All's Well That Ends Well |
| Patroclus | Troilus and Cressida |
| Paulina | The Winter's Tale |
| Peaseblossom | A Midsummer Night's Dream |
| Pedro | Much Ado About Nothing |
| Pericles | Pericles |
| Petruchio | The Taming of the Shrew / Romeo and Juliet |
| Philario | Cymbeline |
| Philip | King John |
| Philo | Antony and Cleopatra |
| Pinch | The Comedy of Errors |
| Pistol | Henry IV / Henry V / The Merry Wives of Windsor |
| Polixenes | The Winter's Tale |
| Polonius | Hamlet |
| Pompey | Measure for Measure / Antony and Cleopatra |
| Posthumus | Cymbeline |
| Prospero | The Tempest |
| Proteus | The Two Gentlemen of Verona |
| Publius | Titus Andronicus / Julius Caesar |
| Puck | A Midsummer Night's Dream |
| Quickly | Henry IV / Henry V / The Merry Wives of Windsor |
| Quince | A Midsummer Night's Dream |
| Richard | Richard II / Richard III / Henry IV / Henry VI |
| Richmond | Richard III |
| Robert | King John |
| Robin | The Merry Wives of Windsor / A Midsummer Night's Dream |
| Roderigo | Othello |
| Romeo | Romeo and Juliet |
| Rosalind | As You Like It |
For more unusual options, look to Lysander from A Midsummer Night's Dream, Mercutio from Romeo and Juliet, Oberon the fairy king, Puck the mischievous sprite, or Tybalt the fiery kinsman. These Shakespearean names bring richness and depth to your baby's identity, connecting them to some of literature's most enduring characters and stories.
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