Renaissance Names
The Renaissance, roughly the 14th to early 17th century, gave us Leonardo, Lucrezia, Isabella d’Este and Shakespeare’s Rosalind. Humanist scholars revived classical Greek and Latin names, artists signed works with elegant Italian given names, and Tudor England added its own distinctive mix.
Below are more than 100 Renaissance names with meanings and a real person or character who carried each one. They are perfect for Renaissance faire personas, historical fiction and baby names with an artistic streak. For the centuries on either side, see our medieval names and Puritan names, and for Italy today try our Italian names.
Italian Renaissance girl names
Names from the courts of Florence, Ferrara, Mantua and Rome. More modern options live in our Italian girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Famous bearer |
|---|---|---|
| Lucrezia | From the Roman family Lucretius | Lucrezia Borgia |
| Isabella | Pledged to God | Isabella d’Este, patron of the arts |
| Beatrice | She who brings happiness | Beatrice d’Este; Dante’s Beatrice |
| Caterina | Pure (traditional reading) | Caterina Sforza |
| Bianca | White | Bianca Maria Sforza |
| Simonetta | She who hears | Simonetta Vespucci, Botticelli’s muse |
| Clarice | Bright, clear | Clarice Orsini, wife of Lorenzo de’ Medici |
| Ginevra | Italian form of Guinevere; also juniper | Ginevra de’ Benci, painted by Leonardo |
| Vittoria | Victory | Vittoria Colonna, poet |
| Lisa | Short for Elisabetta | Lisa Gherardini, the Mona Lisa |
| Artemisia | Of Artemis | Artemisia Gentileschi, painter |
| Sofonisba | From Sophonisba of Carthage | Sofonisba Anguissola, painter |
| Veronica | True image or bringer of victory | Veronica Franco, poet |
| Costanza | Steadfast | Costanza Bonarelli, Bernini’s muse |
| Lavinia | Of Lavinium | Lavinia Fontana, painter |
| Giulia | Youthful | Giulia Farnese |
| Ippolita | Freer of horses | Ippolita Maria Sforza |
| Laura | Laurel | Petrarch’s Laura |
| Lucia | Light | Common Florentine name |
| Maddalena | Of Magdala | Maddalena Doni, painted by Raphael |
| Isotta | Italian form of Isolde | Isotta degli Atti of Rimini |
Italian Renaissance boy names
The names of artists, princes, bankers and philosophers. Browse Italian boy names for contemporary favorites.
| Name | Meaning | Famous bearer |
|---|---|---|
| Leonardo | Brave lion | Leonardo da Vinci |
| Michelangelo | Michael + angel | Michelangelo Buonarroti |
| Raffaello | God has healed | Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio) |
| Sandro | Defender of men (short for Alessandro) | Sandro Botticelli |
| Lorenzo | From Laurentum; laurel | Lorenzo de’ Medici, “the Magnificent” |
| Cosimo | Order, beauty (Greek kosmos) | Cosimo de’ Medici |
| Niccolò | Victory of the people | Niccolò Machiavelli |
| Donatello | Little gift | Donatello, sculptor |
| Filippo | Lover of horses | Filippo Brunelleschi |
| Galileo | From Galilee | Galileo Galilei |
| Cesare | Roman title Caesar | Cesare Borgia |
| Giuliano | Youthful | Giuliano de’ Medici |
| Baldassare | Protect the king (form of Balthazar) | Baldassare Castiglione |
| Ludovico | Famous warrior | Ludovico Sforza, “il Moro” |
| Federico | Peaceful ruler | Federico da Montefeltro |
| Tiziano | From the Roman name Titianus | Titian |
| Giotto | Short form, possibly of Ambrogiotto | Giotto di Bondone |
| Masaccio | Clumsy Tom (nickname) | Masaccio, painter |
| Piero | Stone (form of Peter) | Piero della Francesca |
| Pico | Family name, possibly “woodpecker” | Giovanni Pico della Mirandola |
| Ercole | Italian form of Hercules | Ercole d’Este |
| Benvenuto | Welcome | Benvenuto Cellini, goldsmith |
Tudor and Elizabethan English names
England’s Renaissance names, found in court records and parish registers under Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.
| Name | Meaning | Famous bearer |
|---|---|---|
| Katherine | Pure (traditional reading) | Katherine Parr |
| Jane | God is gracious | Jane Seymour |
| Anne | Grace | Anne Boleyn |
| Margery | Pearl | Common Tudor name |
| Frances | Free man, Frenchman | Frances Brandon |
| Mary | Beloved or bitter | Mary Tudor |
| Bess | Pet form of Elizabeth | Bess of Hardwick |
| Amy | Beloved | Amy Robsart |
| Lettice | Joy (from Laetitia) | Lettice Knollys |
| Arbella | Possibly from Annabel or orabilis, “yielding to prayer” | Lady Arbella Stuart |
| Thomas | Twin | Thomas More; Thomas Cromwell |
| Walter | Army ruler | Sir Walter Raleigh |
| Francis | Frenchman, free | Sir Francis Drake |
| Edmund | Rich protector | Edmund Spenser |
| Philip | Lover of horses | Sir Philip Sidney |
| Christopher | Christ-bearer | Christopher Marlowe |
| Robert | Bright fame | Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester |
| Ambrose | Immortal | Ambrose Dudley |
| Nicholas | Victory of the people | Nicholas Hilliard, miniaturist |
| Humphrey | Peaceful warrior | Humphrey Gilbert |
| Tobias | God is good | Tobias Matthew, archbishop of York |
Shakespearean names
William Shakespeare coined or popularized dozens of names; Miranda, Jessica and Olivia owe much of their fame to him.
| Name | Meaning | Play |
|---|---|---|
| Rosalind | Horse + gentle (Germanic), later “pretty rose” | As You Like It |
| Viola | Violet | Twelfth Night |
| Olivia | Olive tree | Twelfth Night |
| Orsino | Little bear | Twelfth Night |
| Portia | From the Roman family Porcius | The Merchant of Venice |
| Jessica | Possibly from Hebrew Iscah, “to behold” | The Merchant of Venice |
| Miranda | Worthy of admiration (Latin) | The Tempest |
| Ferdinand | Journey + brave | The Tempest |
| Perdita | Lost | The Winter’s Tale |
| Imogen | Possibly from Celtic Innogen, “maiden” | Cymbeline |
| Hermia | Of Hermes | A Midsummer Night’s Dream |
| Lysander | Liberator | A Midsummer Night’s Dream |
| Titania | Of the Titans | A Midsummer Night’s Dream |
| Ophelia | Help (Greek) | Hamlet |
| Horatio | From the Roman family Horatius | Hamlet |
| Cordelia | Possibly heart (Latin cor) | King Lear |
| Benedick | Blessed | Much Ado About Nothing |
| Juliet | Youthful | Romeo and Juliet |
| Mercutio | Of Mercury | Romeo and Juliet |
| Desdemona | Ill-fated (Greek) | Othello |
| Sebastian | Venerable | Twelfth Night |
| Helena | Torch, light | All’s Well That Ends Well |
French and Spanish Renaissance names
Names from the Valois court and Golden Age Spain, from Rabelais to Cervantes. See our French names for more.
| Name | Meaning | Famous bearer |
|---|---|---|
| Marguerite | Pearl | Marguerite de Navarre, writer |
| Diane | Divine (Diana) | Diane de Poitiers |
| Claude | Lame (Latin Claudius) | Claude of France, queen |
| Gabrielle | God is my strength | Gabrielle d’Estrées |
| Louise | Famous warrior | Louise Labé, poet |
| François | Frenchman | François Rabelais; King François I |
| Michel | Who is like God? | Michel de Montaigne |
| Pierre | Stone | Pierre de Ronsard, poet |
| Teresa | Possibly “harvester” | Teresa of Ávila |
| Juana | God is gracious | Juana Inés de la Cruz (early Baroque) |
| Miguel | Who is like God? | Miguel de Cervantes |
| Lope | Wolf | Lope de Vega |
| Rodrigo | Famous ruler | Rodrigo Borgia (Pope Alexander VI) |
| Inés | Pure, holy | Inés de Castro |
| Íñigo | Possibly from Basque Eneko | Íñigo (Ignatius) of Loyola |
How to choose a Renaissance name
- For a faire persona, build a full title. Combine a given name, a place and an epithet: Lady Ginevra of Mantua or Master Tobias the Glover.
- Pick the right country. Italian names like Lucrezia or Cosimo feel sunny and artistic; Tudor names like Lettice or Ambrose feel wood-paneled and English.
- Borrow from art history. Artists’ names (Leonardo, Raffaello, Sandro, Artemisia) are recognizable yet distinctive as baby names.
- Use Shakespeare for easy wins. Viola, Imogen, Orsino and Benedick feel fresh while remaining familiar. For more, see elegant girl names.
- Mind the spelling. Italian names have soft consonants (Ginevra = jee-NEV-ra, Cesare = CHEH-za-reh). Decide whether you want the original or an anglicized form.
Frequently asked questions
What were common names in the Renaissance?
In Italy, Giovanni, Antonio, Francesco, Caterina, Lucia and Maria were very common. In Tudor England, John, Thomas, William, Elizabeth, Anne, Margaret and Jane dominated.
What is a good Renaissance faire name?
Pick a period first name plus a trade or place: Lady Beatrice of Ferrara, Master Walter Fletcher or Mistress Lettice Thorne work well at faires.
Which names did Shakespeare invent?
Shakespeare is often credited with popularizing or coining Miranda, Jessica, Olivia (as a given name), Imogen (possibly a misprint of Innogen) and Perdita.
What are Renaissance boy names?
Leonardo, Lorenzo, Cosimo, Raffaello, Niccolò, Sebastian, Francis, Walter, Tobias and Benedick all have strong Renaissance roots.