These
names occur primarily in plays, musicals and operas. They are not
commonly given to real people.
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Abhorson m TheatreFrom the English word
abhor "to regard with horror or detestation". It is the name of the executioner in William Shakespeare's 'Measure for Measure' (written in 1603 or 1604; first published in 1623).
Aglaura f TheatreAglaura is the eponymous character in a late Caroline era stage play, "Aglaura" written by Sir John Suckling.
Alarbus m TheatreFrom the play
The Tragedy of Titus Andronicus (late 16th century) by William Shakespeare. Alarbus is the son of
Tamora.
Aliena f Theatre, LiteratureMeans "stranger" in Latin. This was the false identity of
Celia in Shakespeare's play 'As You Like It' (1599) when she goes into hiding in the forest of Arden, presumably a pun on the word
alias... [
more]
Alithea f TheatreVariant of
Alethea. This is the name of a character in William Wycherley's Restoration comedy 'The Country Wife' (1675).
Almirena f TheatreThe name of a character in Georg Friedrich Händel's opera 'Rinaldo' (1711).
Aloma f English (Rare), Theatre, Popular CultureA pseudo-Hawaiian name invented by LeRoy Clemens and John B. Hymer for the title character of their 1925 Broadway play
Aloma of the South Seas, which was twice adapted to film, in 1926 and again in 1941... [
more]
Alzire f Theatre, LiteratureUsed by Voltaire for the heroine of his tragic play 'Alzire, ou les Américains' (1736), about a young indigenous Peruvian woman, daughter of a powerful chief. The heroine is named
Alzira in Verdi's opera based on the play... [
more]
Amazilia f Italian (Rare), TheatrePossibly derived from name
Amazili, (first?) used in the novel of Jean-François Marmontel "Les Incas, ou la destruction de l'Empire du Pérou" (1777), where it belongs to a Peruvian maiden. Most likely this name was artificially created to imitate exotic language and has no meaning... [
more]
Amintor m TheatreVariant of
Amyntor. This was used by Beaumont and Fletcher for the hero of their play 'The Maid's Tragedy' (ca. 1608-11) and later by Isaac Bickerstaffe for a character in his comic opera 'Daphne and Amintor' (1765).
Amneris f TheatrePossibly invented by the French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette for use in Verdi's opera 'Aida' (1871), where it belongs to a daughter of the Egyptian pharaoh, a jealous rival of the title character. Perhaps it was based on
Amestris or a name of Egyptian origin.
Antipholus m TheatrePossibly a variant of
Antiphilus. The first element of this name is Greek αντι
(anti) "against, compared to, like"; the second element is less certain, perhaps derived from Greek φωλεός
(phôleos) "den, lair" (the source of the mythological name
Pholus) or from Latin
folium "a leaf; a sheet of paper; trifle, thing of no consequence"... [
more]
Areúsa f Theatre, LiteraturePerhaps a feminine form of
Areus, or possibly derived from Greek ἀράομαι
(araomai), meaning "to pray". This is the name of one of the characters in the play
La Celestina (1499) by Fernando de Rojas.
Argan m Theatre (Gallicized, Rare)This name was used by Molière in his play, 'The Imaginary Invalid' (1673) ('Le Malade imaginaire' in French), for the main character. ... [
more]
Ārija f Latvian, TheatreFeminine form of
Ārijs, this name coincides with Latvian
ārija "aria". Latvian poet and playwright Rainis used it as the name of the titular character in his play
Indulis un Ārija (1911).
Ariodante m Carolingian Cycle, Literature, Theatre, Italian (Rare)This is the name of an Italian knight from canto V of the 16th-century epic poem
Orlando furioso written by the Italian poet Ludovico Ariosto (1474-1533). Two centuries later, the character became the subject of George Frideric Handel's opera seria
Ariodante (1735).... [
more]
Arnolphe m TheatreFrench form of
Arnolphus. Arnolphe or 'Monsieur de la Souche' is the protagonist of the play
L'école des femmes (1662) written by Molière.
Artesia f Theatre, Arthurian CycleLikely from
Artois, the name of a region in France (for which "artesian wells" are named), itself derived from
Atrebates, a Belgic tribe that inhabited the region of Gaul and Britain during Julius Caesar's time; Atrebates is cognate with Irish
aittrebaid meaning "inhabitant".... [
more]
Balladyna f Polish (Rare), TheatreUsed by the Polish writer Juliusz Słowacki for the heroine of his tragic play
Balladyna (1834), about a fictional Slavic queen who is corrupted by her rise to power. Słowacki based the name on the Polish word
ballada meaning "ballad".
Banco m TheatreItalian form of
Banquo used in the opera 'Macbeth' premiered in 1847 by Giuseppe Verdi and Francesco Maria Piave. This name is only used for this opera as
banco coincides with the Italian meaning "bench; desk; bank".
Bardolph m Theatre, Medieval English (?)Possibly from a Germanic name derived from the elements
bard, meaning "small axe" or "beard", and
wulf "wolf". Shakespeare used it for minor characters in several plays.
Barnardine m TheatrePossibly an anglicized form of
Bernardino, or perhaps a diminutive of
Barnard. This was used by Shakespeare for a character in his play 'Measure for Measure' (1604).
Bellamira f Spanish (Latin American, Rare), TheatreProbably derived from the Latin elements
bella "beautiful" and
mira "wondrous" (cf.
Mirabella). This name belongs to a courtesan in the play
The Jew of Malta (written c. 1589 or 1590) by English dramatist Christopher Marlowe.
Belvidera f TheatreDerived from Italian
belvedere meaning "a fair sight" (compare
Belvedere). This was used by English dramatist Thomas Otway for a character in his tragedy
Venice Preserv'd (1682).
Beneatha f TheatreMeaning unknown, possibly invnted from the English word "beneath" and the feminine suffix "a". Beneatha Younger is character in the play "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry.
Béralde m TheatreMeaning unknown. It was used by Molière for a character in his play 'The Imaginary Invalid'.
Berinthia f Theatre, Literature, English (Rare)Meaning unknown, perhaps first used by Sir John Vanbrugh for a young widow in his play 'The Relapse' (1697). It was subsequently used by Richard Brinsley Sheridan for a widow in his play 'A Trip to Scarborough' (1777), and also appears in Dickens's 'Dombey and Son' (1848) belonging to Mrs Pipchin's niece.
Bérylune f TheatrePerhaps an elaborated form of French
béryl meaning "beryl", possibly blending it with the word
lune "moon". This was used by the Belgian playwright and poet Maurice Maeterlinck for a fairy in his play 'The Blue Bird' (1908).
Biron m English (Rare), TheatreShakespeare used this name in one of the three companions of King Ferdinand in
Love's Labour Lost (1594).
Bona f Theatre, Medieval Italian, Polish, Corsican (Archaic)Possibly derived from Latin
bonus, -
a, -
um meaning "good, kind, pleasant, right, honest, brave, noble; valid, useful, healthy". This was the name of a 12th-century Italian saint... [
more]
Brander m TheatreA character in "La damnation de Faust", a légende dramatique by the French composer Hector Berlioz.
Callidia f Theatre, LiteratureProbably derived from the Latin adjective
calidus, which may be translated as "warm, hot, fiery," or "passionate". Callidia is Queen
Veremonda's maid in an Italian opera called "
Veremonda, l'amazzone di Aragona" (with the English translation being "
Veremonda, the Amazon of Aragon" also known as "Il Delio")... [
more]
Casca m Ancient Roman, TheatreRoman cognomen which was derived from Oscan
casca meaning "old". This was borne by one of the assassins of Julius Caesar: Servilius Casca. He features in Shakespeare's play 'Julius Caesar' (1599).
Casina f TheatrePossibly derived from Greek
kasia meaning "cinnamon". Casina is a beautiful slave girl in the Latin play
Casina by the early Roman playwright Titus Maccius Plautus. The title has been translated as
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Wedding... [
more]
Célimène f Literature, Theatre, French (Rare)This name was invented by Molière for his play "The Misanthrope" (17th century). Given that many characters in his play bear names that are obviously of Greek origin (or inspired by the Greek language), the name Célimène must then at least be partly Greek as well... [
more]
Chariclée f TheatreFrench form of
Chariclea which was used on one of the titular characters of Henri Desmarets's opera
Théagène et Chariclée (1695).
Charinus m TheatreA character in 'Pseudolus', a play by the ancient Roman playwright Titus Maccius Plautus, one of the earliest examples of Roman literature.
Cherubino m Medieval Italian, Italian (Rare), TheatreDerived from Latin
cherubin meaning "cherubs, cherubim", which refers to a class of angels known as the
cherubim. The term ultimately comes from Hebrew, but it has been theorized that the Jews borrowed the word from Akkadian
kuribu meaning "to bless" or from Assyrian ܟܪܘܒܐ
(karabu) meaning "great, mighty".... [
more]
Chrysale m TheatreChrysale is a character in the play "Les Femmes Savantes" (The Learned Ladies), a comedy by Molière.
Chu f TheatreMamma Chu is a character in the play
Mummified Deer written by Luis Valdez.
Ciana f TheatreTruncated form of
Luciana. This name was borne by the titular character
Madama Ciana of Gaetano Latilla's opera (1738).
Clivia f German, TheatreDerived from the English name of the plant (the German name for it being
Klivie) which itself is a Latinization of
Clive. The plant was named by botanist John Lindley (1799-1865) after Charlotte Florentina Clive (died 1866).... [
more]
Cobweb m TheatreFrom the English word
cobweb meaning "spiderweb". In Shakespeare's comedy 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' (1595) this name is borne by a fairy attendant of Titania.
Coppélia f Theatre, French (Rare)The name of a life-sized mechanical doll created by the mysterious Doctor Coppélius in Léo Delibes' comic ballet
Coppélia (1870), based on two macabre stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann. The inventor's name is possibly a Latinized form of Yiddish
Koppel... [
more]
Coriolanus m Ancient Roman, History, TheatreRoman cognomen which was derived from
Corioli, the name of an ancient but now lost Volscian city. Although derived from the Volscian language, it is not known what the meaning of the city's name was in Volscian... [
more]
Corisande f Literature, Theatre, French (Rare), Dutch (Rare)Meaning uncertain, from the name of a character in medieval legend, possibly first recorded by Spanish writer Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo. Perhaps it was derived from an older form of Spanish
corazón "heart" (e.g., Old Spanish
coraçon; ultimately from Latin
cor "heart", with the hypothetic Vulgar Latin root
*coratione,
*coraceone) or the Greek name
Chrysanthe... [
more]
Cülyetta f TheatreAzerbaijani form of
Juliet, used in translations of Shakespeare's
Romeo and Juliet (1596).
Curan m TheatreUsed by Shakespeare in his tragedy
King Lear (1606).
Curculio m TheatreThe eponymous character in 'Curculio', also called The Weevil, a Latin comedic play for the early Roman theatre by Titus Maccius Plautus.
Daifilo m TheatreDaifilo is a character in the 17th-century play "Granida" by Dutch playwright Pieter Cornelisz.
Dammy f TheatreUsed by English dramatist Richard Brome for a character in his play
The Weeding of Covent Garden (performed ca. 1633, printed 1659), where it is a diminutive of
Damaris.
Delina f Albanian, TheatreDerived from Albanian
delinj, a particle indicating a high degree of the characteristic quality of the following noun.
Delina (1964) is a ballet composed by Çesk Zadeja.
Demeas m TheatreA character in 'Misuomenos' an Ancient Greek comedy by Menander.
Dionyza f TheatrePresumably a feminine form of
Dionysos. This was used by Shakespeare for a character in his comedy 'Pericles, Prince of Tyre' (1607).
Dobinet m Medieval English, TheatreMedieval English diminutive of
Robert, as it is a double diminutive of
Dob. This was used by Nicholas Udall for a character in his comedy
Ralph Roister Doister (written ca... [
more]
Donalbain m Theatre, HistoryAnglicized form of Gaelic
Domnall Bán meaning "
Domnall the Fair", a nickname of Donald III, King of Scots, the second known son of Duncan I. This was the form used by Shakespeare in his tragic play 'Macbeth' (1606) for a character based on the historical figure, who allegorically represents moral order.
Dorante m TheatreMeaning unknown. It was used by Molière for a character in his play 'Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme'.
Dorilea f TheatreDorilea is a shepherdess in the 17th-century play "Granida" by Dutch playwright Pieter Cornelisz.
Dorliska f Theatre, English (American, Archaic)Torvaldo e Dorliska (1815) is an operatic dramma semiserio in two acts by Gioachino Rossini based on the novel
Les Amours du chevalier de Faublas (1787–1790) by the revolutionary Jean-Baptiste Louvet de Couvrai, whose work was the source of the
Lodoïska libretto set by Luigi Cherubini (1791), and
Lodoiska set by Stephen Storace (1794), and Simon Mayr (1796).
Dromio m TheatreThis name belongs to two characters in William Shakespeare's play 'The Comedy of Errors' (1592): twin brothers Dromio of Ephesus and Dromio of Syracuse. It is possibly derived from Greek δρόμος
(dromos) "a course, running, race", or a related word.
Dynamene f Greek Mythology, TheatreMeans "she who can" or "the capable one" from Greek δυναμένη
(dynamenê), a participle of the verb δύναμαι
(dynamai) "to be able, to have power, be strong enough". In Greek mythology this name was borne by one of the Nereids... [
more]
Egeon m TheatreVariant of
Aegaeon. This is the name of a Syracusan merchant in William Shakespeare's play 'The Comedy of Errors' (1592).
Éliante f TheatreVariant of
Elianthe. The name was used on a character in Molière's play
Le Misanthrope (1666).
Epicure m TheatreForm of
Epicurus used by Ben Jonson for a character in his play 'The Alchemist' (first performed 1610), perhaps taken directly from the English word
epicure meaning "one who gives himself up to sensual pleasure" (literally "follower of Epicurus").
Ernelinde f TheatreErnelinde, princesse de Norvège (
Ernelinde, Princess of Norway in English; 1767) is a three-act operatic tragédie lyrique, by the French composer François-André Danican Philidor.
Eryxene f TheatreAlteration of
Eryxo used by Plutarch in his essay
Virtues of Women, perhaps formed using the Greek element ξενος
(xenos) "foreigner, guest"... [
more]
Escalus m TheatrePossibly a variant of
Aeschylus. This was used by Shakespeare in his play 'Romeo and Juliet' (1596), where it belongs to Prince Escalus. He later used it for a character in his play 'Measure for Measure' (written 1603 or 1604; first published 1623).
Esilena f TheatreThis was the name of the wife of the title character in Georg Friedrich Händel's opera 'Rodrigo' (1707), which was loosely based on the life of Roderick, the last Visigothic king of Spain. It may be based on
Egilona, the name of the wife of the historical figure.
Estragon m TheatreEstragon is one of the two protagonists in Samuel Beckett's play
Waiting for Godot. Estragon is a normal French word meaning "tarragon".
Fantesca f Italian, TheatreFrom Italian
fantesca - "servant-girl". This name was used in some performances of Commedia dell'Arte for a character of a servant woman.
Farfalla f TheatreMeans "butterfly" in Italian. This is the name of the titular character of the ballet
Le papillon (1860). Farfalla is a Circassian princess who is kidnapped by a fairy and enchanted in the form of a butterfly.
Fedra f Greek, Azerbaijani, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Catalan, Croatian (Rare), Galician, Italian, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Serbian, Sicilian, Slovene, Spanish, Ukrainian, TheatreModern Greek form of
Phaidra (see
Phaedra) as well as the standard form in various other languages.... [
more]
Fenena f TheatreVariant of
Fenenna used in the opera
Nabucco (1842) by the Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901).
Fiammette f TheatreGallicized form of
Fiammetta.
La reine Fiammette (1903) is an opera in four acts by composer Xavier Leroux.
Fiesco m TheatreFiesco is the eponymous character of "Fiesco", a drama written by the German playwright Friedrich Schiller.
Fleance m TheatreA character in the play 'Macbeth' by William Shakespeare.
Fleanzio m Italian, TheatreItalian form of
Fleance. This is the form used in the opera 'Macbeth' premiered in 1847 by Giuseppe Verdi and Francesco Maria Piave.
Florimel f Literature, TheatreCombination of Latin
flos meaning "flower" (genitive
floris) and
mel "honey". This name was first used by Edmund Spenser in his poem
The Faerie Queene (1590; in the form
Florimell)... [
more]
Flosshilde f TheatreThe name is made up from the German word
Flosse "fin" and the name element
hild "battle, fight".... [
more]
Fluellen m TheatreAnglicized form of
Llywelyn used by Shakespeare for a Welsh captain in his history play 'Henry V' (1599).
Froth m TheatreThe name of a character in Shakespeare's play 'Measure for Measure', believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604.
Ftatateeta f TheatreThis name was invented by George Bernard Shaw for a character in his play Caesar and Cleopatra. She is Cleopatra's nurse. The name was used by ventriloquist Jimmy Nelson for a puppet of his, a cat. Though she was female, her voice was based on Ed Wynn's... [
more]
Girnara f TheatreGirnara is the eponymous character in 'Die Prinzessin Girnara' (The Princess Girnara) an opera in two acts by Egon Wellesz based on an Indian legend.
Giunia f Italian, TheatreItalian form of
Junia. It was used for the female lead character in Mozart's opera
Lucio Silla (1772).
Godot m TheatreProbably derived from the French surname
Godeau. This was the name of the main protagonist in the play 'Waiting for Godot' by Samuel Beckett, a man who, as the title suggests, two men are waiting for, but never arrives.
Gonerill f TheatreVariant of
Goneril which occurs in some copies of 'King Lear' (1606) - perhaps a misprinting.
Gossamer f TheatreFrom the English word, which means "spider threads spun in fields of stubble in late fall" (apparently derived from Old English
gos "goose" and
sumer "summer"). A fictional bearer is Gossamer Beynon in Dylan Thomas' 1954 play 'Under Milk Wood' (Butcher Beynon's schoolteacher daughter).
Granida f TheatreGranida is the eponymous character of the successful 17th-century play "Granida" by Dutch playwright Pieter Cornelisz.
Gratiano m TheatreForm of
Gratianus (see
Gratian) used by Shakespeare for characters in his plays
The Merchant of Venice (written between 1596 and 1598) and
Othello (ca... [
more]
Grimgerde f TheatreComposed from the Germanic name element
grimo "mask" and the name
Gerd 2. Grimgerde is one of the valkyries in Richard Wagner's opera 'Die Walküre'.
Grisélidis f TheatreFrench form of
Griselda used by Jules Massenet in his opera 'Grisélidis' (1901). This was borne by Grisélidis Réal (1929-2005), a writer and sex worker from Switzerland.
Grumio m TheatreThis name was used for a slave in the play
Mostellaria written by Titus Maccius Plautus (c. 254-184 BC). It is also found in Shakespeare's play
The Taming of the Shrew (written between 1590 and 1592) and in the Cambridge Latin Course.
Grusche f TheatreOne of the main female characters in Bertolt Brecht's play
Der kaukasische Kreidekreis.
Guiderius m TheatreGuiderius is the son of the eponymous character in 'Cymbeline, King of Britain' by William Shakespeare.
Guildenstern m TheatreGuildenstern was a childhood friend of Hamlet in William Shakespeare's famous play, Hamlet.
Gutrune f TheatreA character in 'Götterdämmerung'(Twilight of the Gods) by Richard Wagner
Harpagon m TheatreFrom the character created by French playwright Molière, the name Harpagon is derived from the Latin
harpago "harpoon, raptor", itself derived from the ancient Greek
ἁρπαγή (
harpagế) "greed, rapacity".
Helmwige f TheatreDerived from the Germanic name elements
helm "helmet" and
wig "battle". Helwige is the name of one of the valkyries in Richard Wagner's opera 'Die Walküre'.
Hernani m & f Spanish, TheatreOften considered a diminutive of
Hernán or
Hernando. The French author Victor Hugo used it for the title hero of his play
Hernani (1830) (which Verdi adapted into the opera
Ernani in 1844), though in this case it was taken from the Spanish place name
Hernani, a town in the Basque Country, which allegedly means "top of an illuminated hill" from Basque.
Herzeleide f German, Literature, TheatreFrom the German word for "heart sorrow, heartache".
Herzeloyde was its original form, created by Wolfram von Eschenbach for the Queen of Wales and mother of Perceval in his Middle High German romance
Parzival (1200–1210), probably to express the queen’s sorrow for losing her husband and later her son (when Perceval leaves her lands for King Arthur's court, she dies from a broken heart)... [
more]
Imogène f Theatre (Gallicized)French form of
Imogen. In France, this mostly refers to the character from Shakespeare's play Cymbeline and is rarely, if ever, used as a given name.
Imoinda f Literature, TheatreUsed by Aphra Behn for a character in her novel
Oroonoko, or The Royal Slave (1688).
Imoinda or She Who Will Lose Her Name (2008), a re-writing of Behn's novel, is the first libretto to be written by an African-Caribbean woman, Dr Joan Anim-Addo.
Indulis m Latvian, TheatreOriginally a diminutive of
Indriķis, now used as a given name in its own right. Latvian poet and playwright Rainis used this name on the titular character of his play
Indulis un Ārija (1911).
Iras f TheatreMeaning unknown. This name was used by Shakespeare for one of Cleopatra's maids of honour in his tragedy 'Anthony and Cleopatra' (1607).
Jaina f TheatreThis is used as the German translation of
Jane in the 1881's opera
Patience.
Jaquenetta f TheatreA feminine form of
Jaques. Jaquenetta is a character from Shakespeare's 'Love's Labour's Lost'.
Jennyanydots f TheatreIt is the name of a principal cat in Andrew Lloyd Webber's
Cats. She is a seemingly lazy Jellicle cat, who is active only by night.
Jenůfa f Czech (Rare), Theatre'Jenůfa', also known as 'Její pastorkyňa' ("Her Stepdaughter"), is an opera in three acts by
Leoš Janáček based on the play 'Její pastorkyňa' by Gabriela Preissová... [
more]
Jessonda f TheatreUsed for the heroine of Louis Spohr's Romantic opera 'Jessonda, or the Rajah's Wife' (1823), about a young royal widow who is rescued from the funeral pyre by the Portuguese general Tristan, her former sweetheart.
Jokanaan m TheatreForm of
Yochanan used by Oscar Wilde for John the Baptist in his play 'Salomé' (1891). Unlike most depictions of John the Baptist, Jokanaan is young and clean-shaven, with black hair, white skin and red lips... [
more]
Kasperl m Medieval German, Folklore, TheatreDiminutive of
Kasper. This name fell out of use a long time ago, possibly due to close association with the famous character from German puppet theatre. In this day and age, the name only survives as a patronymic surname.
Katisha f Theatre, African American (Rare)Meaning unknown. This was used for a character in Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera
The Mikado (1885), set in Japan. Since the 1970s it has also been used as a blend of the prefix
ka with the name
Latisha.
Khivrya f Ukrainian (Rare, Archaic), TheatreUkrainian variant of
Fevroniya. The name was borne by a character in Modest Mussorgsky's comic opera 'The Fair at Sorochyntsi' (1874 - 1880) which was based on Nikolai Gogol's short story of the same name, from his early (1832) collection of Ukrainian stories 'Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka'.
Koštana f Serbian, TheatreKoštana is a popular play, written by Borisav Stanković, which features many themes of Serbian folklore and patriarchal customs which were still present in the late nineteenth century.
Kusi-quyllur f Quechua, TheatreMeans "joyful star" in Quechua, from Quechua
kusi "joyful, happy" and
quyllur "star". Kusi Quyllur is the name of the princess in the Quechua-language play 'Ollantay' (the oldest known manuscript of which dates to the 18th century).
Laimdota f Latvian, Literature, TheatreFrom Latvian
laime "joy, luck, happiness" (compare
Laima) combined with
dota "given" (from the verb
dot "to give"). This was coined in the late 19th century... [
more]
Lamira f English (American), Literature, TheatreThis name was used (possibly invented) by Jacobean-era dramatist John Fletcher for characters in his plays
The Honest Man's Fortune (c.1613) and
The Little French Lawyer (1647). It does not appear to have been used in England; it came into use in the early United States, occurring as early as the 1780s in New York, perhaps influenced by the similar-sounding name
Almira 1.
Larita f African American, TheatreCombination of the popular prefix
la with the name
Rita. This was used by Noël Coward for a character in his play
Easy Virtue (1924), which was adapted into a silent film in 1928 as well as a 2006 film.
Launcelot m Theatre, Arthurian CycleVariant of
Lancelot. This spelling was used by Shakespeare in his play
The Merchant of Venice (written between 1596 and 1598) for the character of Launcelot Gobbo.
Lelde f Latvian, Theatre1920s phonetic coinage which was first used in the play
Spēlēju, dancoju (1915) by Latvian poet and playwright Rainis.
Leporello m TheatreName of Don Giovanni's servant in W. A. Mozart's opera Don Giovanni.
Licida m Italian (Archaic), TheatreItalian form of
Lycidas. It is chiefly used in the opera libretto
L'Olimpiade (1733), which was written by the Italian poet and librettist Pietro Metastasio (1698-1782).
Lindor m Theatre, Afro-American (Slavery-era)Of uncertain origin and meaning; theories include a corruption of
Leander. This name first featured in medieval romances, often for lovelorn shepherds, later appearing in Jean-Baptiste Niels's ballet
Les Romans (1736), Egidio Duni's opera
Nina et Lindor (1761) and Mozart's
Variation in E-flat Major on the romance "Je suis Lindor".
Lindora f American (South, Archaic), TheatreFeminine form of
Lindor. This name was used in the comic operas
Le donne vendicate (
Revenge of the Women in English; 1763) by Piccinni and
La maga Circe (
Circe the Witch in English; 1788) by Anfossi.
Lindoro m Theatre, Spanish (Mexican)Variant of
Lindor. Lindoro is a character in the opera
L'italiana in Algeri (
The Italian Girl in Algiers in English; 1813) by Gioachino Rossini and Angelo Anelli.
Lodoletta f Italian, Italian (Tuscan), TheatreProbably coined by Pietro Mascagni for the titular character of his "dramma lirico" or lyric opera
Lodoletta (1917), which was based on the novel
Two Little Wooden Shoes by Marie Louise de la Ramée, (Ouida).... [
more]
Lothario m TheatreUsed in
The Fair Penitent by Nicholas Rowe and
The Impertinent Curious Man by Quixote.
Lucentio m TheatrePossibly the Italian form of
Lucentius. This was used by Shakespeare for one of the romantic male leads in his play 'The Taming of the Shrew' (1593).
Lychorida f TheatreForm of
Lycoris used by Shakespeare for a character in his play
Pericles, Prince of Tyre (published 1609).
Macbetto m Theatre (Italianized)Italian form of
Macbeth. This is the form used by Giuseppe Verdi for the main character in the opera 'Macbeth' premiered in 1847 based on Shakespeare's masterpiece.
Magenta f English, TheatreNamed for the mauvish-crimson colour. The dye to make the colour was discovered and named shortly after the Battle of Magenta in 1859 (the town is situated in northern Italy). The colour may have been inspired by the colour of the uniforms worn by the French troops, or by the colour of the land soaked in blood after the battle... [
more]
Mamilius m Ancient Roman, TheatreOf uncertain origin: it could be derived from Latin
mamilla ("nipple"), or from the Celtic elements
mam ("strength") and
hil ("seed"), thus "seed of the strong".... [
more]
Mélite f TheatreFrench form of
Melite.
Mélite, ou les fausses lettres (1625) is a comedy by Pierre Corneille.
Mellida f Theatre, EnglishLikely coined by the playwright John Marston for his plays 'Antonio and Mellida'(1599) and 'Antonio's Revenge' (1601). It was presumably intended as a cross between
Melissa and
Phyllida.
Mimì f & m Italian, TheatreItalian form of
Mimi as well as diminutive of other names with a
m sound of any gender. Mimì, a seamstress, is a main character in 'La bohème' (1896) by Giacomo Puccini, based on 'Scènes de la vie de bohème' (1851) by Henri Murger.
Minona f Literature, Theatre, German (Rare, Archaic)Coined by Scottish poet James Macpherson for his 18th-century
Ossian poems where the name is borne by Minona, a singer who sings before the king the song of the unfortunate Colma. Macpherson names the alleged Scottish Gaelic words
Min-ónn "gentle air" as an etymological explanation of the name (compare Scottish Gaelic
mìn "gentle; soft (of a sound)" and
fonn "tune, melody").... [
more]
Mistoffolees m Literature, TheatreAltered form of
Mephistopheles used for a character in T.S. Eliot's poetry collection 'Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats' (1939). Mr. Mistoffolees also appears in the musical 'Cats' (1981), a stage adaptation of Eliot's poetry book.
Monimia f Theatre, Literature, Afro-American (Slavery-era)Probably a Latinate form of
Monime, first used by Thomas Otway for the title character in his tragic play
The Orphan (1680). It was subsequently used by the Scottish author Tobias Smollett (also for an orphan character) in his novel
The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom (1753), and later by English poet and novelist Charlotte Smith for the heroine of her novel
The Old Manor House (1793), which was a huge bestseller in the last decade of the 18th century... [
more]
Mopsa f Theatre, LiteraturePossibly a feminine form of
Mopsus, or a derivative of the Dutch word
mops "pug dog" (and formerly, by extension, "country lout"). This was used by Sir Philip Sidney for a character in
The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia... [
more]
Moria f English (Rare), TheatreModern instances of this name may be misspellings of
Maria or
Moira. In the case of the character in Ben Jonson's satirical play
Cynthia's Revels (1600), who 'talks anything of anything', it was probably intended to be a feminine derivative of Greek μωρός
(moros) meaning "simpleton".
Motezuma m TheatreMotezuma is an opera in three acts by Antonio Vivaldi with an Italian libretto by Alvise Giusti. The libretto is very loosely based on the life of the Aztec ruler
Montezuma who died in 1520.
Mrika f Albanian, TheatreVariant of
Mrikë.
Mrika (1958) is an opera in three acts composed by Prenkë Jakova with a libretto in Albanian by Llazar Siliqi.
Mucedorus m TheatrePossibly a variant of
Musidorus (compare
Musidora). In theatre, Mucedorus is the eponymous character of an anonymous Elizabethan romantic comedy:
A Most pleasant Comedie of Mucedorus the Kings Sonne of Valentia, and Amadine the Kinges daughter of Aragon, commonly called
Mucedorus, first performed around 1590 and regularly revived until the Restoration... [
more]
Munkustrap m Literature, TheatreThis name belongs to a Jellicle cat in T.S. Eliot's poem, Naming of Cats. He is a principal character in the musical, Cats.
Murman m Georgian, Literature, TheatreMeaning uncertain, as the available sources each provide a different etymology for this name. According to a Georgian source, Murman is a phonetic variant of
Murvan... [
more]
Musetta f Theatre, Italian (Tuscan)Latinate form of
Musette, which was possibly based on the dance style, popular in Paris in the 1880s, which took its name from a kind of small bagpipe. It was used by Puccini for the lover of Marcello in his opera
La Bohème (1896), which was based on
La Vie de Bohème (1851) by Henri Murger (who named the character
Musette).... [
more]
Mustacha f TheatreIn Fielding’s The Tragedy of Tragedies, a maiden at Arthur’s court who loved Doodle, one of Arthur’s courtiers.... [
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Mytyl f TheatreMeaning unknown. This is the name of a character from the 1908 play 'The Blue Bird' (French: 'L'Oiseau bleu') by Belgian playwright and poet Maurice Maeterlinck.
Naïs f Greek Mythology (Gallicized), TheatreFrench form of
Nais. Naïs is the main character of Jean-Philippe Rameau's 1749
Naïs: Opéra pour La Paix, a play about the god Neptune falling in love with the titular nymph.
Nedda f Sicilian, Theatre, HungarianSicilian diminutive of
Antonietta as well as a Sicilian form of
Nella. The name was also adopted into Hungarian usage. Furthermore, this name is borne by the main female role in the opera 'Pagliacci'.
Nichette f Theatre, LiteratureNichette is the name of a character in Alexandre Dumas's (fils) 1848 novel and play named "Camille" (also known as "The Lady of the Camellias"). The name Nichette was also featured in the title of a movie short from 1911 named "The Heart of Nichette"... [
more]
Operetta f TheatreItalian diminutive of "opera" and was used originally to describe a shorter, perhaps less ambitious work than an opera. Operetta provides an alternative to operatic performances in an accessible form targeting a different audience... [
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Orbella f TheatreQueen Orbella was a character in Sir John Suckling's play 'Aglaura' (1637).
Oroveso m TheatrePossibly based on an Ancient Celtic name. Oroveso was used by Vincenzo Bellini and Felice Romani for the character in 'Norma' (1831), based on the play 'Norma, ou L'infanticide' by Alexandre Soumet... [
more]
Ortlinde f TheatreThe name can be interpreted as a dithematic Germanic name formed of the name elements
ort "point (of a sword or a lance)" and
linta "linden tree, lime; shield (made of lime wood); gentle, soft"... [
more]
Pales m & f Roman Mythology, TheatreMeaning unknown, possibly of Etruscan origin. This was the name of a deity of shepherds, flocks and livestock in Roman mythology, regarded as male by some sources and female by others. The mythological figure appears in pastoral plays of the 16th and 17th centuries.
Pamina f German, TheatrePamina is a character in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera
The Magic Flute (
Die Zauberflöte in German, 1791).
Pandarus m Greek Mythology (Latinized), Literature, TheatreLatinized form of Greek Πάνδαρος
(Pandaros), which was possibly derived from παν
(pan) "all" and an uncertain second element. This is the name of a mythical archer who appears in stories of the Trojan War, and "who by an arrow-shot violates the truce between the Trojans and Greeks, and is afterwards slain by Diomedes." In Homer's 'Iliad' he is portrayed as an energetic and impetuous warrior, but in medieval literature he becomes a witty and licentious figure who facilitates the affair between
Troilus and
Cressida... [
more]
Peaseblossom m TheatreFrom English
pea's blossom, referring to the small flower of a pea plant. This name was used by Shakespeare in his comedy 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' (1595), where it belongs to one of the servants to the fairy queen Titania.
Pedrolino m Italian, TheatreDiminutive of
Pedro with an added diminutive Italian suffix
-lino. Pedrolino is a primo Zanni of the commedia dell'arte. Contemporary illustrations suggest that his white blouse and trousers constituted "a variant of the typical Zanni suit", and his Bergamasque dialect marked him as a member of the "low" rustic class.
Penthea f TheatreFeminine form of
Pentheus. This was used (perhaps invented) by John Ford for a character in his tragic play 'The Broken Heart' (1633).
Phaedromus m Theatre, Ancient RomanA character in 'Curculio', also called The Weevil, a Latin comedic play for the early Roman theatre by Titus Maccius Plautus.
Philidel f & m Literature, TheatrePerhaps based on
Philadelphia or
Fidelis. It was used by John Dryden in his opera 'King Arthur; or, the British Worthy' (1691), where it belongs to an air spirit in the service of Merlin who saves Arthur from the evil schemes of Osmond, a Saxon sorcerer, and Grimbald, an enemy earth spirit.
Philinna f Ancient Greek, TheatreMeans "darling" in Greek, a term of affection derived from Greek φίλος
(philos) meaning "friend, lover". A famous bearer was Philinna of Larissa in Thessaly (4th century BC), the third wife of Philip II of Macedon and mother of Philip III Arrhidaeus... [
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Phrynia f TheatreVariant of
Phryne used by Shakespeare in his play
Timon of Athens (first performed between 1607 and 1608).
Polichinelle m Theatre (Gallicized)French form of
Pulcinella, a character from the Italian
commedia dell'arte. This can also refer to the little clown dolls that run out from under Mother Ginger's skirt in
The Nutcracker.
Pollione m Italian, TheatreItalian form of
Pollio. This name was used by Vincenzo Bellini and Felice Romani for the main masculine character in the opera 'Norma' (1831), based on Alexandre Soumet's play 'Norma, ou L'infanticide'.
Prouhèze f TheatreCentral character in Paul Claudel's play
The Satin Slipper (1929).
Pseudolus m Theatre, Ancient RomanPseudolus is the eponymous character in 'Pseudolus', a play by the ancient Roman playwright Titus Maccius Plautus.