Thank-you to Selwyn and Phyllis for this information.
William Shakespeare was a writer and actor who lived from 1564 to 1616. Although he was successful and admired in his own time, it was not until the later part of the 18th century that he came to be thought of as a universal genius.The Folio, which this list is based upon, was started soon after Shakespeare's death in 1616. It was concluded 7 years later in 1623 and contained what were considered Shakespeare's collected plays. Shakespeare's impressive poetry (e.g. Venus and Adonis, The Rape of Lucrece) and his sonnets were not found in the Folio.
Today we have knowledge of two lost plays (Cardenio and Love's Labour's Won) and two other plays (Pericles and The Two Noble Kinsmen) which were not included in the 1623 Folio, perhaps because they were collaborative works. Since this list is based on the Folio, the names from the other plays are not included.
| Name | Details | Total |
|---|---|---|
| John | 22 characters | 22 |
| Thomas | 19 characters | 19 |
| Henry | 11 characters | 11 |
| Richard | 10 characters | 10 |
| William | 10 characters | 10 |
| Peter | 8 characters | 8 |
| Caius | 7 characters | 7 |
| Antonio | 5 characters | 5 |
| Balthasar | 4 characters | 4 |
| Edward | 4 characters | 4 |
| Francis | 4 characters | 4 |
| James | 4 characters | 4 |
| Lucius | 4 characters | 4 |
| Walter | 4 characters | 4 |
| Alexander | 3 characters | 3 |
| Anne | 3 characters | 3 |
| Anthony | 3 characters | 3 |
| Charles | 3 characters | 3 |
| Demetrius | 3 characters | 3 |
| Edmund | 3 characters | 3 |
| Emilia | 3 characters | 3 |
| George | 3 characters | 3 |
| Humphrey | 3 characters | 3 |
| Margaret | 3 characters | 3 |
| Michael | 3 characters | 3 |
| Philip | 3 characters | 3 |
| Robert | 3 characters | 3 |
| Titus | 3 characters | 3 |
| Valentine | 3 characters | 3 |
| Adrian | 2 characters | 2 |
| Alice | 2 characters | 2 |
| Angelo | 2 characters | 2 |
| Antipholus | 2 characters | 2 |
| Bianca | 2 characters | 2 |
| Christopher | 2 characters | 2 |
| Claudio | 2 characters | 2 |
| Claudius | 2 characters | 2 |
| Cornelius | 2 characters | 2 |
| Diomedes | 2 characters | 2 |
| Dromio | 2 characters | 2 |
| Eleanor | 2 characters | 2 |
| Elizabeth | 2 characters | 2 |
| Escalus | 2 characters | 2 |
| Ferdinand | 2 characters | 2 |
| Flavius | 2 characters | 2 |
| Francisco | 2 characters | 2 |
| Gower | 2 characters | 2 |
| Gratiano | 2 characters | 2 |
| Helen | 2 characters | 2 |
| Helena | 2 characters | 2 |
| Hugh | 2 characters | 2 |
| Juliet | 2 characters | 2 |
| Louis | 2 characters | 2 |
| Lucilius | 2 characters | 2 |
| Macbeth | 2 characters | 2 |
| Macduff | 2 characters | 2 |
| Maria | 2 characters | 2 |
| Mariana | 2 characters | 2 |
| Moth | 2 characters | 2 |
| Nathaniel | 2 characters | 2 |
| Nicholas | 2 characters | 2 |
| Oliver | 2 characters | 2 |
| Paris | 2 characters | 2 |
| Petruchio | 2 characters | 2 |
| Portia | 2 characters | 2 |
| Publius | 2 characters | 2 |
| Reynaldo | 2 characters | 2 |
| Robin | 2 characters | 2 |
| Roger | 2 characters | 2 |
| Rosaline | 2 characters | 2 |
| Sebastian | 2 characters | 2 |
| Sempronius | 2 characters | 2 |
| Siward | 2 characters | 2 |
| Stephano | 2 characters | 2 |
| Stephen | 2 characters | 2 |
| Varrius | 2 characters | 2 |
| Varro | 2 characters | 2 |
| Ventidius | 2 characters | 2 |
| Vincentio | 2 characters | 2 |
| Aaron | 1 character | 1 |
| Abhorson | 1 character | 1 |
| Abraham | 1 character | 1 |
| Abram | 1 character | 1 |
| Achilles | 1 character | 1 |
| Adam | 1 character | 1 |
| Adriana | 1 character | 1 |
| Adriano | 1 character | 1 |
| Aemilius | 1 character | 1 |
| Aeneas | 1 character | 1 |
| Agamemnon | 1 character | 1 |
| Ajax | 1 character | 1 |
| Alarbus | 1 character | 1 |
| Alcibiades | 1 character | 1 |
| Alexas | 1 character | 1 |
| Aliena | 1 character | 1 |
| Alonso | 1 character | 1 |
| Amiens | 1 character | 1 |
| Andrew | 1 character | 1 |
| Andromache | 1 character | 1 |
| Angus | 1 character | 1 |
| Antenor | 1 character | 1 |
| Antigonus | 1 character | 1 |
| Apemantus | 1 character | 1 |
| Archidamus | 1 character | 1 |
| Ariel | 1 character | 1 |
| Artemidorus | 1 character | 1 |
| Arthur | 1 character | 1 |
| Arviragus | 1 character | 1 |
| Asmath | 1 character | 1 |
| Audrey | 1 character | 1 |
| Augustus | 1 character | 1 |
| Autolycus | 1 character | 1 |
| Banquo | 1 character | 1 |
| Baptista | 1 character | 1 |
| Barnardine | 1 character | 1 |
| Barnardo | 1 character | 1 |
| Bartholomew | 1 character | 1 |
| Bassanio | 1 character | 1 |
| Basset | 1 character | 1 |
| Bassianus | 1 character | 1 |
| Beatrice | 1 character | 1 |
| Belarius | 1 character | 1 |
| Benedick | 1 character | 1 |
| Benvolio | 1 character | 1 |
| Bertram | 1 character | 1 |
| Biondello | 1 character | 1 |
| Biron | 1 character | 1 |
| Blanche | 1 character | 1 |
| Bona | 1 character | 1 |
| Borachio | 1 character | 1 |
| Boyet | 1 character | 1 |
| Brabanzio | 1 character | 1 |
| Brandon | 1 character | 1 |
| Brutus | 1 character | 1 |
| Caithness | 1 character | 1 |
| Calchas | 1 character | 1 |
| Caliban | 1 character | 1 |
| Calpurnia | 1 character | 1 |
| Cambio | 1 character | 1 |
| Camidius | 1 character | 1 |
| Camillo | 1 character | 1 |
| Caphis | 1 character | 1 |
| Capucius | 1 character | 1 |
| Casca | 1 character | 1 |
| Cassandra | 1 character | 1 |
| Cassius | 1 character | 1 |
| Catharine | 1 character | 1 |
| Cato | 1 character | 1 |
| Celia | 1 character | 1 |
| Ceres | 1 character | 1 |
| Cesario | 1 character | 1 |
| Charmian | 1 character | 1 |
| Chatillon | 1 character | 1 |
| Chiron | 1 character | 1 |
| Cicero | 1 character | 1 |
| Cinna | 1 character | 1 |
| Cleomenes | 1 character | 1 |
| Cleopatra | 1 character | 1 |
| Clitus | 1 character | 1 |
| Cloten | 1 character | 1 |
| Cobweb | 1 character | 1 |
| Cominius | 1 character | 1 |
| Conrade | 1 character | 1 |
| Constance | 1 character | 1 |
| Cordelia | 1 character | 1 |
| Corin | 1 character | 1 |
| Costard | 1 character | 1 |
| Cressida | 1 character | 1 |
| Cupid | 1 character | 1 |
| Curan | 1 character | 1 |
| Curio | 1 character | 1 |
| Curtis | 1 character | 1 |
| Cymbeline | 1 character | 1 |
| Dardanius | 1 character | 1 |
| Davy | 1 character | 1 |
| Decius | 1 character | 1 |
| Decretas | 1 character | 1 |
| Deiphobus | 1 character | 1 |
| Dennis | 1 character | 1 |
| Desdemona | 1 character | 1 |
| Diana | 1 character | 1 |
| Dick | 1 character | 1 |
| Dion | 1 character | 1 |
| Dogberry | 1 character | 1 |
| Dolabella | 1 character | 1 |
| Doll | 1 character | 1 |
| Domitius | 1 character | 1 |
| Donalbain | 1 character | 1 |
| Dorcas | 1 character | 1 |
| Dumaine | 1 character | 1 |
| Duncan | 1 character | 1 |
| Edgar | 1 character | 1 |
| Egeon | 1 character | 1 |
| Egeus | 1 character | 1 |
| Eglamour | 1 character | 1 |
| Elbow | 1 character | 1 |
| Emmanuel | 1 character | 1 |
| Eros | 1 character | 1 |
| Euphronius | 1 character | 1 |
| Fabian | 1 character | 1 |
| Fang | 1 character | 1 |
| Fenton | 1 character | 1 |
| Feste | 1 character | 1 |
| Fidele | 1 character | 1 |
| Flaminius | 1 character | 1 |
| Fleance | 1 character | 1 |
| Florizel | 1 character | 1 |
| Fluellen | 1 character | 1 |
| Fortinbras | 1 character | 1 |
| Francesca | 1 character | 1 |
| Frank | 1 character | 1 |
| Frederick | 1 character | 1 |
| Froth | 1 character | 1 |
| Gadshill | 1 character | 1 |
| Gaius | 1 character | 1 |
| Gallus | 1 character | 1 |
| Ganymede | 1 character | 1 |
| Gertrude | 1 character | 1 |
| Gobbo | 1 character | 1 |
| Goneril | 1 character | 1 |
| Gonzalo | 1 character | 1 |
| Grandpre | 1 character | 1 |
| Gregory | 1 character | 1 |
| Gremio | 1 character | 1 |
| Griffith | 1 character | 1 |
| Grumio | 1 character | 1 |
| Guiderius | 1 character | 1 |
| Guildenstern | 1 character | 1 |
| Hamlet | 1 character | 1 |
| Harcourt | 1 character | 1 |
| Hecate | 1 character | 1 |
| Hector | 1 character | 1 |
| Helenus | 1 character | 1 |
| Hermia | 1 character | 1 |
| Hermione | 1 character | 1 |
| Hero | 1 character | 1 |
| Hippolyta | 1 character | 1 |
| Holofernes | 1 character | 1 |
| Horatio | 1 character | 1 |
| Hortensio | 1 character | 1 |
| Hortensius | 1 character | 1 |
| Hostilius | 1 character | 1 |
| Hubert | 1 character | 1 |
| Hymen | 1 character | 1 |
| Iachimo | 1 character | 1 |
| Iago | 1 character | 1 |
| Imogen | 1 character | 1 |
| Iras | 1 character | 1 |
| Iris | 1 character | 1 |
| Isabel | 1 character | 1 |
| Isabella | 1 character | 1 |
| Isidore | 1 character | 1 |
| Jack | 1 character | 1 |
| Jacques | 1 character | 1 |
| Jamy | 1 character | 1 |
| Jaquenetta | 1 character | 1 |
| Jaques | 1 character | 1 |
| Jessica | 1 character | 1 |
| Joan | 1 character | 1 |
| Joseph | 1 character | 1 |
| Julia | 1 character | 1 |
| Julius | 1 character | 1 |
| Junius | 1 character | 1 |
| Juno | 1 character | 1 |
| Jupiter | 1 character | 1 |
| Kate | 1 character | 1 |
| Katharine | 1 character | 1 |
| Katherina | 1 character | 1 |
| Katherine | 1 character | 1 |
| Laertes | 1 character | 1 |
| Lafew | 1 character | 1 |
| Launce | 1 character | 1 |
| Launcelot | 1 character | 1 |
| Laurence | 1 character | 1 |
| Lavatch | 1 character | 1 |
| Lavinia | 1 character | 1 |
| Lear | 1 character | 1 |
| Le Beau | 1 character | 1 |
| Lennox | 1 character | 1 |
| Leonardo | 1 character | 1 |
| Leonato | 1 character | 1 |
| Leontes | 1 character | 1 |
| Lepidus | 1 character | 1 |
| Lewis | 1 character | 1 |
| Licio | 1 character | 1 |
| Lodovico | 1 character | 1 |
| Longaville | 1 character | 1 |
| Lorenzo | 1 character | 1 |
| Lucentio | 1 character | 1 |
| Lucetta | 1 character | 1 |
| Luciana | 1 character | 1 |
| Lucianus | 1 character | 1 |
| Lucio | 1 character | 1 |
| Lucullus | 1 character | 1 |
| Lysander | 1 character | 1 |
| Malcolm | 1 character | 1 |
| Malvolio | 1 character | 1 |
| Mamillius | 1 character | 1 |
| Marcellus | 1 character | 1 |
| Marcius | 1 character | 1 |
| Marcus | 1 character | 1 |
| Mardian | 1 character | 1 |
| Margarelon | 1 character | 1 |
| Margery | 1 character | 1 |
| Mark | 1 character | 1 |
| Martius | 1 character | 1 |
| Marullus | 1 character | 1 |
| Matthew | 1 character | 1 |
| Maud | 1 character | 1 |
| Menas | 1 character | 1 |
| Menecrates | 1 character | 1 |
| Menelaus | 1 character | 1 |
| Menenius | 1 character | 1 |
| Menteith | 1 character | 1 |
| Mercade | 1 character | 1 |
| Mercutio | 1 character | 1 |
| Messala | 1 character | 1 |
| Metellus | 1 character | 1 |
| Miranda | 1 character | 1 |
| Montano | 1 character | 1 |
| Montjoy | 1 character | 1 |
| Mopsa | 1 character | 1 |
| Morton | 1 character | 1 |
| Mustardseed | 1 character | 1 |
| Mutius | 1 character | 1 |
| Nell | 1 character | 1 |
| Nerissa | 1 character | 1 |
| Nestor | 1 character | 1 |
| Nicanor | 1 character | 1 |
| Nick | 1 character | 1 |
| Nym | 1 character | 1 |
| Oberon | 1 character | 1 |
| Octavia | 1 character | 1 |
| Octavius | 1 character | 1 |
| Olivia | 1 character | 1 |
| Ophelia | 1 character | 1 |
| Orlando | 1 character | 1 |
| Orsino | 1 character | 1 |
| Osric | 1 character | 1 |
| Oswald | 1 character | 1 |
| Othello | 1 character | 1 |
| Overdone | 1 character | 1 |
| Owen | 1 character | 1 |
| Pandarus | 1 character | 1 |
| Pandolf | 1 character | 1 |
| Panthino | 1 character | 1 |
| Parolles | 1 character | 1 |
| Patience | 1 character | 1 |
| Patroclus | 1 character | 1 |
| Paulina | 1 character | 1 |
| Peaseblossom | 1 character | 1 |
| Pedro | 1 character | 1 |
| Perdita | 1 character | 1 |
| Peto | 1 character | 1 |
| Phebe | 1 character | 1 |
| Philario | 1 character | 1 |
| Philharmonus | 1 character | 1 |
| Philo | 1 character | 1 |
| Philostrate | 1 character | 1 |
| Philotus | 1 character | 1 |
| Phrynia | 1 character | 1 |
| Piers | 1 character | 1 |
| Pindarus | 1 character | 1 |
| Pisanio | 1 character | 1 |
| Polixenes | 1 character | 1 |
| Polonius | 1 character | 1 |
| Pompey | 1 character | 1 |
| Popilius | 1 character | 1 |
| Posthumus | 1 character | 1 |
| Priam | 1 character | 1 |
| Prospero | 1 character | 1 |
| Proteus | 1 character | 1 |
| Puck | 1 character | 1 |
| Quickly | 1 character | 1 |
| Quintus | 1 character | 1 |
| Ralph | 1 character | 1 |
| Regan | 1 character | 1 |
| Reignier | 1 character | 1 |
| Roderigo | 1 character | 1 |
| Romeo | 1 character | 1 |
| Rosalind | 1 character | 1 |
| Rosencrantz | 1 character | 1 |
| Rosse | 1 character | 1 |
| Rowland | 1 character | 1 |
| Rumour | 1 character | 1 |
| Salarino | 1 character | 1 |
| Sampson | 1 character | 1 |
| Saturninus | 1 character | 1 |
| Saunder | 1 character | 1 |
| Scarus | 1 character | 1 |
| Seleucus | 1 character | 1 |
| Servilius | 1 character | 1 |
| Sextus | 1 character | 1 |
| Seyton | 1 character | 1 |
| Shylock | 1 character | 1 |
| Sicilius | 1 character | 1 |
| Sicinius | 1 character | 1 |
| Silence | 1 character | 1 |
| Silius | 1 character | 1 |
| Silvia | 1 character | 1 |
| Silvius | 1 character | 1 |
| Simon | 1 character | 1 |
| Snare | 1 character | 1 |
| Sneak | 1 character | 1 |
| Snug | 1 character | 1 |
| Solanio | 1 character | 1 |
| Solinus | 1 character | 1 |
| Speed | 1 character | 1 |
| Strato | 1 character | 1 |
| Sycorax | 1 character | 1 |
| Tamora | 1 character | 1 |
| Taurus | 1 character | 1 |
| Thersites | 1 character | 1 |
| Theseus | 1 character | 1 |
| Thidias | 1 character | 1 |
| Thurio | 1 character | 1 |
| Timandra | 1 character | 1 |
| Time | 1 character | 1 |
| Timon | 1 character | 1 |
| Titania | 1 character | 1 |
| Titinius | 1 character | 1 |
| Toby | 1 character | 1 |
| Tom | 1 character | 1 |
| Touchstone | 1 character | 1 |
| Tranio | 1 character | 1 |
| Travers | 1 character | 1 |
| Trebonius | 1 character | 1 |
| Trinculo | 1 character | 1 |
| Troilus | 1 character | 1 |
| Tubal | 1 character | 1 |
| Tullus | 1 character | 1 |
| Tybalt | 1 character | 1 |
| Ulysses | 1 character | 1 |
| Ursula | 1 character | 1 |
| Valeria | 1 character | 1 |
| Vaux | 1 character | 1 |
| Verges | 1 character | 1 |
| Vernon | 1 character | 1 |
| Viola | 1 character | 1 |
| Violenta | 1 character | 1 |
| Virgilia | 1 character | 1 |
| Voltimand | 1 character | 1 |
| Volumnia | 1 character | 1 |
| Volumnius | 1 character | 1 |
| Yorick | 1 character | 1 |