This week in names, we have good ol’ Billy Shakespeare as inspiration. Below you’ll find some very familiar names (Jessica, Julia, Joan), some unfamiliar names (Trinculo, Thurio, Thallard) and names that, well, only a writer could love (Froth, Moth, Dogberry…and Dull). Shakespeare set his plays in England, Scotland, Wales, Spain, France, Italy, Denmark, Greece and Fantasy Land thus there are names from several languages. Unfortunately Billy wrote a lot more male characters than female characters, perhaps a good thing considering that at the time women were not allowed to be actors. Less fake boobs to stuff I suppose if there aren’t many girls. But since nowadays actresses take centre stage, I thought we’d give the female characters their due and allow them to go first. A little tip, if you really like a name, do a little research into the character. You don’t want your child to be unwittingly stuck with a villain or other unseemly character’s name.

Girls

A: Adriana, Aemila, Alexas, Alice, Andromache, Anna, Ariel, Audrey

B: Beatrice, Bianca, Blanch, Bona

C: Calphurnia, Cassandra, Celia, Ceres, Charmian, Cleopatra, Constance, Cordelia, Cressida

D: Desdemona, Diana, Diomedes, Dionyza, Doll, Dorcas

E: Eleanor, Elinor, Elizabeth, Emilia, Emilia

F: Francisca

G: Gertrude, Goneril

H: Hecate, Helen, Helena, Hermia, Hermione, Hero, Hippolyta

I: Imogen, Iras, Iris, Isabel, Isabella

J: Jaquenetta, Jessica, Joan, Julia, Juliet, Juno

K: Katharine, Katherina

L: Lavinia, Luce, Lucetta, Luciana, Lychorida

M: Mardian, Margaret, Margery, Maria, Mariana, Mariana, Marina, Miranda, Mopsa

N: Nerissa

O: Octavia, Olivia, Ophelia

P: Patience, Paulina, Perdita, Phebe, Phrynia, Portia

R: Regan, Rosalind, Rosaline

S: Seleucus, Silvia

T: Tamora, Thaisa, Timandra, Titania

U: Ursula

V: Valeria, Viola, Violenta, Virgilia, Volumnia

Boys

A: Aaron, Abergavenny, Abhorson, Abraham, Adam, Adrian, Adrian, Adriano, Aegeon, Aemil, Aemilius, Aeneas, Agrippa, Alarbus, Alcibiades, Alexander, Alexas, Alonso, Amiens, Andrew, Angelo, Angelo, Angus, Antenor, Anthony, Antigonus, Antiochus, Antipholus, Antonio, Apemantus, Archibald, Archidamus, Artemidorus, Arthur, Arviragus, Autolycus

B: Bagot, Balthazar, Banquo, Baptista, Bardolph, Barnardine, Bassanio, Basset, Bassianus, Bates, Beaufort,  Belarius, Benedick, Benvolio, Berkeley, Bernardo, Berowne, Bertram, Biondello, Borachio, Bottom, Boult, Bourchier, Boyet, Brabantio, Brandon, Bushy

C: Cadwell, Caithness, Caius, Calchas, Caliban, Camillo, Campeius, Canidius, Caphis, Capucius, Casca, Cassio, Cassius, Cato, Cerimon, Charles, Chatillon, Chiron Christopher, Cicero, Cinna, Claudio, Claudius, Cleomenes, Cleon, Clifford, Clitus, Cloten, Cominius, Conrade, Corin, Cornelius, Cornelius, Costard, Court, Cranmer, Cromwell, Curan, Curio, Curtis, Cymbeline

D: Dardanius, Davy, Decius, Deiphobus, Demetrius, Dennis, Dercetas, Dick, Dion, Dogberry, Dolabella, Domitius, Donalbain, Dromio, Dull, Dumain, Duncan

E: Edgar, Edmund, Egeus, Eglamour, Elbow, Eros, Escalus, Escalus, Escanes, Euphronius

F: Fabian, Fang, Ferdinand, Ferdinand, Feste, Fitzwater, Flaminius, Flavius, Fleance, Florizel, Fluellen, Flute, Ford, Fortinbras, Francis, Francisco, Frederick, Froth

G: Gadshill, Gallus, Gardiner, George, Gobbo, Gonzalo, Gower, Grandpre, Gratiano, Green, Gregory, Gremio, Griffith, Grumio, Guiderius, Guildenstern

H: Hamlet, Hastings, Hector, Helenus, Helicanus, Henry, Holofernes, Horatio, Hortensio, Hortensius, Hubert, Hugh, Humphrey

I: Iachimo, Iago

J: Jack, James, Jamy, Jaques, John, Julius, Junius

L: Laertes, Lafeu, Launce, Launcelot, Lavache, Lawrence, Le Beau, Lear, Lennox, Leonardo, Leonato, Leonatus, Leonine, Leontes, Lewis, Ligarius, Lodovico, Longaville, Lorenzo, Louis, Lovell, Lucentio, Lucilius, Lucio, Lucius, Lucullus, Lymoges, Lysander, Lysimachus

M: Maecenas, Malcolm, Malvolio, Mamillius, Marcade, Marcellus, Marcius, Marcus, Margarelon, Mark Antony, Marshal, Martius, Marullus, Matthew, Melun, Menas, Menecrates, Menenius, Menteith, Mercutio, Messala, Metellus, Michael, Montano, Montjoy, Morgan, Moth, Mutius

N: Nathaniel, Nicanor, Nicholas, Nym

O: Oberon, Octavius, Octavius, Oliver, Orlando, Orsino, Osric, Oswald, Othello, Owen

P: Pandulph, Panthino, Paris, Parolles, Pericles, Pertruchio, Peter, Peto, Philario, Philemon, Philip, Philo, Philostrate, Philotus, Pierce, Pinch, Pindarus, Pisanio, Pistol, Poins, Polixenes, Polonius, Polydore, Pompey, Popilius, Posthumus, Priam, Proculeius, Prospero, Proteus, Provost, Publius, Puck

Q: Quince, Quintus

R: Ralph, Rambures, Reigner, Reynaldo, Richard, Robert, Robin, Roderigo, Roger, Romeo, Rosencrantz, Ross, Rugby

S: Salerio, Sampson, Sandys, Saturninus, Saunder, Say, Scales, Scarus, Scroop, Sebastian, Sempronius, Servilius, Sextus, Seyton, Shallow, Shylock, Sicinius, Silence, Silius, Silvus, Simon, Simonides, Simple, Siward, Slender, Sly, Smith, Snare, Snout, Snug, Solanio, Solinus, Speed, Stafford, Stanley, Starveling, Stephano, Stephen, Strato

T: Taurus, Thallard, Theseus, Thomas, Thurio, Thyreus, Timon, Titinius, Titus, Toby, Touchstone, Tranio, Trebonius, Tressel, Trinculo, Trolius, Tubal, Tullus, Tybalt

V: Valentine, Varrius, Varro, Vaux, Vencentio, Ventidius, Ventidius, Verges, Vernon, Vincentio, Voltemand, Volumnius

W: Walter, William, Willoughby, Wolsey, Woodville

And the “Gender Ambiguous” Characters…

Cobweb, Cupid, Moth, Mustardseed, Peaseblossom, Rumour, Time

-Danica Longair