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Much Ado About Nothing
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About this list
The names
Margaret
Greek
"pearl"
Margaret is derived from the French Marguerite, which in turn came from Margarita, the Latin form of the Greek Margarites. Margarites was based on the Old Persian word margārīta , meaning "pearl."…
Antonio
Spanish and Italian variation of Anthony
"from Antium"
Antonio is a Shakespearean favorite -- the Bard used it in no less than five of his plays, and has long been a ubiquitous classic in Spanish-speaking countries, where the nickname Tonio is also…
Francis
Latin
"Frenchman or free man"
Since this was the name chosen by the late Roman Catholic pope in 2013, Francis has come into the spotlight. The name, which was in the Top 10 at the turn of the last century, has been pretty much…
Beatrice
Latin
"she who brings happiness; blessed"
Beatrice is back. Stored in the attic for almost a century, the lovely Beatrice with its long literary (Shakespeare, Dante) and royal history is being looked at with fresh eyes by parents seeking a…
Balthazar
Phoenician
"Baal protects the King"
This evocative name of one of the Three Wise Men of the Orient, also spelled Balthasar, may finally be ready for prime time. Balthazar, Melchior and Caspar were the Magi who brought gifts of gold,…
Benedick
Variation of Benedict, Latin
"blessed"
Stick with the original.
Borachio
Claudio
Italian, Spanish
"lame; enclosure"
Claudio, a most appealing Italian name, is featured in not one, but two Shakespearean plays, , Measure for Measure and Much Ado About Nothing . While "lame" is the most widely acknowledged meaning,…
Conrade
Conrade is a masculine name with Germanic roots, stemming from 'kuoni' meaning 'brave' and 'rad' meaning 'counsel' or 'advisor.' This historical name represents a bold counselor or wise advisor.…
Dogberry
Don John
Don Pedro
Hero
Greek
"demi-god"
Despite the possibility of gender confusion, the Hero in Greek myth was a woman. Myleene Klass got that when she chose Hero for her daughter, and Sam Taylor-Wood and Aaron Johnson used it as their…
Leonato
Ursula
Latin
"little female bear"
A saint's name with a noteworthy literary background, including uses by Shakespeare in Two Gentlemen of Verona and Much Ado About Nothing , by Ben Johnson, Walter Scott, Longfellow, D. H. Lawrence…
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