Ballet Names

Dulcinea

Spanish

"sweetness"

Miguel de Cervantes invented this elaborate-sounding name -- which roughly translates as "sweetness" -- for the beautiful maiden Don Quixote is obsessed with in his great novel. Even in the fictional…

Felia

Felia is a feminine name with multiple possible origins. It may be a variation of Felia, derived from Latin 'felix' meaning 'happy' or 'fortunate.' Alternatively, it could be related to the Greek…

Tanaquil

Etruscan

"gift of God"

This intriguing name of an ancient Etruscan queen renowned for her prophetic powers was long associated with the prima ballerina Tanaquil LeClerq.

Lise

Diminutive of Elisabeth, Hebrew

"pledged to God"

Lise is most often found in the U.S. as the second half of the hybrid name Annalise. Canadian journalist Lyse Doucet bears a pretty alternative spelling, pronounced LEESE.

Corella

Corella is a feminine name with multiple possible origins. It may be derived from the Latin 'cor' meaning 'heart,' suggesting someone warm-hearted or beloved. Alternatively, it could relate to the…

Claudina

Spanish variation of Claudia, Latin

"lame"

Claudina — a traditional Spanish diminutive of Claudia — was a Top 500 name in Spain for the first half of the 20th century. It never caught on as a given name in the US. At its peak, Claudina was…