Desdemona

Greek

"ill-starred"

Desdemona Origin and Meaning

The name Desdemona is a girl's name of Greek origin meaning "ill-starred".

Desdemona is as Shakespearean as a name can be, but because the beautiful and innocent wife of Othello came to such a tragic end, her name has been avoided for centuries. But at this point in time, there might be some adventurous parents willing to overlook that.

Jeffrey Eugenides used the name for a character in his novel Middlesex.

And for those seeking some celestial cred, Desdemona belongs to the Shakespearean Portia Group of satellites, which also includes Bianca, Cressida, Juliet, Portia, Rosalind, Cupid, Belinda and Perdita.

Desdemona Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 953 on Nameberry

Popularity of the name Desdemona

• 953 Nameberry 2025

20 Names Similar to Desdemona

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Desdemona.

• Drusilla
• Hestia
• Euphemia
• Celestine
• Apollonia
• Artemisia
• Lucretia
• Demeter
• Isidora
• Eurydice
• Florentina
• Eudora
• Titania
• Ginevra
• Swanhilde
• Harmonia
• Hecate
• Araminta
• Narcissa
• Demetria

Famous People Named Desdemona

• Desdemona Fullmer possible plural wife of American Mormon leader Joseph Smith

The name Desdemona in Pop Culture

• "Desdemona" tragic wife in the play Othello by William Shakespeare
• "Desdemona " song by by Gene Anthony Ray in the TV's "Fame"
• "Desdemona " song by British band John's Children
• "Desdemona " play by Toni Morrison
• Desdemona character in the book "The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet" by Erin Dionne
• Desdemona cat character in comic strips "Cicero's Cat" and "Mutt and Jeff," 1907,1945
• Desdemona "Dez " werecat character in comic book "Angel: Aftermath"
• Desdemona moon of Uranus
• Desdemona character in Fallout 4
• "Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet)" play by Ann,Marie MacDonald