Queen Names
A queen’s name carries centuries of power, scandal and legend. This collection brings together more than 100 queen names borne by real royal women, from Hatshepsut and Cleopatra to Elizabeth I, Isabella of Castile and Liliʻuokalani of Hawaii, with the meaning of each name and the queen who made it famous.
They work beautifully as regal baby names, character names for novels and games, or names for a proud cat or mare. Want a gentler royal touch? Try our princess names or names that mean queen. And every queen needs a consort, so browse our king names too.
English and British queen names
Queens regnant and queens consort of England and the United Kingdom. Several, like Charlotte and Victoria, went on to become everyday baby names.
| Name | Famous queen | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth | Elizabeth I; Elizabeth II | God is my oath (Hebrew) |
| Victoria | Queen Victoria (r. 1837–1901) | Victory (Latin) |
| Mary | Mary I; Mary II | Possibly “beloved” or “bitter” (Hebrew) |
| Anne | Queen Anne (r. 1702–1714) | Grace, favor (Hebrew) |
| Matilda | Empress Matilda, claimant 1141 | Mighty in battle (Germanic) |
| Eleanor | Eleanor of Aquitaine; Eleanor of Castile | Possibly “the other Aenor” (Occitan) |
| Catherine | Catherine of Aragon; Catherine Parr | Of uncertain Greek origin, linked to “pure” |
| Jane | Jane Seymour; Lady Jane Grey | God is gracious (Hebrew) |
| Charlotte | Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz | Free (feminine of Charles, Germanic) |
| Caroline | Caroline of Ansbach | Free (Germanic) |
| Adelaide | Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen | Noble kind (Germanic) |
| Alexandra | Alexandra of Denmark | Defender of the people (Greek) |
| Philippa | Philippa of Hainault | Lover of horses (Greek) |
| Margaret | Margaret of Anjou | Pearl (Greek) |
| Isabella | Isabella of France, “She-Wolf of France” | Pledged to God (Hebrew via Spanish) |
| Emma | Emma of Normandy | Whole, universal (Germanic) |
| Edith | Edith of Wessex | Rich in war (Old English) |
| Camilla | Queen Camilla (crowned 2023) | Attendant at religious rites (Latin) |
| Henrietta | Henrietta Maria of France | Ruler of the home (Germanic) |
| Berengaria | Berengaria of Navarre | Bear spear (Germanic) |
| Maud | Maud of Wales, queen of Norway | Mighty in battle (Norman form of Matilda) |
| Ælfgifu | Ælfgifu of Northampton | Elf gift (Old English) |
European queen names
From Spain to Scandinavia, these queens shaped nations. For the Nordic side, see our female Viking names.
| Name | Famous queen | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Isabel | Isabella I of Castile | Pledged to God (Hebrew) |
| Marie Antoinette | Queen of France, executed 1793 | Marie: beloved; Antoine: Roman family name |
| Maria Theresa | Habsburg ruler of Austria and Hungary | Theresa: possibly “harvester” (Greek) |
| Christina | Christina of Sweden | Follower of Christ (Latin) |
| Margrethe | Margaret I of Denmark; Margrethe II | Pearl (Danish form) |
| Wilhelmina | Wilhelmina of the Netherlands | Will-helmet, protection (Germanic) |
| Juliana | Juliana of the Netherlands | Youthful (Latin) |
| Beatrix | Beatrix of the Netherlands | She who brings happiness (Latin) |
| Louise | Louise of Prussia | Famous warrior (Germanic) |
| Blanche | Blanche of Castile | White (French) |
| Joanna | Joanna of Castile, “the Mad” | God is gracious (Hebrew) |
| Jadwiga | Jadwiga of Poland | Battle + fight (Polish form of Hedwig) |
| Tamar | Tamar of Georgia | Date palm (Hebrew) |
| Olga | Saint Olga of Kiev | Holy, blessed (Old Norse Helga) |
| Sophia | Sophia Charlotte of Prussia | Wisdom (Greek) |
| Ingrid | Ingrid of Sweden, queen of Denmark | Beautiful (Old Norse) |
| Ekaterina | Catherine the Great of Russia | Russian form of Catherine |
| Sisi | Empress Elisabeth of Austria | Pet form of Elisabeth |
| Anna | Anna of Kiev, queen of France | Grace (Hebrew) |
| Eugénie | Empress Eugénie of France | Well-born (Greek) |
| Josephine | Empress Joséphine | God will add (Hebrew) |
| Urraca | Urraca of León and Castile | Magpie (Spanish) |
| Yolande | Yolande of Aragon | Possibly from Violante, “violet” |
| Margot | Marguerite de Valois, “Queen Margot” | Pet form of Marguerite |
| Clotilde | Saint Clotilde, queen of the Franks | Famous battle (Germanic) |
| Brunhilda | Brunhilda of Austrasia | Armor + battle (Germanic) |
| Hortense | Hortense de Beauharnais, queen of Holland | Garden (Latin) |
| Letizia | Queen Letizia of Spain | Joy (Italian/Spanish) |
| Silvia | Queen Silvia of Sweden | Of the forest (Latin) |
| Mathilde | Queen Mathilde of Belgium | Mighty in battle (French form) |
| Sonja | Queen Sonja of Norway | Wisdom (Slavic form of Sophia) |
| Máxima | Queen Máxima of the Netherlands | Greatest (Latin) |
Ancient queen names
Rulers and royal wives of Egypt, the Near East, Greece and Celtic Britain. More in our ancient Egyptian names and ancient names.
| Name | Famous queen | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Cleopatra | Cleopatra VII of Egypt | Glory of the father (Greek) |
| Nefertiti | Wife of Akhenaten | The beautiful one has come (Egyptian) |
| Hatshepsut | Female pharaoh, 15th c. BC | Foremost of noble women (Egyptian) |
| Nefertari | Great royal wife of Ramesses II | Beautiful companion (Egyptian) |
| Ahmose | Queen Ahmose, mother of Hatshepsut | The moon is born (Egyptian) |
| Tiye | Great royal wife of Amenhotep III | Uncertain Egyptian |
| Arsinoe | Arsinoe II of Egypt | Possibly “raising the mind” (Greek) |
| Berenice | Berenice II of Egypt | Bringer of victory (Greek) |
| Semiramis | Legendary queen of Assyria | Uncertain; linked to Sammu-ramat |
| Zenobia | Queen of Palmyra | Possibly “life of Zeus” (Greek form) |
| Artemisia | Artemisia I of Caria | Of Artemis (Greek) |
| Boudica | Queen of the Iceni | Victory (Brittonic) |
| Cartimandua | Queen of the Brigantes | Possibly “sleek pony” (Brittonic) |
| Esther | Biblical queen of Persia (Book of Esther) | Star (Persian) |
| Jezebel | Queen of Israel (1 Kings 16) | Possibly “where is the prince?” (Hebrew) |
| Dido | Legendary founder-queen of Carthage | Possibly “wanderer” |
| Olympias | Mother of Alexander the Great | Of Olympus (Greek) |
| Theodora | Byzantine empress, wife of Justinian | Gift of God (Greek) |
| Irene | Byzantine empress Irene of Athens | Peace (Greek) |
| Amanirenas | Kandake of Kush who fought Rome | Meroitic royal name |
Queen names from Asia, Africa, the Americas and the Pacific
Remarkable queens from beyond Europe, each with a story worth knowing.
| Name | Famous queen | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Liliʻuokalani | Last queen of the Hawaiian Kingdom | Royal lily or smarting of the royal ones (Hawaiian) |
| Kaʻahumanu | Queen regent of Hawaii | The feather cloak (Hawaiian) |
| Nzinga | Queen Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba | Possibly “to twist” (Kimbundu) |
| Amina | Queen Amina of Zazzau | Trustworthy (Arabic) |
| Yaa Asantewaa | Asante queen mother and war leader | Yaa: born on Thursday (Akan) |
| Ranavalona | Ranavalona I of Madagascar | Folded or held-in-reserve (Malagasy) |
| Taytu | Empress Taytu Betul of Ethiopia | Uncertain Amharic |
| Makeda | Ethiopian tradition’s Queen of Sheba | Uncertain Ge’ez |
| Seondeok | Queen Seondeok of Silla, Korea | Good virtue (Sino-Korean) |
| Himiko | Shaman-queen of Yamatai, Japan | Sun child or sun princess (Japanese) |
| Suiko | Empress Suiko of Japan | Imperial posthumous name |
| Wu Zetian | Only empress regnant of China | Zetian: “following heaven” |
| Lakshmibai | Rani of Jhansi | Lakshmi, goddess of fortune (Sanskrit) |
| Ahilyabai | Ahilyabai Holkar of Malwa | Ahilya, heroine of the Ramayana |
| Rudrama | Rudrama Devi of the Kakatiya dynasty | Of Rudra (Sanskrit) |
| Anacaona | Taíno cacica of Xaragua | Golden flower (Taíno) |
| Salote | Queen Sālote Tupou III of Tonga | Tongan form of Charlotte |
Names that mean queen
Not every regal name needs a famous owner. These names literally mean queen, lady or princess; see our full list of names that mean queen.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Regina | Queen | Latin |
| Reina | Queen | Spanish |
| Rani | Queen | Sanskrit |
| Malika | Queen | Arabic |
| Basilia | Royal, queenly | Greek |
| Rhiannon | Great queen | Welsh |
| Ríona | Queenly | Irish |
| Sarai | Princess | Hebrew |
| Queenie | Little queen | English nickname |
| Malkah | Queen | Hebrew |
| Sultana | Female sovereign | Arabic / Turkish |
| Maharani | Great queen | Sanskrit |
How to choose a queen name
- Know the backstory. Jezebel and Ranavalona were powerful but controversial; Victoria and Esther carry warmer associations. Read up before you commit.
- Go with a regal nickname. Elizabeth gives Libby or Eliza, Alexandra gives Sasha or Lexi, Theodora gives Teddie. The full name keeps its crown.
- Mix eras for character names. A fantasy queen named Zenobia or Seondeok instantly feels older and grander than one named Jessica. Pair it with one of our kingdom names.
- For pets, go big. A tiny dog named Cleopatra or a mare named Boudica is a joke that never gets old. See our female horse names for more.
- Check pronunciation. Liliʻuokalani is lee-LEE-oo-oh-kah-LAH-nee; Nzinga is n-ZING-ga. Getting it right honors the woman behind the name.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most famous queen names?
Elizabeth, Victoria, Cleopatra, Isabella, Mary, Catherine, Eleanor and Nefertiti are among the most recognized queen names worldwide.
What name means queen?
Regina (Latin), Reina (Spanish), Rani (Sanskrit), Malika (Arabic) and Rhiannon (Welsh, “great queen”) all carry the meaning queen.
What is the difference between a queen regnant and a queen consort?
A queen regnant rules in her own right, like Elizabeth II or Isabella I of Castile. A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king, like Charlotte or Camilla.
Who was the longest-reigning queen?
Elizabeth II reigned for 70 years and 214 days (1952–2022), the longest of any British monarch and of any female head of state.
Are queen names good baby names?
Many are. Charlotte, Victoria, Eleanor, Isabella and Adelaide are well-loved baby names that feel classic rather than showy.