What’s in a name? If you are a big fan of the Bard, then check out these Shakespeare baby names – either the great writer himself created them, or they have been featured in one of his many plays!
This name was used by Shakespeare in both “The Taming of the Shrew” and “Othello.” It derives from the French name Blanche.
Demetrius is a Greek name meaning ‘Follower of Demeter,’ Demeter is the goddess of the harvest. The name Demetrius appears in a number of William Shakespeare’s plays, including “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
This name derives from the Celtic name Innogen, meaning ‘maiden.’ Imogen features in Shakespeare’s play Cymbeline where it is the name of a strong heroine.
This name is thought to have been created by Shakespeare in his play “The Merchant of Venice.” It could also be a name of Hebrew origin.
Juliet is a form of the Latin name Julia, made famous by the lead female character in Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet.” Juliette is the French version of this name.
In Greek mythology, Laertes was the king of the Cephallenians and father of Odysseus. In Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” Laertes is the brother of Ophelia.
Marina
Marina derives from the Latin name Marino, meaning ‘man of the sea.’ Shakespeare introduced many to the name in his play, “Pericles, Prince Of Tyre.”
This name was supposedly invented by William Shakespeare for a character in his play “The Tempest.” He may have been inspired by the Latin name Mirabel, meaning ‘admirable.’
Olivia was first used by Shakespeare in his play “Twelfh Night.” Shakespeare may have taken it as a feminine form of Oliver or he may have derived it from the Latin for ‘olive.’
Ophelia, the name of the tragic female character in “Hamlet,” was made famous by Shakespeare. It is thought that the name either derives from the Greek ‘ophelos,’ meaning ‘help,’ or ‘ophis’, meaning ‘serpent.’
Regan is a unisex Gaelic name rst featuring in Shakespeare’s play “King Lear.” The name has associations with the word ‘regal.’
Romeo is most famous for being the name of the hero in Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet.” Because of this it has connotations of love. It derives from the Italian city of Rome.
The name Rosalind was originally popularised in England by Shakespeare in his play “As You Like It.”
Ursula is a name found across Europe, although it is Scandinavian in origin. It is the name of a Christian saint and its popularity in Britain may stem from Shakespeare’s play, “Much Ado About Nothing.”
