Baby Names Shakespeare: 349+ Unique Choices (BEST Selections!)
Choosing the perfect name for your baby can be an inspiring task, especially when you delve into the rich world of literature. One timeless source of inspiration is the works of William Shakespeare, who created memorable characters with unique and poetic names. By exploring the names found in Shakespeare’s plays, you can discover unique and meaningful options for your little one.
Shakespeare’s 37 plays feature a diverse range of characters, offering baby names that fit any personality. From classic choices to more unusual options, Shakespeare has no shortage of beautiful names to choose from. So, let’s begin your journey through Shakespearean names and find the perfect one for your baby.
Below are some examples of baby names from Shakespeare’s plays:
Baby girl names:
- Juliet
- Ophelia
- Beatrice
Baby boy names:
- Romeo
- Orlando
- Marcellus
When considering these name ideas, remember to reflect on the unique traits of the characters they represent in order to find a name that suits your child best. With so many names to choose from, you’re sure to find the perfect moniker to honor the classics and give your child a name they’ll cherish for a lifetime.
Table of Contents
Best Names
1-25 Best Names
Here are the top 25 most popular and beautiful Shakespearean baby names we have picked for you:
- Olivia (Twelfth Night)
- Cordelia (King Lear)
- Juliet (Romeo and Juliet)
- Miranda (The Tempest)
- Ophelia (Hamlet)
- Rosalind (As You Like It)
- Viola (Twelfth Night)
- Portia (The Merchant of Venice)
- Desdemona (Othello)
- Jessica (The Merchant of Venice)
- Imogen (Cymbeline)
- Helena (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
- Beatrice (Much Ado About Nothing)
- Bianca (Othello)
- Hermione (The Winter’s Tale)
- Titania (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
- Isabella (Measure for Measure)
- Hero (Much Ado About Nothing)
- Cressida (Troilus and Cressida)
- Rosaline (Love’s Labour’s Lost)
- Audrey (As You Like It)
- Phoebe (As You Like It)
- Perdita (The Winter’s Tale)
- Adriana (The Comedy of Errors)
- Lavinia (Titus Andronicus)
26-50 Best Names
Now, let’s have a look at the next set of 25 names inspired by Shakespeare’s works:
- Diana (All’s Well That Ends Well)
- Regan (King Lear)
- Luciana (The Comedy of Errors)
- Emilia (Othello)
- Margaret (Much Ado About Nothing)
- Nerissa (The Merchant of Venice)
- Eleanor (Henry VI Part II)
- Anne (Richard III)
- Alice (Henry V)
- Clare (Henry VI Parts I, II, III)
- Cleopatra (Antony and Cleopatra)
- Lucetta (The Two Gentlemen of Verona)
- Valentine (The Two Gentlemen of Verona)
- Marina (Pericles)
- Tamora (Titus Andronicus)
- Pandora (Henry IV Part I)
- Amiens (As You Like It)
- Belinda (The Provoked Wife)
- Calpurnia (Julius Caesar)
- Celia (As You Like It)
- Evangeline (Richard II)
- Julia (The Two Gentlemen of Verona)
- Katherine (The Taming of the Shrew)
- Marcella (Antony and Cleopatra)
- Paulina (The Winter’s Tale)
51-75 Best Names
In this list, we continue with another selection of 25 Shakespeare-inspired names for your baby:
- Ursula (Much Ado About Nothing)
- Iris (The Tempest)
- Hippolyta (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
- Dorothy (The Taming of the Shrew)
- Francisca (Measure for Measure)
- Marjory (Measure for Measure)
- Lucille (Measure for Measure)
- Elinor (Henry VI Part I)
- Megan (Henry V)
- Sylvia (Two Gentlemen of Verona)
- Eleanor (Henry VI Part II)
- Frances (Henry VI Part III)
- Lydia (Pericles, Prince of Tyre)
- Phyllida (Pericles, Prince of Tyre)
- Isidora (Pericles, Prince of Tyre)
- Violet (Pericles, Prince of Tyre)
- Stella (Pericles, Prince of Tyre)
- Camilla (Coriolanus)
- Doris (Coriolanus)
- Vera (Timon of Athens)
- Tricia (Titus Andronicus)
- Nina (Titus Andronicus)
- Alma (Titus Andronicus)
- Myra (Titus Andronicus)
- Lorraine (Titus Andronicus)
76-100 Best Names
Lastly, here’s the final set of 25 lovely Shakespearean baby names to inspire you:
- Octavia (Antony and Cleopatra)
- Ariel (The Tempest)
- Euphemia (Troilus and Cressida)
- Barbara (Richard III)
- Bess (Henry VIII)
- Lilith (Hamlet)
- Sophia (Measure for Measure)
- Gabriella (Much Ado About Nothing)
- Constance (King John)
- Gertrude (Hamlet)
- Stella (The Taming of the Shrew)
- Florence (The Taming of the Shrew)
- Olympia (Timon of Athens)
- Carolina (Coriolanus)
- Alberta (Cymbeline)
- Clarissa (Henry VI Part III)
- Melinda (As You Like It)
- Lorena (Titus Andronicus)
- Delia (Antony and Cleopatra)
- Victoria (Richard II)
- Giselle (Henry VI Part I)
- Eliza (Richard III)
- Augusta (Henry V)
- Elena (Hamlet)
- Daisy (Richard III)
Now, you have a wide variety of Shakespeare-inspired names for your baby girl. May these names bring a touch of beauty, emotion, and timelessness as you embark on the wonderful journey of parenthood.
Good Names
1-25 Good Names
In this first subsection, let’s take a look at the top 25 good names inspired by Shakespeare’s characters:
- Adrian – (Coriolanus, The Tempest)
- Adriana – (The Comedy of Errors)
- Albany – (King Lear)
- Alexas – (Antony and Cleopatra)
- Alice – (Henry V)
- Aliena – (As You Like It)
- Anne – (Henry VIII, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Richard III)
- Ariel – (The Tempest)
- Antony – (Antony and Cleopatra)
- Banquo – (Macbeth)
- Benvolio – (Romeo and Juliet)
- Caius – (Latin for rejoice)
- Jessica – (The Merchant of Venice)
- Miranda – (The Tempest)
- Perdita – (The Winter’s Tale)
- Florizel – (The Winter’s Tale)
- Olivia – (Twelfth Night)
- Audrey – (As You Like It)
- Fabian – (Twelfth Night)
- Juliet – (Romeo and Juliet)
- Romeo – (Romeo and Juliet)
- Marcellus – (Hamlet)
- Beatrice – (Much Ado About Nothing)
- Orlando – (As You Like It)
- Ophelia – (Hamlet)
26-50 Good Names
Next, let’s move on to the 26-50 good names inspired by Shakespeare’s works:
- Bianca – (The Taming of the Shrew)
- Cordelia – (King Lear)
- Demetrius – (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
- Desdemona – (Othello)
- Duncan – (Macbeth)
- Edgar – (King Lear)
- Emilia – (Othello)
- Ferdinand – (The Tempest)
- Gertrude – (Hamlet)
- Goneril – (King Lear)
- Hamlet – (Hamlet)
- Helen – (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
- Hermia – (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
- Hero – (Much Ado About Nothing)
- Horatio – (Hamlet)
- Imogen – (Cymbeline)
- Iago – (Othello)
- Isabella – (Measure for Measure)
- Julia – (Two Gentlemen of Verona)
- Kate – (The Taming of the Shrew)
- Lavinia – (Titus Andronicus)
- Lear – (King Lear)
- Luciana – (The Comedy of Errors)
- Macbeth – (Macbeth)
- Malcolm – (Macbeth)
51-75 Good Names
Now, let’s explore the 51-75 good names from Shakespeare’s plays:
- Margaret – (Much Ado About Nothing)
- Mercutio – (Romeo and Juliet)
- Nerissa – (The Merchant of Venice)
- Oberon – (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
- Octavia – (Antony and Cleopatra)
- Paris – (Romeo and Juliet)
- Petruchio – (The Taming of the Shrew)
- Phoebe – (As You Like It)
- Puck – (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
- Regan – (King Lear)
- Rosalind – (As You Like It)
- Sebastian – (The Tempest)
- Silvia – (Two Gentlemen of Verona)
- Titania – (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
- Titus – (Titus Andronicus)
- Troilus – (Troilus and Cressida)
- Ursula – (Much Ado About Nothing)
- Valentine – (Two Gentlemen of Verona)
- Viola – (Twelfth Night)
- Yorick – (Hamlet)
- Cleon – (Pericles, Prince of Tyre)
- Lysander – (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
- Egeus – (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
- Grumio – (The Taming of the Shrew)
- Leontes – (The Winter’s Tale)
76-100 Good Names
Finally, let’s check out the 76-100 good names for your baby inspired by Shakespeare:
- Cressida – (Troilus and Cressida)
- Egeon – (The Comedy of Errors)
- Eglamour – (Two Gentlemen of Verona)
- Helena – (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
- Quintus – (Titus Andronicus)
- Moth – (Love’s Labour’s Lost)
- Pandarus – (Troilus and Cressida)
- Philostrate – (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
- Posthumus – (Cymbeline)
- Starcrossed – (Romeo and Juliet)
- Thaisa– (Pericles, Prince of Tyre)
- Balthazar – (Romeo and Juliet)
- Claudio – (Much Ado About Nothing)
- Lucio – (Measure for Measure)
- Doric – (Troilus and Cressida)
- Hectate – (Macbeth)
- Timon – (Timon of Athens)
- Ventidius – (Antony and Cleopatra)
- Falconbridge – (King John)
- Amiens – (As You Like It)
- Syracuse – (The Comedy of Errors)
- Cornwall – (King Lear)
- Laertes – (Hamlet)
- Polonius – (Hamlet)
- Ravenna – (The Taming of the Shrew
More Name Ideas
In this section, we provide you with more Shakespeare-inspired name ideas, grouped in four subsections. Remember, these names are influenced by the works of the famous playwright and can add a unique and classic touch to your baby’s identity.
1-25 Name Ideas
- Adriana
- Angelo
- Antonia
- Audrey
- Beatrice
- Benedick
- Benvolio
- Bianca
- Cassius
- Celia
- Claudio
- Cordelia
- Corin
- Cressida
- Demetrius
- Desdemona
- Diana
- Dion
- Dorcas
- Edmund
- Emilia
- Fabian
- Fenton
- Ferdinand
- Florizel
26-50 Name Ideas
- Francisca
- Frederick
- Gertrude
- Goneril
- Hector
- Helena
- Hermia
- Horatio
- Imogen
- Isabella
- Iseult
- Jessica
- Juliet
- Junius
- Lavinia
- Leonato
- Luciana
- Lucio
- Lucrece
- Malvolio
- Margaret
- Mariana
- Mercutio
- Miranda
- Octavia
51-75 Name Ideas
- Olivia
- Ophelia
- Orlando
- Othello
- Page
- Pandarus
- Paulina
- Perdita
- Philostrate
- Polonius
- Portia
- Priam
- Prospero
- Regan
- Rosalind
- Rosencrantz
- Rumour
- Sebastian
- Silvius
- Stephano
- Thaisa
- Titania
- Titus
- Troilus
- Viola
76-100 Name Ideas
- Volumnia
- Walter
- Wilhelmina
- Winifred
- Yseult
- Zachariah
- Zelchen
- Zeetha
- Zenon
- Zeta
- Zilack
- Zina
- Zircon
- Zobeide
- Zoelyn
- Zoila
- Zoith
- Zolan
- Zora
- Zoraida
- Zosia
- Zubaida
- Zuleika
- Zuriel
- Zyra
Take your time while exploring these name ideas and choose the perfect name that resonates with you and your baby’s personality. Remember, these names are inspired by Shakespeare’s works, so they are both classic and timeless. Happy naming!
More Name Ideas (Continued)
In this section, you’ll find more Shakespeare-inspired baby names to spark your imagination. We have categorized the names into four subsections for easy reference. Enjoy exploring these unique names!
1-25 Name Ideas
- Antony
- Banquo
- Benvolio
- Caius
- Desdemona
- Emilia
- Ferdinand
- Goneril
- Horatio
- Imogen
- Juliet
- Katherina
- Lavinia
- Macbeth
- Nerissa
- Ophelia
- Prospero
- Quintus
- Rosalind
- Silvius
- Titania
- Ursula
- Viola
- Wolsey
- Xanthippe
26-50 Name Ideas
- Yorick
- Zeno
- Adriana
- Beatrice
- Cordelia
- Duncan
- Egeus
- Feste
- Gonzalo
- Hermione
- Isabella
- Jaques
- King Lear
- Luciana
- Miranda
- Norman
- Olivia
- Pandarus
- Queen Margaret
- Regan
- Sebastian
- Thaisa
- Ulysses
- Valentine
- Wendell
51-75 Name Ideas
- Xerxes
- Yekaterina
- Zebedee
- Ariel
- Bianca
- Cleopatra
- Demetrius
- Eleanor
- Falstaff
- Ganymede
- Helena
- Iago
- Jessica
- Kent
- Lucrece
- Martius
- Nell
- Octavia
- Patroclus
- Queen Elizabeth
- Romeo
- Stephano
- Tamora
- Ugo
- Vanessa
76-100 Name Ideas
- Whitney
- Xanthe
- York
- Zenaida
- Argius
- Belinda
- Charinus
- Dorcas
- Eudora
- Flavius
- Gertrude
- Hippolyta
- Innogen
- Julius Caesar
- Leontes
- Marianne
- Nymphadora
- Orsino
- Portia
- Quince
- Rosencrantz
- Sicinius
- Titus Andronicus
- Umbria
- Varrius
Tips For Brainstorming The Perfect Name
When you’re thinking of the perfect baby name, considering Shakespearean names adds a touch of elegance and timelessness. To begin your brainstorming journey, keep these tips in mind.
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Explore the works of the Bard. Shakespeare’s plays feature a wealth of unique and stylish name ideas. To find a name that suits your taste, read through his plays, such as Romeo and Juliet, Othello, King Lear, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, and more.
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Highlight names that resonate with you. While diving into Shakespeare’s many rich stories, jot down your favorite characters and note the names you feel are most intriguing. Don’t worry about the meaning of the names now. You can always refer to them later when you shortlist your options.
Here are a few bold name suggestions based on Shakespeare’s plays:
For girls:
- Cordelia
- Desdemona
- Imogen
- Olivia
For boys:
-
Romeo
-
Orlando
-
Ferdinand
-
Henry
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Consider the romantic nature of Shakespeare’s work. If love and romance are important to you, then delve into the world of Shakespeare’s romantic leads and supporting characters. You may find inspiration from couples like Othello and Desdemona, Romeo and Juliet, or Orlando and Rosalind.
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Pay attention to the play’s themes and tones. Some Shakespearean plays are comedies, while others take a darker, more dramatic turn. By understanding what kind of atmosphere you want your baby’s name to evoke, you can narrow down your selections. For example, Hamlet is a tragedy that features names like Ophelia and Gertrude, while Much Ado About Nothing offers lighter options like Beatrice and Hero.
In the end, take your time reading and exploring Shakespeare’s vast catalog. His enduring legacy provides a treasure trove of elegant and unique baby names. Trust your instincts and enjoy the journey to finding the perfect name for your little one.