The Gems and Jewels of Shakespeare Names Pt. One

I love Shakespeare. Yes, call me weird, call me a nerd, but I just love it. The Elizabethan language, the way the words flow unlike any other piece of English literature, and of course, the names. Of course we have Juliet and Ophelia and the like, the famous ones. But my very favorites are the lesser known ones. But I will cover both categories. Note: These will be girls names, as I am not as fond of the Shakespearean guys.

First of all, unrelated to his plays, the names in his family are quite nice too. They include wife Anne, and daughters Susanna and Judith.

And now, his plays:

All’s Well That Ends Well

Helena

Diana

Mariana

Violenta (I’m not sure if I actually like this, but I like that it’s distinctive.

As You Like It

Rosalind

Celia

Phebe

Audrey

The Comedy of Errors

Emilia

Adriana

Luciana

Luce, or sometimes Nell

Measure for Measure

Isabella

Mariana (again)

Juliet

Love’s Labour’s Lost

Rosaline

Maria

Katharine

Jaquenetta

The Merchant of Venice

Portia

Nerissa

Jessica (I only like this because it’s from one of my favorite plays.)

Much Ado About Nothing

Hero (I would use it as a nn for Hermione)

Beatrice

Margaret

Ursula

Innogen

Pericles, Prince of Tyre

Dionyza

Thaisa

Marina

Diana

Leonine

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Hippolyta (again, distinctive)

Hermia

Helena

Titania

The Taming of the Shrew

Katharina (Kate)

Bianca

The Tempest

Miranda

Ariel (although it’s a genderless spirit in the play)

Iris

Ceres

Juno

**Though for this play, I must mention how much I LOVE Prospero for a boy.

Twelfth Night

Viola

Olivia

Maria

The Two Gentlemen of Verona

Silvia

Julia

Lucetta (my all time favorite Shakespearean girl name!)

The Winter’s Tale

Hermione

Perdita

Paulina

Emilia

Mopsa (I only like this because it’s fun and cute, not as an actual name)

Dorcas

So, that’s it for today. Tomorrow will be part two, the tragedies as today was the comedies. Note: I left out two plays; The Merry Wives of Windsor and The Two Noble Kinsmen, because they didn’t have any names that weren’t already mentioned.

—Lucy

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