Names That Mean Queen
Queen names give a little girl a crown from day one. The best known is Latin Regina, which became Reina in Spanish and Reine in French, but nearly every culture has its own: Sanskrit Rani, Arabic Malika, Hebrew Malka, Greek Basilissa, Turkish Melike and Irish Riona.
Here are 90+ names that mean queen, along with regal names meaning princess, crown or majesty, and the names of famous queens from history and legend. For more royal inspiration, see our queen names from real monarchies, princess names and names that mean king, or browse all name meanings.
Names that mean queen in European languages
Latin regina is the parent of most Western queen names. See more in our Irish girl names and Latin girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Regina | Queen | Latin |
| Reina | Queen | Spanish |
| Reyna | Queen (Spanish variant, popular in Mexico) | Spanish |
| Reine | Queen | French |
| Régine | Queen (French form of Regina) | French |
| Reinette | Little queen | French |
| Gina | Short for Regina (also for Georgina, Luigina) | Italian |
| Queen | The English title, used as a given name since the 1800s | English |
| Queenie | Pet form of Queen; a Victorian favorite | English |
| Basilissa | Queen, empress | Greek |
| Vasilisa | Queen; heroine of Russian fairy tales | Russian |
| Czarina | Empress; title of Russian rulers’ wives | Russian |
| Riona | Queenly (from Ríonach) | Irish |
| Rhiannon | Great queen, divine queen (from <em>Rigantona</em>) | Welsh |
Names that mean queen around the world
From India to West Africa, these names translate directly as queen. Find more in Indian girl names and Arabic girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Rani | Queen | Sanskrit, Hindi |
| Maharani | Great queen | Sanskrit |
| Rajni | Queen | Sanskrit |
| Rajeshwari | Sovereign queen; an epithet of the goddess | Sanskrit |
| Bhuvaneshwari | Queen of the world; a form of the goddess | Sanskrit |
| Arasi | Queen; often in compounds like Tamilarasi | Tamil |
| Malka | Queen | Hebrew |
| Milcah | Queen; wife of Nahor (Genesis 11) | Hebrew |
| Malika | Queen | Arabic |
| Malekeh | Queen (Persian form of Malika) | Persian |
| Melike | Queen | Turkish |
| Sultana | Female sultan, queen | Arabic, Turkish |
| Sultan | Ruler; used as a girl’s name in Turkey | Turkish |
| Shahbanu | Queen, empress (Iranian royal title) | Persian |
| Khatun | Queen, noblewoman | Turkic, Mongolian |
| Begum | Lady, queen | Urdu, Turkic |
| Malkia | Queen | Swahili |
| Ohemaa | Queen mother | Akan (Ghana) |
| Ayaba | Queen, wife of the king | Yoruba |
| Candace | From <em>Kandake</em>, title of the queens of ancient Kush | Nubian (Meroitic) |
Regal names meaning princess, crown and majesty
Not quite “queen,” but every bit as royal. For a full list, browse our royal baby names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Augusta | Venerable, majestic; title of Roman empresses | Latin |
| Basilia | Royal, queenly | Greek |
| Regan | Little king; a daughter in <em>King Lear</em> | Irish |
| Sarah | Princess | Hebrew |
| Amira | Princess, leader | Arabic |
| Banu | Lady, princess | Persian, Turkish |
| Khanum | Lady, noblewoman | Persian, Turkic |
| Rajkumari | Princess | Sanskrit |
| Himeko | Princess child (姫子) | Japanese |
| Alii | Royalty, chiefly class | Hawaiian |
| Atara | Crown | Hebrew |
| Ateret | Crown | Hebrew |
| Taj | Crown | Arabic, Persian |
| Stephanie | Crown, garland | Greek |
| Corona | Crown | Latin |
| Tiara | A jeweled crown | English |
| Royal | Of the monarchy | English |
| Majesty | Royal dignity | English |
| Reign | A monarch’s rule | English |
| Empress | A female emperor | English |
| Princess | Daughter of a monarch | English |
| Duchess | Wife of a duke, or ruler of a duchy | English |
| Contessa | Countess | Italian |
Names of famous queens from history
These names don’t mean “queen,” but they’ve been worn by some of history’s most powerful women. Our queen names list goes deeper, and Egyptian girl names include more pharaohs’ wives.
| Name | Famous queen | Why she’s remembered |
|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth | Elizabeth I and Elizabeth II of England | Two of the longest and most celebrated reigns |
| Victoria | Queen Victoria | Gave her name to an entire era |
| Cleopatra | Cleopatra VII of Egypt | Last active ruler of Ptolemaic Egypt |
| Nefertiti | Great Royal Wife of Akhenaten | Famous painted bust; name means “the beautiful one has come” |
| Hatshepsut | Female pharaoh of Egypt | Ruled as king for about two decades |
| Esther | Queen of Persia in the Book of Esther | Saved her people from destruction |
| Isabella | Isabella I of Castile | Unified Spain with Ferdinand |
| Catherine | Catherine the Great of Russia | Expanded and modernized the empire |
| Eleanor | Eleanor of Aquitaine | Queen of both France and England |
| Mary | Mary, Queen of Scots | Dramatic life and tragic end |
| Anne | Queen Anne of Great Britain | First monarch of Great Britain |
| Charlotte | Queen Charlotte, wife of George III | Patron of music and botany |
| Matilda | Empress Matilda | Fought for the English throne |
| Boudica | Queen of the Iceni | Led a revolt against Rome |
| Zenobia | Queen of Palmyra | Challenged the Roman Empire |
| Makeda | Queen of Sheba in Ethiopian tradition | Legendary visitor of King Solomon |
| Nzinga | Queen of Ndongo and Matamba (Angola) | Resisted Portuguese colonization |
| Liliuokalani | Last monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom | Composer of “Aloha ʻOe” |
| Theodora | Byzantine empress, wife of Justinian | Powerful co-ruler |
| Josephine | Empress Joséphine of France | Wife of Napoleon |
| Farah | Farah Pahlavi, last Shahbanu of Iran | Patron of the arts |
| Noor | Queen Noor of Jordan | Humanitarian work |
| Margaret | St. Margaret of Scotland | Queen and saint |
| Alexandra | Alexandra Feodorovna, last Tsarina | Wife of Nicholas II |
Queens of myth, legend and literature
Goddess queens, fairy queens and legendary rulers. More in goddess names and fairy names.
| Name | Who she is | Tradition |
|---|---|---|
| Hera | Queen of the Olympian gods | Greek |
| Juno | Queen of the Roman gods | Roman |
| Frigg | Queen of Asgard, wife of Odin | Norse |
| Persephone | Queen of the underworld | Greek |
| Isis | Great mother goddess; her name means “throne” | Egyptian |
| Titania | Queen of the fairies in <em>A Midsummer Night’s Dream</em> | Shakespeare |
| Mab | Fairy queen described in <em>Romeo and Juliet</em> | English folklore |
| Guinevere | Queen of King Arthur | Arthurian legend |
| Maeve | Medb, warrior queen of Connacht | Irish myth |
| Dido | Founding queen of Carthage | Roman legend |
| Hippolyta | Queen of the Amazons | Greek |
How to choose a queen name
- Decide between literal and legendary. Regina and Rani say “queen” outright; Victoria or Eleanor hint at it through history.
- Consider nicknames. Regina gives Gina or Reggie; Rhiannon gives Rhi; Alexandra gives Lexi.
- Use a regal name in the middle. Queen names shine as middle names: Lily Regina, Ava Reign.
- Balance power with softness. Pair a grand name with something gentle from names that mean flower or names that mean beautiful.
- Check the story. Cleopatra, Boudica and Mary, Queen of Scots all had dramatic endings — part of their appeal for some parents.
Frequently asked questions
What name means queen?
Regina (Latin), Reina (Spanish), Reine (French), Rani (Sanskrit), Malika (Arabic), Malka (Hebrew), Melike (Turkish), Basilissa (Greek), Riona (Irish) and Malkia (Swahili) all mean queen.
What Hebrew name means queen?
Malka means queen in Hebrew, and Milcah, the biblical wife of Nahor, comes from the same root. Esther is the Bible’s most famous queen, though her name likely means “star.”
Does Quinn mean queen?
No. Quinn comes from the Irish surname Ó Cuinn, usually interpreted as “wisdom” or “chief.” The similarity to “queen” is only in the sound.
What name means queen of the world?
Bhuvaneshwari is Sanskrit for “queen of the world,” an epithet of the Hindu goddess.
What Welsh name means queen?
Rhiannon is thought to come from the Celtic goddess name Rigantona, meaning “great queen” or “divine queen.”