Browse Names

Adelma f Spanish (Latin American), Portuguese (Brazilian), Italian (Rare), Literature
Feminine form of Adelmo. This name was used by Carlo Gozzi for a character in his play Turandot (1762).

Aelita Аэлита f Literature, Russian, Latvian
Created by Russian author Aleksey Tolstoy for his science fiction novel Aelita (1923), where it belongs to a Martian princess. In the book, the name is said to mean "starlight seen for the last time" in the Martian language.

Aida عائدة f Arabic, Bosnian, Albanian, Literature
Variant of Ayda. This name was used in Verdi's opera Aida (1871), where it belongs to an Ethiopian princess held captive in Egypt.

Alcina f Carolingian Cycle
Used by Ludovico Ariosto in his poem Orlando Furioso (1532), where it belongs to a sorceress who abducts Ruggiero. Ariosto may have borrowed the name from the mythological Alcinoe or directly from the Greek word ἀλκή (alke) meaning "strength, prowess". George Frideric Handel adapted the story into his opera Alcina in 1735.

Almira 1 f Literature
Variant of Elmira 1. Handel used it for the title character in his opera Almira (1705).

Amaryllis f Literature
Derived from Greek ἀμαρύσσω (amarysso) meaning "to sparkle". This is the name of a character appearing in Virgil's pastoral poems Eclogues. The amaryllis flower is named for her.

Angelica f English, Italian, Romanian, Carolingian Cycle
Derived from Latin angelicus meaning "angelic", ultimately related to Greek ἄγγελος (angelos) meaning "messenger". The poets Boiardo and Ariosto used this name in their Orlando poems (1483 and 1532), where she is the love interest of both Orlando and Rinaldo. It has been used as a given name since the 18th century.

Armide f Literature
French form of Armida. This is the name of operas by Jean-Baptiste Lully (in 1686) and Christoph Willibald Gluck (in 1777), both of which were based on Jerusalem Delivered by Torquato Tasso.

Arwen f Literature
Means "noble maiden" in the fictional language Sindarin. In The Lord of the Rings (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Arwen was the daughter of Elrond and the lover of Aragorn.

Arya 2 f Literature
Created by author George R. R. Martin for a popular character in his series A Song of Ice and Fire, published beginning 1996, and the television adaptation Game of Thrones (2011-2019). In the story Arya is the second daughter of Ned Stark, the lord of Winterfell.

Assol Ассоль f Russian (Rare), Literature
From the 1923 Russian novel Scarlet Sails by Alexander Grin, adapted into a 1961 Soviet movie. In the story, Assol is a young girl who is told by a prophetic old man that she will one day marry a prince. The meaning of the name is not uncertain, but it has been suggested that it was inspired by the Russian question а соль (a sol) meaning "and the salt?".

Ayla 3 f Literature, English (Modern)
Created for the novel Clan of the Cave Bear (1980) by author Jean M. Auel. In the novel Ayla is an orphaned Cro-Magnon girl adopted by Neanderthals. Ayla is the Neanderthal pronunciation of her real name, which is not given.... [more]

Belphoebe f Literature
Combination of Old French bele "beautiful" and the name Phoebe. This name was first used by Edmund Spenser in his poem The Faerie Queene (1590).

Bradamante f Carolingian Cycle
Used by Matteo Maria Boiardo for a female knight in his epic poem Orlando Innamorato (1483). He possibly intended it to derive from Italian brado "wild, untamed, natural" and amante "loving" or perhaps Latin amantis "lover, sweetheart, mistress", referring to her love for the Saracen Ruggiero. Bradamante also appears in Ludovico Ariosto's poem Orlando Furioso (1532) and Handel's opera Alcina (1735).

Briar Rose f Literature
English translation of German Dornröschen. This is the name of the fairy tale character Sleeping Beauty in the Brothers Grimm version of the story.

Briseida f Literature
Form of Briseis used in medieval tales about the Trojan War.

Buttercup f Literature
From the English word for the yellow flower (genus Ranunculus). Author William Goldman used it for Princess Buttercup in his book The Princess Bride (1973) and the subsequent film adaptation (1987).

Calafia f Literature
Probably invented by the 16th-century Spanish writer Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo, who likely based it on califa, the Spanish form of Arabic خليفة (khalīfa), an Islamic title meaning "successor" (see Khalifa). In Montalvo's novel The Adventures of Esplandián it is borne by the queen of the island of California (the inspiration for the name of the American and Mexican states).

Cendrillon f Literature
French form of Cinderella.

Charmian f Literature
Form of Charmion used by Shakespeare in his play Antony and Cleopatra (1606).

Cinderella f Literature
Means "little ashes", in part from the French name Cendrillon. This is the main character in the folktale Cinderella about a maltreated young woman who eventually marries a prince. This old story is best known in the English-speaking world from the French author Charles Perrault's 1697 version. She has other names in other languages, usually with the meaning "ashes", such as German Aschenputtel and Italian Cenerentola.

Coraline f Literature, French
Created by the French composer Adolphe Adam for one of the main characters in his opera Le Toréador (1849). He probably based it on the name Coralie. It was also used by the author Neil Gaiman for the young heroine in his novel Coraline (2002). Gaiman has stated that in this case the name began as a typo of Caroline.

Cordeilla f Literature
Form of Cordelia used by Geoffrey of Monmouth.

Cordelia f Literature, English
From Cordeilla, a name appearing in the 12th-century chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth, borne by the youngest of the three daughters of King Leir and the only one to remain loyal to her father. Geoffrey possibly based her name on that of Creiddylad, a character from Welsh legend.... [more]

Cosette f French, Literature
From French chosette meaning "little thing". This is the nickname of the illegitimate daughter of Fantine in Victor Hugo's novel Les Misérables (1862). Her real name is Euphrasie, though it is seldom used. In the novel young Cosette is the ward of the cruel Thénardiers until she is retrieved by Jean Valjean.

Cressida f Literature
Form of Criseida used by Shakespeare in his play Troilus and Cressida (1602).

Criseida f Literature
Form of Chryseis used by the Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio in his 14th-century poem Il Filostrato. In the poem she is a woman of Troy, daughter of Calchas, who leaves her Trojan lover Troilus for the Greek hero Diomedes. The story was taken up by Chaucer (using the form Criseyde) and Shakespeare (using the form Cressida).

Criseyde f Literature
Form of Criseida used by the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer in his 14th-century epic poem Troilus and Criseyde.

Daenerys f Literature
Created by author George R. R. Martin for a character in his series A Song of Ice and Fire, first published 1996, and the television adaptation Game of Thrones (2011-2019). An explanation for the meaning of her name is not provided, though it is presumably intended to be of Valyrian origin. In the series Daenerys Targaryen is a queen of the Dothraki and a claimant to the throne of Westeros.

Desdemona f Literature
Derived from Greek δυσδαίμων (dysdaimon) meaning "ill-fated". This is the name of the wife of Othello in Shakespeare's play Othello (1603).

Dornröschen f Literature
From German Dorn "thorn" and Rose "rose" combined with the diminutive suffix -chen. This is the name of Sleeping Beauty in the Brothers Grimm telling of the fairy tale.

Dulcinea f Literature
Derived from Spanish dulce meaning "sweet". This name was (first?) used by Miguel de Cervantes in his novel Don Quixote (1605), where it belongs to the love interest of the main character, though she never actually appears in the story.

Eilonwy f Literature
From Welsh eilon meaning "deer, stag" or "song, melody". This name was used by Lloyd Alexander in his book series The Chronicles of Prydain (1964-1968) as well as the Disney film adaptation The Black Cauldron (1985).

Elaine f English, Arthurian Cycle
From an Old French form of Helen. It appears in Arthurian legend; in Thomas Malory's 15th-century compilation Le Morte d'Arthur Elaine was the daughter of Pelles, the lover of Lancelot, and the mother of Galahad. It was not commonly used as an English given name until after the publication of Alfred Tennyson's Arthurian epic Idylls of the King (1859).

Elanor f Literature
Means "star sun" in the fictional language Sindarin. In The Lord of the Rings (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien this is Sam's eldest daughter, named after a type of flower.

Elmira 1 f Literature
Possibly a shortened form of Edelmira. It appears in the play Tartuffe (1664) by the French playwright Molière (often spelled in the French style Elmire).

Enid f Welsh, English, Arthurian Cycle
Probably derived from Welsh enaid meaning "soul, spirit, life". In Arthurian tales she first appears in the 12th-century French poem Erec and Enide by Chrétien de Troyes, where she is the wife of Erec. In later adaptations she is typically the wife of Geraint. The name became more commonly used after the publication of Alfred Tennyson's Arthurian poem Enid in 1859, and it was fairly popular in Britain in the first half of the 20th century.

Enide f Arthurian Cycle
Old French form of Enid.

Éowyn f Literature
Means "horse joy" in Old English. This name was invented by J. R. R. Tolkien who used Old English to represent the Rohirric language. In his novel The Lord of the Rings (1954) Eowyn is the niece of King Theoden of Rohan. She slays the Lord of the Nazgul in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.

Éponine f Literature
French form of Epponina. Victor Hugo used this name in his novel Les Misérables (1862) for a daughter of the Thénardiers. Her mother got her name from a romance novel.

Eponine f Literature
English form of Éponine.

Esmeralda f Spanish, Portuguese, English, Albanian, Literature
Means "emerald" in Spanish and Portuguese. Victor Hugo used this name in his novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831), in which Esmeralda is the Romani girl who is loved by Quasimodo. It has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world since that time.

Fantine f Literature
This name was used by Victor Hugo for the mother of Cosette in his novel Les Misérables (1862). The name was given to her by a passerby who found the young orphan on the street. Hugo may have intended it to be a derivative of the French word enfant "child".

Galadriel f Literature
Means "maiden crowned with a radiant garland" in the fictional language Sindarin. Galadriel was a Noldorin elf princess renowned for her beauty and wisdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels. The elements are galad "radiant" and riel "garlanded maiden". Alatáriel is the Quenya form of her name.

Glinda f Literature
Created by author L. Frank Baum for his character Glinda the Good Witch, a kind sorceress in his Oz series of books beginning in 1900. It is not known what inspired the name.

Goneril f Literature
From Gonorilla, of unknown meaning. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, Gonorilla was the villainous eldest daughter of King Leir. When adapting the character for his play King Lear (1606), Shakespeare used the spelling Goneril.

Gonorilla f Literature
Form of Goneril used by Geoffrey of Monmouth, who wrote in Latin.

Gretel f German, Literature
Diminutive of Grete. It is well-known as a character from an 1812 Brothers Grimm fairy tale who is captured, with her brother Hansel, by a witch. The Grimm's story was based on earlier European folktales.

Griselda f English, Spanish, Literature
Possibly derived from the Old German elements gris "grey" and hilt "battle". It is not attested as a Germanic name. This was the name of a patient wife in medieval folklore, adapted into tales by Boccaccio (in The Decameron) and Chaucer (in The Canterbury Tales).

Guendolen f Arthurian Cycle
Variant of Gwendolen, used by Walter Scott in his poem The Bridal of Triermain (1813) for a queen who became the mother of Gyneth by King Arthur.

Guendoloena f Arthurian Cycle
Latin form of Gwendolen used by Geoffrey of Monmouth for the wife of Merlin.

Guenevere f Arthurian Cycle
Variant of Guinevere.

Guinevere f Arthurian Cycle
From the Norman French form of the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar meaning "white phantom", ultimately from the old Celtic roots *windos meaning "white" (modern Welsh gwen) and *sēbros meaning "phantom, magical being". In Arthurian legend she was the beautiful wife of King Arthur. According to the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth, she was seduced by Mordred before the battle of Camlann, which led to the deaths of both Mordred and Arthur. According to the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes, she engaged in an adulterous affair with Sir Lancelot.... [more]

Gwenhwyfar f Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Cycle
Welsh form of Guinevere.

Gyneth f Arthurian Cycle
Perhaps a variant of Gwyneth, used by Walter Scott for the daughter of King Arthur and Guendolen in his poem The Bridal of Triermain (1813).

Haidee f Literature
Perhaps intended to derive from Greek αἰδοῖος (aidoios) meaning "modest, reverent". This name was created by Lord Byron for a character (written as Haidée) in his 1819 poem Don Juan.

Hermia f Literature
Feminine form of Hermes. Shakespeare used this name in his comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595).

Idril f Literature
Means "sparkle brilliance" in the fictional language Sindarin. In the Silmarillion (1977) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Idril was the daughter of Turgon, the king of Gondolin. She escaped the destruction of that place with her husband Tuor and sailed with him into the west.

Igerna f Arthurian Cycle
Latin form of Igraine.

Igraine f Arthurian Cycle
Meaning unknown, from Igerna, the Latinized form of Welsh Eigyr. In Arthurian legend she is the mother of King Arthur by Uther Pendragon and the mother of Morgan le Fay by Gorlois. The Welsh form Eigyr or Eigr was rendered into Latin as Igerna by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth.

Iseult f Arthurian Cycle
The origins of this name are uncertain, though some Celtic roots have been suggested. It is possible that the name is ultimately Germanic, from a hypothetical name like *Ishild, composed of the elements is "ice" and hilt "battle".... [more]

Iseut f Arthurian Cycle
Variant of Yseut.

Isolda f Arthurian Cycle
Latinate form of Iseult.

Isolde f German, Arthurian Cycle
German form of Iseult, appearing in the 13th-century German poem Tristan by Gottfried von Strassburg. In 1865 the German composer Richard Wagner debuted his popular opera Tristan und Isolde and also used the name for his first daughter.

Jadis f Literature
Used by the author C. S. Lewis as the proper name of the White Witch, the antagonist in his novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950). He may have based it on French jadis meaning "long ago, of old" or Persian جادو (jādū) meaning "magic, witch".

Kaguya 赫映, かぐや f Literature
Means "bright, shining" in Japanese. It is spelled with the kanji 赫 (kagaya) meaning "bright" and 映 (ya) meaning "reflect". The name originates from the old Japanese folktale The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, about a bamboo cutter who finds a tiny baby in a bamboo stalk and names her Kaguya-hime "shining princess". When she grows up she rejects all proposals for marriage (including that from the Emperor) and eventually returns to her true home on the moon.... [more]

Katniss f Literature
From the English word katniss, the name of a variety of edible aquatic flowering plants (genus Sagittaria). Katniss Everdeen is the protagonist of The Hunger Games series of novels by Suzanne Collins, released 2008 to 2010, about a young woman forced to participate in a violent televised battle.

Khaleesi f Literature
From a title used in the George R. R. Martin book series A Song of Ice and Fire (first published 1996) and the television adaptation Game of Thrones (2011-2019). It is a feminine form of the Dothraki title khal meaning "warlord". In the series Daenerys Targaryen gains this title after she marries Khal Drogo.

Lalage f Literature
Derived from Greek λαλαγέω (lalageo) meaning "to babble, to prattle". The Roman poet Horace used this name in one of his odes.

Lalla f Literature
Derived from Persian لاله (lāleh) meaning "tulip". This was the name of the heroine of Thomas Moore's poem Lalla Rookh (1817). In the poem, Lalla, the daughter of the emperor of Delhi, listens to a poet sing four tales.

Lassie f Literature
From a diminutive of the northern English word lass meaning "young girl", a word probably of Norse origin. This name was used by the author Eric Knight for a collie dog in his novel Lassie Come-Home (1940), later adapted into a popular film and television series.

Laudine f Arthurian Cycle
Possibly a derivative of Lot 2 (or derived from the same place name). It was used by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes for a character in his romance Yvain, the Knight of the Lion. Also called the Lady of the Fountain, Laudine married Yvain after he killed her husband.

Linet f Arthurian Cycle
Variant of Lynet.

Lionesse f Arthurian Cycle
Variant of Lyonesse.

Lionors f Arthurian Cycle
Variant of Lyonors.

Lorelei f Literature, English
From German Loreley, the name of a rock headland on the Rhine River. It is of uncertain meaning, though the second element is probably old German ley meaning "rock" (of Celtic origin). German romantic poets and songwriters, beginning with Clemens Brentano in 1801, tell that a maiden named the Lorelei lives on the rock and lures boaters to their death with her song.... [more]

Lucasta f Literature
This name was first used by the poet Richard Lovelace for a collection of poems called Lucasta (1649). The poems were dedicated to Lucasta, a nickname for the woman he loved Lucy Sacheverel, whom he called lux casta "pure light".

Lucinda f English, Portuguese, Literature
An elaboration of Lucia created by Cervantes for his novel Don Quixote (1605). It was subsequently used by Molière in his play The Doctor in Spite of Himself (1666).

Luned f Welsh, Arthurian Cycle
Form of Lunete used in the Welsh tale Owain, or the Lady of the Fountain (which was based on Chrétien's poem).

Lunete f Arthurian Cycle
Form of Eluned used by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes in his poem Yvain, the Knight of the Lion. In the poem she is a servant of the Lady of the Fountain who aids the knight Yvain.

Lyanna f Literature
Created by author George R. R. Martin for a character in his series A Song of Ice and Fire, published beginning 1996, and the television adaptation Game of Thrones (2011-2019). In the story Lyanna was the sister of Ned Stark. Her abduction and subsequent death was the cause of the civil war that toppled the Targaryens.

Lynet f Arthurian Cycle
Form of Lunete used in Thomas Malory's 15th-century tale Le Morte d'Arthur, where it is borne by a woman who enlists the help of Sir Gareth to rescue her sister Lyonesse. She eventually marries his brother Gaheris.

Lynette f English, Arthurian Cycle
Form of Lynet used by Alfred Tennyson in his 1872 poem Gareth and Lynette. According to Tennyson, Gareth and Lynette were eventually married. In modern times it is also regarded as a diminutive of Lynn.

Lyones f Arthurian Cycle
Variant of Lyonesse.

Lyonesse f Arthurian Cycle
Means "lioness" in Middle English. In Thomas Malory's 15th-century tale Le Morte d'Arthur this is the name of a woman trapped in a castle by the Red Knight. Her sister Lynet gains the help of the knight Gareth in order to save her.

Lyonors f Arthurian Cycle
Probably from Middle English lyon meaning "lion". It appears in Thomas Malory's 15th-century compilation of Arthurian legends Le Morte d'Arthur, belonging to a woman who had a child with Arthur. Alfred Tennyson used the name in his poem Gareth and Lynette (1872) for the sister of Lynette (this character is called Lyonesse in Malory's version of the story).

Mab f Literature
Used by William Shakespeare for the queen of the fairies in his play Romeo and Juliet (1596). Of uncertain origin, it is possibly derived from Mabel or the Irish name Medb. After being used by Shakespeare, the name subsequently appeared in other literary works such as Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem Queen Mab (1813).

Madicken f Literature, Swedish (Rare)
Used by the Swedish author Astrid Lindgren for the heroine of her series of books of the same name, first published in 1960. She is called Maggie, Meg or Mardie in English translations. In the books the name is a diminutive of Margareta, though the inspiration for the character was Lindgren's childhood friend Anne-Marie, whose nickname was Madicken.

Madita f Literature, German
Created as a German equivalent of Madicken for the German translation of Astrid Lindgren's books.

Malvina f Literature, English, Italian, French
Created by the Scottish poet James MacPherson in the 18th century for a character in his Ossian poems. He probably intended it to mean "smooth brow", from Scottish Gaelic mala "brow" and mìn "smooth, fine" (lenited to mhìn and pronounced with a v sound).

Marfisa f Carolingian Cycle
Meaning uncertain. The poets Boiardo and Ariosto used this name in their Orlando poems (1495 and 1532), where it belongs to a Saracen warrior queen. She is the twin sister of Ruggiero, though separated at birth.

Medora f Literature
Created by Lord Byron for a character in his poem The Corsair (1814). It is not known what inspired Byron to use this name. The year the poem was published, it was used as the middle name of Elizabeth Medora Leigh (1814-1849), a niece and rumoured daughter of Byron.

Mignon f Literature
Means "cute, darling" in French. This is the name of a character in Ambroise Thomas's opera Mignon (1866), which was based on Goethe's novel Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship (1796).

Morgaine f Arthurian Cycle
Variant of Morgan 2, from a French form.

Morgan 2 f Arthurian Cycle
Modern form of Morgen, which was used by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century for the Arthurian sorceress Morgan le Fay, who was unnamed in earlier stories. Geoffrey probably did not derive it from the Welsh masculine name Morgan, which would have been spelled Morcant in his time. It is likely from Old Welsh mor "sea" and the suffix gen "born of".

Morgen f Arthurian Cycle
Earlier form of Morgan 2.

Nélida f Literature, Spanish
Created by French author Marie d'Agoult for her semi-autobiographical novel Nélida (1846), written under the name Daniel Stern. It was probably an anagram of her pen name Daniel.

Nerissa f Literature
Created by Shakespeare for a character in his play The Merchant of Venice (1596). He possibly took it from Greek Νηρηΐς (Nereis) meaning "nymph, sea sprite", ultimately derived from the name of the Greek sea god Nereus, who supposedly fathered them.

Nestan-Darejan ნესტან-დარეჯან f Literature
Created by the Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli for a character in his 12th-century epic The Knight in the Panther's Skin. Rustaveli derived it from the Persian phrase نیست اندر جهان (nīst andar jahān) meaning "unlike any other in the world" or "unique". In the poem Nestan-Darejan is a princess loved by Tariel.

Nimue f Arthurian Cycle
Meaning unknown. In Arthurian legends this is the name of a sorceress, also known as the Lady of the Lake, Vivien, or Niniane. Various versions of the tales have Merlin falling in love with her and becoming imprisoned by her magic. She first appears in the medieval French Lancelot-Grail Cycle.

Norma f English, Italian, Literature
Created by Felice Romani for the main character in the opera Norma (1831). He may have based it on Latin norma "rule". This name is also frequently used as a feminine form of Norman.

Nydia f English (Rare), Spanish, Literature
Used by British author Edward Bulwer-Lytton for a blind flower-seller in his novel The Last Days of Pompeii (1834). He perhaps based it on Latin nidus "nest".

Olinda f Literature, Portuguese, Spanish (Latin American)
The name of a princess of Norway in the medieval Spanish tale of the knight Amadis of Gaul. It is perhaps related to Greek ὀλύνθη (olynthe) meaning "wild fig tree" (similar to Olindo). Olinda is also the name of a Brazilian city.

Olivette f Literature
Feminine form of Oliver. This was the name of the title character in the French opera Les noces d'Olivette (1879) by Edmond Audran.

Olwen f Welsh, Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Cycle
Means "white footprint" from Welsh ol "footprint, track" and gwen "white, blessed". In the Welsh tale Culhwch and Olwen she was a beautiful maiden, the lover of Culhwch and the daughter of the giant Yspaddaden. Her father insisted that Culhwch complete several seemingly impossible tasks before he would allow them to marry.

Ophelia Ὠφελία f English, Literature, Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek ὠφέλεια (opheleia) meaning "help, advantage". This was a rare ancient Greek name, which was either rediscovered or recreated by the poet Jacopo Sannazaro for a character in his poem Arcadia (1480). It was borrowed by Shakespeare for his play Hamlet (1600), in which it belongs to the daughter of Polonius and the potential love interest of Hamlet. She eventually goes insane and drowns herself after Hamlet kills her father. In spite of this negative association, the name has been in use since the 19th century.

Orinthia f Literature
Possibly related to Greek ὀρίνω (orino) meaning "to excite, to agitate". George Bernard Shaw used this name in his play The Apple Cart (1929).

Perdita f Literature
Derived from Latin perditus meaning "lost". Shakespeare created this name for the daughter of Hermione and Leontes in his play The Winter's Tale (1610). Abandoned as an infant by her father the king, she grows up to be a shepherdess and falls in love with with Florizel.

Philomel f Literature
From an English word meaning "nightingale" (ultimately from Philomela). It has been used frequently in poetry to denote the bird.

Pippi f Literature
Created by the daughter of Swedish author Astrid Lindgren for the main character in her mother's Pippi Longstocking series of stories, first published 1945. In the books Pippi (Swedish name Pippi Långstrump; full first name Pippilotta) is a brash and exceptionally strong young girl who lives in a house by herself.

Pollyanna f Literature
Combination of Polly and Anna. This was the name of the main character in Eleanor H. Porter's novel Pollyanna (1913).

Rapunzel f Literature
From the name of an edible plant. It is borne by a long-haired young woman locked in a tower in an 1812 German fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm. An evil sorceress gave her the name after she was taken as a baby from her parents, who had stolen the rapunzel plant from the sorceress's garden. The Grimms adapted the story from earlier tales (which used various names for the heroine).

Regan f & m Literature, English
Meaning unknown. In the chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth it is the name of a treacherous daughter of King Leir. Shakespeare adapted the story for his tragedy King Lear (1606). In the modern era it has appeared in the horror movie The Exorcist (1973) belonging to a girl possessed by the devil. This name can also be used as a variant of Reagan.

Renesmee f Literature
Invented by the American author Stephenie Meyer for a character in her novel Breaking Dawn (2008), the fourth book of her Twilight series. The character is the baby daughter of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, with her name combining the names of her grandmothers: Renée and Esme.

Rohan 2 f Literature
From the novel The Lord of the Rings (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien, where it is a place name meaning "horse country" in the fictional language Sindarin.

Rosenrot f Literature
Means "rose red" in German, used in the Brothers Grimm folktale Schneeweißchen und Rosenrot (English translation Snow-White and Rose-Red). In the tale Rosenrot and her sister Schneeweißchen befriend a bear who has been cursed by an evil dwarf.

Sansa f Literature
Invented by the author George R. R. Martin for the character of Sansa Stark in his series A Song of Ice and Fire, published beginning 1996, and the television adaptation Game of Thrones (2011-2019).

Scheherazade f Literature
Anglicized form of Shahrazad.

Schneeweißchen f Literature
Means "snow white" in High German, thus a cognate of Low German Sneewittchen (see Snow White). This is the name of a peasant girl in the German folktale Snow-White and Rose-Red, recorded by the Brothers Grimm in 1837. Her sister is Rosenrot, translated into English as Rose-Red. This story is distinct from the Grimms' earlier tale Snow White.

Schneewittchen f Literature
German form of Snow White.

Sheherazade f Literature
Anglicized form of Shahrazad.

Smilla f Danish, Swedish, Literature
Invented by the Danish author Peter Høeg for the heroine of his novel Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow (1992). In the book the name is explained as a short form of Smillaaraq, a blend of Danish smil "smile" and the Greenlandic name Miillaaraq.

Sneewittchen f Literature
Older form of Schneewittchen (see Snow White). This was the Low German form originally used by the Brothers Grimm for their adaptation of the folktale Snow White.

Snow White f Literature
English translation of German Sneewittchen, derived from Low German Snee "snow" and witt "white" combined with the diminutive suffix -chen. This is the name of a girl who escapes her evil stepmother and takes refuge with seven dwarfs in an 1812 story recorded by the Brothers Grimm, who based it on earlier European folktales. The High German translation would be Schneeweißchen, but this was used by the Grimms for an unrelated character in another story (Snow-White and Rose-Red). The modern German form is typically the hybrid Schneewittchen. The story was adapted into a film by Walt Disney in 1937.

Sophronia Σωφρονία f Literature, Late Greek
Feminine form of Sophronius. Torquato Tasso used it in his epic poem Jerusalem Delivered (1580), in which it is borne by the lover of Olindo.

Sycorax f Literature
Created by Shakespeare for a witch character in his play The Tempest (1611). The character has died by the time the play begins, so she is only spoken of and not seen. The name's meaning is unknown, though it might have been inspired by Latin corax or Greek κόραξ (korax) meaning "raven", referring to the 5th-century BC Greek rhetorician Corax of Syracuse. One of the moons of Uranus bears this name in the character's honour.

Thumbelina f Literature
English translation of Danish Tommelise, a name created from Danish tommel "thumb" by Hans Christian Andersen for the title character of his 1835 fairy tale. In the story she is a miniature girl who grows out of a grain of barley.

Tinatin თინათინ f Georgian, Literature
Possibly related to Georgian სინათლე (sinatle) meaning "light". The name was devised by the Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli for his 12th-century epic poem The Knight in the Panther's Skin, in which Tinatin is the ruler of Arabia and the lover of Avtandil.

Tinker Bell f Literature
Created by the writer J. M. Barrie for a fairy character, first introduced in his 1904 play Peter Pan. Her name refers to the fact that she is a mender of pots and kettles (a tinker) with a voice like a tinkling bell.

Tinúviel f Literature
Means "daughter of twilight, nightingale" in the fictional language Sindarin. In the Silmarillion (1977) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Tinuviel was another name of Lúthien, the daughter of Thingol the elf king. She was the beloved of Beren, who with her help retrieved one of the Silmarils from the iron crown of Morgoth.

Titania f Literature
Perhaps based on Latin Titanius meaning "of the Titans". This name was (first?) used by William Shakespeare in his comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595) where it belongs to the queen of the fairies, the wife of Oberon. This is also a moon of Uranus, named after the Shakespearean character.

Undine f Literature
Derived from Latin unda meaning "wave". The word undine was created by the 16th-century Swiss author Paracelsus, who used it for female water spirits.

Vivien 2 f Literature, Hungarian
Used by Alfred Tennyson as the name of the Lady of the Lake in his Arthurian epic Idylls of the King (1859). Tennyson may have based it on Vivienne, but it possibly arose as a misreading of Ninian. A famous bearer was British actress Vivien Leigh (1913-1967), who played Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind.

Wenonah f Literature
Variant of Winona. This spelling of the name was used by the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow for the mother of Hiawatha in his 1855 epic poem The Song of Hiawatha.

Yseut f Arthurian Cycle
Old French form of Iseult, appearing in the 12th-century Norman French poem Tristan by Béroul.

Ysolt f Arthurian Cycle
Old French form of Iseult, appearing in the 12th-century Old French poem Tristan by Thomas of Britain.

Zaïre f Literature
Used by Voltaire for the heroine of his tragic play Zaïre (1732), about an enslaved Christian woman who is due to marry the Sultan. She is named Zara in many English adaptations. The name was earlier used by Jean Racine for a minor character (also a slave girl) in his play Bajazet (1672). It is likely based on the Arabic name Zahra 1.

Zara 1 f Literature, English
Used by William Congreve for a character in his tragedy The Mourning Bride (1697), where it belongs to a captive North African queen. Congreve may have based it on the Arabic name Zahra 1. In 1736 the English writer Aaron Hill used it to translate Zaïre for his popular adaptation of Voltaire's French play Zaïre (1732).... [more]

Zemfira Земфира f Azerbaijani, Tatar, Bashkir, Literature
Meaning unknown, possibly of Romani origin. This name was (first?) used by Aleksandr Pushkin in his poem The Gypsies (1827).

Zuleika f Literature
Meaning uncertain, possibly of Arabic origin. According to medieval tradition, notably related by the 15th-century Persian poet Jami, this was the name of the biblical Potiphar's wife. She has been a frequent subject of poems and tales.