Folklore Submitted Names

These names occur in folklore and fairy tales.
gender
usage
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Abricotine f Folklore
Means "apricot-plum" in French. This is the name of a character in Madame d'Aulnoy's fairy tale "The Imp Prince" (1697). Abricotine is a fairy who is the beloved of the protagonist, Léandre.
Aethenoth m Folklore, Pet
Likely a variant or corruption of Æthelnoð. This was the name of the horse of Lady Godiva who rode down the streets of Coventry, England in the nude.
Ainsel f Folklore
Used for a fairy in Thomas Keightley's The Fairy Mythology, released in 1870. Ainsel was a fairy who came down the chimney to play with a little boy.
Ale m Swedish, Old Norse, Folklore
Probably a short form of various Old Norse names, for example Áleifr and Alríkr. Oldest known usage of the name is from a runic inscription from the 9th century.
Allerleirauh f Folklore (Germanized)
Means "all kinds of fur" in German. This is the name of the title character of a fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm. Allerleirauh is a princess who flees from her father, who wants to marry her, and brings three dresses and a coat with all kinds of furs with her... [more]
Anansi m African Mythology, Afro-American Mythology, Folklore
From Akan anansi meaning "spider". In West African and Caribbean folklore, Anansi is a trickster spirit who frequently takes the form of a spider.
Anguillette f Folklore
Means "little eel" in French (a diminutive of French anguille "eel"). This name is borne by the titular character of the fairy tale "Anguillette" (1697) by Henriette-Julie de Murat. Anguillette is a fairy who takes the form of an eel, and is rescued by a princess while in this form.
Aoibheall f Irish Mythology, Folklore
Probably from Old Irish óibell "spark, fire". In Irish legend this is the name of a banshee or goddess who appeared to the Irish king Brian Boru on the eve of the Battle of Clontarf (1014). She is still said to dwell in the fairy mound of Craig Liath in County Clare.
Aradia f Folklore (Italianized, ?)
Allegedly a Tuscan dialectical form of Erodiade. According to 'Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches' (1899), a book composed by American folklorist Charles Leland, she was a goddess in regional Italian folklore, who gave the knowledge of witchcraft to women.
Aschenputtel f Folklore (Germanized)
Means "digging in the ashes" in German. This is the German name for Cinderella used by the Brothers Grimm.
Badoura f Folklore
Alternate name for a princess from the tales for the Arabian Nights, Badroulbadour.
Badroulbadour f Literature, Folklore
From Arabic بدر البدور‎ (Badr ul-Budūr) meaning "full moon of full moons" (see also Budur). This is the name of the princess in the Middle Eastern fairy tale 'Aladdin', one of the tales in the 'Arabian Nights'.
Balanice f Folklore
Meaning unknown. This name appears in the French fairy tale "Rosanella", where it belongs to the queen who is the title character's mother.
Bensiabel m Folklore
Possibly connected to the Italian words ben meaning "well" and bel meaning "nice". In the Italian fairy tale Prunella, he was the benevolent son of the witch, and love interest of Prunella.
Beržas m Lithuanian, Folklore, Popular Culture
Derived from the Lithuanian noun beržas meaning "birch tree". In Lithuanian folklore and popular culture, Beržas is the name of one of the three sons of the titular character of the folk tale Eglė žalčių karalienė, which translates to English as Eglė, the Queen of Serpents.
Betkil m Georgian (Rare), Georgian Mythology, Folklore
Meaning unknown. It is possibly of Svan origin, since Betkil is the name of a tragic protagonist from a Svan folk song.... [more]
Biancabella f Folklore
Combination of Bianca and Italian bella, meaning "white-beautiful" in Italian. This is the name of the title character of the Italian fairy tale Biancabella and the Snake, written by Giovanni Francesco Straparola.
Blanche-Neige f Folklore (Gallicized)
Combination of Blanche and Neige, used as a French translation of Snow White.
Blondine f Literature, Folklore, Haitian Creole, Yiddish
From a diminutive of French blonde meaning "fair-haired". This is the name of two characters in Madame d'Aulnoy's fairy tales: Belle-Etoile's mother in Princess Belle-Etoile (whose sisters are named Roussette and Brunette) and a minor character in The Imp Prince... [more]
Borëbardha f Folklore
Variant of Borbardha. This is the Albanian cognate of Schneewittchen.
Bruin m Dutch (Rare), English (Rare, ?), Folklore
Dutch form of Bruno. It coincides with the Dutch word for "brown". This was also the name of the bear in medieval fables of Reynard the Fox.
Cendroseta f Folklore
Provençal form of Cinderella.
Cenerentola f Folklore
Italian form of Cinderella, derived from Italian cenere meaning "cinder".
Cenicienta f Folklore
Spanish form of Cinderella.
Chinchara m Georgian (Archaic), Folklore
Derived from the Georgian noun ჭინჭარი (chinchari) meaning "stinging nettle" (genus Urtica).... [more]
Ciccu m Sicilian (Rare), Folklore, Literature
Possibly a Sicilian diminutive of Francesco. This name is borne by the titular character of the Sicilian fairy tale 'The Story of Ciccu'. Ciccu is a young man who obtains a magic coverlet, purse, and horn from fairies, and later enters the service of a greedy king, whom he outwits and later gains his throne after the king's death... [more]
Cleolinda f Folklore
Possibly a contracted form of Cleodolinda, which is of uncertain meaning. This is the name of the princess in some medieval Italian versions of the legend of Saint George and the dragon. (Saint George rescues Princess Cleolinda from being sacrificed to a dragon by taming the dragon and then killing it in exchange for the kingdom's conversion to Christianity.) This is also the pen name of Cleolinda Jones (1978-), an American blogger and author.
Cormoran m Folklore, Literature
Name of a legendary giant in Cornish folklore; he appears in the fairy tale 'Jack the Giant Killer'. The name was also used for the main character, Cormoran Strike, in 'The Cuckoo's Calling' (2013) by Robert Galbraith (J... [more]
Cristalda f Folklore, Popular Culture
A dithematic name formed from the Greek name element christos "anointed" and the Germanic name element wald "to rule".... [more]
Doornroosje f Folklore, Literature
Dutch calque of Dornröschen. It consists of the Dutch words doorn meaning "thorn" and roos meaning "rose" combined with the Dutch diminutive suffix -je.
Doruntina f Albanian, Folklore
This name is best known as that of the heroine in the Albanian legend and ballad Kostandini dhe Doruntina (Constantin and Doruntine in English).
Duimelijntje f Folklore
Dutch form of Thumbelina, which is derived from Dutch duim meaning "thumb" combined with the Dutch diminutive suffixes -lijn and -tje.
Elegast m Germanic Mythology, Literature, Folklore
Albi "elf" + gastiz "spirit". Elegast is the hero and noble robber in the 'Karel ende Elegast', a Medieval Dutch epic poem.
Fertram m Icelandic (Rare), Folklore, Literature
Meaning uncertain, perhaps an invented name based on Ferdinand and Bertram. It occurs in the fairy tale Sagan af Fertram og Ísól björtu (which translates to English as The story of Fertram and bright Ísól) and in the 17th-century epic poem Rímur af Fertram og Plató.
Finette f Literature, Folklore, Haitian Creole
This is the main character in the French fairy tale Finette Cendron by Madame d'Aulnoy, about a clever girl named Fine-Oreille, which means "sharp ear" or "delicate ear", who is called Finette... [more]
Flokarta f Folklore
Derived from Albanian flokartë meaning "golden haired", Flokarta dhe Tre Arinjtë is the Albanian title of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
Floripes f Portuguese (Brazilian), Spanish (Philippines, Rare), Folklore
Derived from Portuguese and Spanish flor "flower".
Gerakina f Greek, Folklore
From the Greek word for the common buzzard (species Buteo buteo), a bird native to mainland Europe, which is derived from a diminutive of Ancient Greek ἱέραξ (hierax) meaning "hawk, falcon" (see Hierax)... [more]
Gothel f Literature, Popular Culture, Folklore
Gothel is a Hessian dialect word meaning "godmother". ... [more]
Hagbard m Medieval Scandinavian, Norse Mythology, Folklore, Danish (Rare), Swedish (Rare)
Modern form of Hagbarðr or Hagabert. Hagbard (Hagbarðr) was a legendary Scandinavian sea-king mentioned in several Norse sagas... [more]
Hagbarðr m Old Norse, Norse Mythology, Folklore
Combination of the Germanic elements hag "enclosure" and barta "little axe". Hagbarðr was a legendary Scandinavian sea-king mentioned in several Norse sagas. The tragic legend of him and his lover Signý in Scandinavian folklore remained popular until late 17th century.
Herne m Literature, Folklore
Herne the Hunter is a ghost first mentioned in Shakespeare's play "The Merry Wives of Windsor".
Hófehérke f Folklore
Hungarian name meaning "snow white". This is a literal translation of the German literary name Schneewittchen (earlier Sneewittchen), and was probably first used as a borrowing from the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm.
Hyacinthia f Folklore
Variant of Hyacintha used by Andrew Lang for a character in his version of the Russian fairy tale King Kojata. It also coincides with the name of an ancient Spartan festival that celebrated the death of Hyacinthus.
Indrid m Popular Culture, Folklore
Indrid Cold is the name of a being originating in North American folklore, whose appearance usually coincides with sightings of UFOs or other cryptids.
Isengrim m Literature, Folklore, Germanic
A variant form of Isangrim. This is the name of a wolf found in many medieval stories, most notably in the French folktale of Reynard the Fox. The author J. R. R. Tolkien used it as a hobbit name in 'The Lord of the Rings' (1954).
Jonay m Spanish (Canarian), Folklore
Taken from Garajonay, a Canarian place name of Guanche origin. According to a local legend, Gara and Jonay were a pair of young Guanche lovers who died together in a joint suicide at Garajonay peak, the highest mountain on the Canarian island of La Gomera... [more]
Jugemu m Folklore, Japanese Mythology
Means "limitless life", from Japanese 寿 (ju) meaning "age; years", 限 (ge) meaning "limit" and 無 (mu) meaning "none". This is only the initial part of a ridiculously long name in a humorous rakugo story of a couple who could not decide on a name for their infant son, which resulted in the father being suggested several names by a Buddhist priest... [more]
Kasperl m Medieval German, Folklore, Theatre
Diminutive of Kasper. This name fell out of use a long time ago, possibly due to close association with the famous character from German puppet theatre. In this day and age, the name only survives as a patronymic surname.
Konkia f Georgian, Folklore, Literature, Popular Culture
Georgian form of Cinderella. It is derived from the Georgian word კონკები (konkebi) meaning "rags".... [more]
Kopciuszek f Folklore
Means "black redstart" in Polish - the black redstart being a type of small bird. This is the Polish name of the fairy tale character Cinderella. It is not used as a given name in Poland.
Krabat m Folklore, German (Modern, Rare), Literature, Sorbian
Krabat is derived from the Sorbian word for "Croat". He is a legendary figure in Sorbian folklore and the hero of Otfried Preußler's novel 'Krabat'. ... [more]
Krampus m Folklore
Either derived from Bavarian krampn meaning "dead, rotten", or else from German krampen meaning "claw". This is the name of a half-goat, half-demon monster that punishes misbehaving children at Christmastime, according to central European folklore.
Locika f Folklore
From the Czech word for the Lactuca plant (lettuce). This is the Czech name for Rapunzel (the fairy tale character). This isn't a personal name in Czech.
Lumisirkku f Folklore
Means "snow bunting (a type of bird)" in Finnish, composed of lumi "snow" (see Lumi) and sirkku "bunting" (referring to a bird of the genus Emberiza; see Sirkku)... [more]
Lutine f Folklore
The name of a type of female imp in French folklore, by extension meaning "the tormentress", derived from nuiton (probably altered to resemble luitier "to fight"), from netun (influenced by nuit "night"), itself ultimately from Neptune.
Mahsuri f Malay, Folklore
From Malay maha meaning "great" and suri meaning "queen". This is the name of a legendary woman from the Malaysian island of Langkawi who was executed for adultery.
Maleen f German, Hunsrik, Folklore
German short form of Magdalene and Hunsrik form of the related name Marlene.... [more]
Malin Kundang m Indonesian, Folklore
From the folklore that is originated from West Sumatra, Indonesia. In the story, it is said that he was an ungrateful son who did not acknowledge his own mother, which made her curse her own son into a rock... [more]
Marlinchen f Folklore (Anglicized)
This name is used in the English translation of the Grimm Fairytale "The Juniper Tree". In the Low German original, the girl is named Marleenken. In the fairytale, Marlinchen gathers her brother's bones after he has been eaten by their father, and buries them under the Juniper tree.
Mignolina f Folklore
The other Italian name form Thumbelina
Mindia m Georgian, Folklore, Literature
Basically means "I wanted you", derived from Georgian მინდია (mindia) or მინდოდა (mindoda) meaning "I wanted". This name literally refers to the fact that the child in question was desired by its parents.... [more]
Mirliflor m Folklore
Derived from French mirliflore meaning "dandy". This is the name of a prince in the fairy tale 'Rosanella'. He is known for his inconstancy.
Mjallhvít f Folklore, Icelandic (Rare)
Derived from Old Norse mjǫll meaning "fresh, powdery snow" and hvítr meaning "white" (also see Mjǫll and Hvít)... [more]
Much m Folklore
In the tales about the famous heroic outlaw Robin Hood, Much the Miller's Son was one of his Merry Men. In his case, Much is a nickname which he received because his abilities were apparently so unimpressive that it caused his parents to continually refer to him as "our son, though he's not much", which was ultimately shortened to Much.
Mutine f Folklore
Original form of Mutinosa.
Mutinosa f Folklore
Derived from French mutin meaning "mischievous". This is the name of an evil princess in the fairy tale "An Impossible Enchantment" by the Comte de Caylus. (Mutinosa is the name used in Andrew Lang's translation; Mutine is her name in the original French version.)
Myrsina f Folklore
Variant of Myrsine. This is the main character in the Greek fairy tale Myrsina, which was collected by Georgios A. Megas in his Folktales of Greece (1970).
Nicnevin f Celtic Mythology, Folklore
From the Scottish surname Neachneohain meaning "daughter(s) of the divine". ... [more]
Norcia f Folklore
Norcia is a female leprechaun in Tuscan folklore. Her name is a corruption of the Etruscan goddess Nortia.
Onnolee f Folklore, Literature, English (American, Archaic)
According to legend, Onnolee was the last survivor of the Munsee nation, which dwelt on the west shore of Canadice lake and near Bald Hill (in the Finger Lakes region, New York) during the latter part of the fourteenth century, and met their death by the hands of the Mengnees; all except Onnolee, who was taken, bound to the belt of the famous leader, Mickinac, and compelled to follow him... [more]
Oureana f Medieval Portuguese, Folklore
Variant of Ouroana. In 1158, a Christian knight, Gonçalo Hermigues and his companions kidnapped a Moorish princess named Fatima... [more]
Paribanou f Folklore
Composed of Persian پری‎ (pari) "fairy" and بانو‎ (bânu) "lady". This is the name of a female genie in the 'Arabian Nights' fairy tale 'The Story of Prince Ahmed and the Fairy Paribanou'.
Pelenė f Folklore
Lithuanian form of Cinderella.
Pepelka f Folklore
Slovenian form of Cinderella.
Philonice f Ancient Greek (Latinized), Folklore
Latinized form of the Greek name Φιλονίκη (Philonike), derived from φίλος (philos) meaning "friend, lover" and νίκη (nike) meaning "victory" (related to the Greek noun φιλονικία (philonikia) meaning "love of victory, rivalry" and the Greek verb φιλονικέω (philonikeo) meaning "to be fond of victory, to engage in rivalry")... [more]
Pipkia f Georgian (Rare), Folklore, Literature, Popular Culture
Derived from the Georgian noun ფიფქი (pipki) meaning "snowflake". Pipkia is also the Georgian name for Snow White.
Pollicina f Folklore
This name is one of the two Italian forms of Thumbelina (the other is Mignolina). It is derived from Italian pollice meaning "thumb" combined with the Italian feminine diminutive suffix -ina... [more]
Raiponce f Folklore (Gallicized)
French cognate of Rapunzel. This is used as the French name for the fairy tale character.
Rampion f Folklore
In some versions of Rapunzel, Rapunzel's name is Rampion, after the lettuce her father stole.
Roro Jonggrang f Javanese, Indonesian, Folklore
From the name of a princess that is featured in a Central Javanese folklore, Roro Jonggrang. The story tells about the betrayal of the princess which broke the prince's love (Bandung Bondowoso)... [more]
Roro Kidul f Javanese, Sundanese, Balinese, Folklore, Indonesian Mythology
From the name of the goddess Nyi Roro Kidul. Her name could mean "beautiful girl" (if the name is written as L/Rara Kidul) or "the sick one" (if the name is written as L/Roro Kidul). The term Nyi or Nyai is used as a term for a woman that is older than the caller... [more]
Rosanella f Folklore (Anglicized)
From the French name Rosanie, which is probably an elaboration of Rose. This is the titular character of the French fairy tale 'Rosanella'... [more]
Rosanie f Folklore
Probably an elaboration of Rose. This is the name of a princess in the fairy tale 'Ricdin-Ricdon' by Marie-Jeanne L'Héritier. It was also used by the Comte de Caylus for the titular princess in his fairy tale 'Rosanie' (usually known in English as 'Rosanella').
Rosaspina f Folklore (Italianized)
From Italian rosa meaning "rose" and spina "thorn, spine", used as a translation of German Dornröschen, the title character of a Brothers Grimm fairy tale (known as Briar Rose in English).
Rosenrot f Folklore, German (Modern, Rare)
German form of Rose Red, used in the fairy tale 'Snow White and Rose Red' by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm.
Rose Red f Folklore
English translation of German Rosenrot. This name was featured on the German fairy tale Snow-White and Rose-Red by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm.
Roszpunka f Folklore
Polish name for Rapunzel, which is taken from their word for corn salad, also known as the Valerianella plant. This is also how the original German Rapunzel is named... [more]
Rougarou m Folklore
The name of a werewolf-like creature in Laurentian French. It is derived from standard French loup garou "werewolf" (where loup means "wolf" and garou is a borrowed word from Germanic were-wolf via Frankish garulf).
Ruusunen f Folklore
Derived from Finnish ruusu meaning "rose" and the diminutive suffix -nen. This is the Finnish name for Briar Rose, or Sleeping Beauty. This is not a given name in Finland, but is occasionally found as a surname.
Saurimonda f Folklore, Medieval Occitan
From Old Occitan saur "blond" and mond "world". This is the name of an evil entity who manifested herself as a girl with fair hair and blue eyes.
Schneeweißchen f Folklore (Germanized)
Means "snow white" in High German, thus a cognate of Schneewittchen. This is the name of a peasant girl in the traditional German folktale "Snow-White and Rose-Red" or "The Ungrateful Dwarf".
Sebile f Arthurian Romance, Folklore
Variant of Sybil. In Arthurian legend and Italian folklore, Sebile is a queen or princess often portrayed as a fairy or enchantress.
Sgàthach f Folklore
Scottish Gaelic form of Scáthach.
Shulgan m Folklore
Theorised to be derived from Chinese 水 (shuǐ) meaning "water" combined with 龍 (lóng) meaning "dragon" and 王 (wáng) "king". In Bashkir and Turkic folklore, Shulgan is the mythical ruler of an underwater realm... [more]
Sinterklaas m Folklore
The name comes from Sint en Nicolaas or Klaas.
Sneeuwwitje f Folklore, Literature
Dutch calque of Schneewittchen. It consists of the Dutch words sneeuw meaning "snow" and wit meaning "white" combined with the Dutch diminutive suffix -je.
Sneewittken f Folklore (Germanized)
Original Low German form of Schneewittchen.
Snegurka f Folklore
This is the name of the popular Russian fairy tale character Snegurochka "The Snow Maiden". The name comes from Russian снег (sneg) which means "snow".
Snegurochka f Folklore
Diminutive of Snegurka.... [more]
Snøhvit f Folklore
Norwegian form of Snow White.
Snövit f Swedish (Modern, Rare), Folklore
Used as a Swedish translation of the name of the fairy tale character Snow White (Schneewittchen), from Swedish snö "snow" and vit "white".
Tähkäpää f Folklore
From Finnish tähkä meaning "ear of grain", and pää meaning "head". It is the Finnish name for Rapunzel and not used as a given name in Finland.
Tannakin f Folklore, Literature
Tannakin Skinker is a pig-faced woman in A Certaine Relation of the Hog-faced Gentlewoman called Mistris Tannakin Skinker, a 1640 chapbook.
Þyrnirós f Folklore
Means "burnet rose" (literally "thorn-rose") in Icelandic. This is used as the Icelandic name for the fairy tale character Sleeping Beauty, being the Icelandic translation of German Dornröschen, the title character of a Brothers Grimm fairy tale (known as Briar Rose in English).
Ti-jean m Folklore, Antillean Creole (Rare), Louisiana Creole (Rare), French (Cajun, Rare)
Derived from Cajun French ''petit-Jean'' meaning "little Jean". This is the name of a stock character in fairy tales from francophone areas in the Americas such as Quebec, Louisiana, Martinique, and Guadeloupe.
Timun Mas f Indonesian, Folklore
Means "golden cucumber", ultimately derived from Indonesian words ketimun meaning "cucumber" and emas meaning "gold".... [more]
Torghva m Georgian (Rare), Folklore
Meaning unknown. In Georgian folklore, this is the name of a Khevsur hero from the village of Mutso in the historical Georgian province of Khevsureti.
Trahlyta f Cherokee (?), New World Mythology (?), Folklore
The name of a legendary Cherokee princess.
Udea f Folklore
This is the name of the protagonist of the North African fairy tale "Udea and her Seven Brothers".... [more]
Uosis m Lithuanian, Folklore, Popular Culture
Derived from the Lithuanian noun uosis meaning "ash tree". In Lithuanian folklore and popular culture, Uosis is the name of one of the three sons of the titular character of the folk tale Eglė žalčių karalienė, which translates to English as Eglė, the Queen of Serpents.
Upik Abu f Indonesian (?), Folklore
Indonesian form of Cinderella. Etymologically, Upik is a term of endearment to call a young girl, and Abu is an Indonesian word meaning "cinder, ash"... [more]
Veslefrikk m Literature, Folklore
Means "little Frikk" from Norwegian vesle "little" combined with the name Frikk. This is the main character in the Norwegian folktale Veslefrikk med fela, which translates to English as Little Freddie with his Fiddle.
Viribunda f Folklore
From a Swedish fairy tale by Anna Maria Roos 'Prins Florestan eller sagan om jätten Bam-Bam och feen Viribunda' "Prince Florestan or the saga of he giant Bam Bam and the fairy Viribunda" that inspired Astrid Lindgren's novel 'Mio, my son'.... [more]
Wassilissa f Folklore
German transcription of Vasilisa.... [more]
Zelinda f Italian (Rare), Hungarian (Rare), Folklore
Supposedly an Italian form of Selinde, itself a German variant of Sieglinde, as well as a Hungarian borrowing of this name... [more]
Žilvinas m Lithuanian, Folklore, Popular Culture
Derived from either the old Lithuanian noun žilvis meaning "child, offspring" as well as "offshoot, sprout", or from old Lithuanian želvys meaning "unripe, immature, young". In Lithuanian folklore and popular culture, Žilvinas is the name of the husband of the titular character of the folk tale Eglė žalčių karalienė, which translates to English as Eglė, the Queen of Serpents.
Zlatovláska f Folklore
This is used as the Russian and Czech form of Goldilocks.