Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 7 pages
of 7
Spanish
"of the garden"
Hortensio was derived from the Ancient Roman cognomen Hortensius, as were the more familiar names Hortensia and Hortense. In Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew , Hortensio is a suitor of Bianca.
German
"peaceful warrior"
Humphrey is an old name that might have faded completely were it not for that Bogie flair. A royal name in Britain, where it's used somewhat more frequently, Humphrey might just have some life beyond…
English and French
"supplanter"
Either an alternative spelling of Jacques (ZHAK), the French form of Jack, or a Shakespearean character from As You Like It , pronounced JAY-kwiss.
Ancient Roman, meaning unknown
Coriolanus comes from Corioli, the name of a Volscian city. The Shakespearean play Coriolanus is based on the life of Ancient Roman general Caius Marcius Coriolanus.
Italian
"light"
The origins of Lucentio are a bit hazy — it's possible Shakespeare invented the name for his play The Taming of the Shrew , where Lucentio ends up marrying Bianca. However, it may have been an…
Irish, English
"intoxicating"
An Anglicized form of Medb borrowed by both Shakespeare and Percy Bysshe Shelley for the of queen of the fairies. Perfect if you want something both adventurous and simple - though you could use it…
Literary name
"ill will"
Coined by Shakespeare for the main antagonist in his comedy Twelfth Night , the unfortunate Malvolio’s name literally means "ill will". Incidentally, a peace-loving character in Romeo and Juliet…
Greek
"joy"
This name was used by Shakespeare (who got it from Plutarch) in Antony and Cleopatra for one of the attendants of the Egyptian queen. An interesting possibility, it is heard occasionally in the UK,…
A Shakespearean name used for the wild and witty best friend of Romeo in Romeo and Juliet . A variant of the name, which supposedly derives from Mercurius/Mercury, first appeared in one of…
Literature, French
"pointy hill"
The family name of Shakespeare's Romeo, Montague has a touch of old-fashioned grandeur about it. With clunky-cute nickname Monty and similar sounds to Montgomery, it has been used as a given name…
English
"dead sea"
Other kids might see a teasible connection to mortician or mortuary. Mortimer is an English family name used a few generations ago as an Anglicization of Moses; it was Walt Disney's original choice…
"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,…
Italian variation of Orson
"bearlike"
Orson is being rediscovered and Orsino is every bit as attractive.
Latin
"lost"
A Shakespearean invention for an abandoned baby in The Winter's Tale , Perdita's sense of loss has always been off-putting to parents. But her image was somewhat resuscitated by its association with…
Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese variation of Prosper
"succeed, prosper"
Shakespeare's Tempest has kept the name Prospero alive.
Roderigo is a masculine name with Spanish and Portuguese roots, derived from the Germanic name 'Hrodric,' meaning 'famous ruler' or 'powerful leader.' The name gained literary recognition through…
Shakespearean invented name
"salary"
Shakespeare invented the names Salerio, Solanio, and Salarino for his play The Merchant of Venice . The names are puns on salario , the Italian word for "salary," as each character shows great…
"wood, forest"
With the rise of ancient Roman names, the now-obscure Silvius may be rediscovered. Sleek and silvery, Silvius was the name of several legendary kings and an early saint. It survives in the…
Meaning unknown, possibly from Tomyris, Persian
"family"
Attractive name associated both with a queenly character who meets a very grisly end in Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus and popular teen fantasy novelist Tamora Pierce. Shakespearean puns in the name…
Latin, Roman clan name
One of the few ancient Roman names that doesn't end in us, the rarely heard Tarquin has a decidedly creative, even dramatic flair, which could appeal to the parent looking for a strikingly original…
