Princess Names
Every era has its princess names. Victorian parents chose Alice and Louise after Queen Victoria’s daughters; today, Charlotte, Aurora and Elsa owe some of their popularity to a real royal and a pair of animated heroines. A princess name can be as classic as Margaret or as whimsical as Buttercup.
This list covers more than 90 princess names: animated movie heroines, real princesses from today’s royal families, historical princesses, fairy-tale and legendary figures, and names that literally mean “princess.” If you want something grander, see our queen names, or browse royal baby names and the princes’ side in royal boy names.
Princess names from animated movies
The heroines of beloved animated films have turned many of these names into modern favorites. Names are listed for inspiration only; they belong to their respective studios and stories.
| Name | Story | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Aurora | Sleeping Beauty (1959) | Latin, “dawn”; now a top-10 US name |
| Ariel | The Little Mermaid (1989) | Hebrew, “lion of God” |
| Belle | Beauty and the Beast (1991) | French, “beautiful” |
| Jasmine | Aladdin (1992) | Persian, the jasmine flower |
| Mulan | Mulan (1998) | Chinese, “magnolia” |
| Tiana | The Princess and the Frog (2009) | Possibly from Tatiana |
| Rapunzel | Tangled (2010) and the Grimm tale | German, a type of lettuce (rampion) |
| Merida | Brave (2012) | Scottish-flavored invented name |
| Anna | Frozen (2013) | Hebrew, “grace” |
| Elsa | Frozen (2013) | Short for Elisabeth, “God is my oath” |
| Moana | Moana (2016) | Hawaiian/Māori, “ocean” |
| Raya | Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) | Possibly “friend” (Hebrew) or “great” (Malay) |
| Ella | Cinderella (2015 live-action) | Germanic, “all, completely” |
| Giselle | Enchanted (2007) | Germanic, “pledge” |
| Kida | Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) | Short for Kidagakash |
| Eilonwy | The Black Cauldron (1985) | Welsh-inspired, from Lloyd Alexander’s books |
| Fiona | Shrek (2001) | Scottish, “fair, white” |
| Vanellope | Wreck-It Ralph (2012) | Invented, a play on vanilla and Penelope |
Names of real princesses today
Today’s royal families are full of beautiful names, many of them chosen to honor earlier kings and queens.
| Name | Royal namesake | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | Princess Charlotte of Wales (UK) | “Free person” |
| Catherine | Catherine, Princess of Wales (UK) | Usually read as “pure” |
| Diana | Diana, Princess of Wales (UK) | Roman goddess of the moon |
| Anne | Anne, Princess Royal (UK) | “Grace” |
| Margaret | Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (UK) | “Pearl” |
| Beatrice | Princess Beatrice of York (UK) | “She who brings happiness” |
| Eugenie | Princess Eugenie of York (UK) | “Well-born” |
| Lilibet | Princess Lilibet of Sussex (UK) | Queen Elizabeth II’s childhood nickname |
| Leonor | Leonor, Princess of Asturias (Spain) | Spanish form of Eleanor |
| Sofía | Infanta Sofía of Spain | “Wisdom” |
| Amalia | Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange (Netherlands) | “Work, industrious” |
| Alexia | Princess Alexia of the Netherlands | “Defender” |
| Ariane | Princess Ariane of the Netherlands | French form of Ariadne, “most holy” |
| Victoria | Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden | “Victory” |
| Estelle | Princess Estelle of Sweden | “Star” |
| Madeleine | Princess Madeleine of Sweden | “Woman from Magdala” |
| Ingrid | Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway | “Ing is beautiful” |
| Elisabeth | Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant (Belgium) | “God is my oath” |
| Eléonore | Princess Eléonore of Belgium | French form of Eleanor |
| Isabella | Princess Isabella of Denmark | “Pledged to God” |
| Josephine | Princess Josephine of Denmark | “God will increase” |
| Aiko | Princess Aiko of Japan | “Love child” |
| Mako | Mako Komuro, formerly Princess Mako of Japan | “True child” (depending on kanji) |
| Gabriella | Princess Gabriella of Monaco | “God is my strength” |
| Caroline | Princess Caroline of Hanover (Monaco) | “Free person” |
| Grace | Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco | “Grace, goodwill” |
| Charlene | Charlene, Princess of Monaco | Feminine of Charles |
Historical princess names
Real princesses from history, from the Romanov grand duchesses to Hawaii’s last crown princess.
| Name | Who she was | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Anastasia | Grand Duchess of Russia, youngest daughter of Nicholas II | “Resurrection” |
| Olga | Eldest Romanov grand duchess | “Blessed, holy” |
| Tatiana | Romanov grand duchess and wartime nurse | From the Roman name Tatius |
| Maria | Third Romanov daughter | Latin form of Miriam |
| Matilda | Empress Matilda, daughter of Henry I of England | “Mighty in battle” |
| Alice | Princess Alice, daughter of Queen Victoria | “Noble” |
| Louise | Princess Louise, sculptor and daughter of Queen Victoria | “Famous warrior” |
| Helena | Princess Helena, daughter of Queen Victoria | “Torch, light” |
| Mary | Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry VII and briefly queen of France | Latin form of Miriam |
| Alexandra | Alexandra of Denmark, Princess of Wales, later queen | “Defender of the people” |
| Marina | Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, Duchess of Kent | “Of the sea” |
| Sophia | Sophia of Hanover, heir to the British throne | “Wisdom” |
| Kaʻiulani | Crown princess and heir to the Hawaiian throne | “The royal sacred one” |
| Pocahontas | Daughter of the Powhatan paramount chief; also called Matoaka | “Playful one” |
| Clotilde | Frankish queen and saint, born a Burgundian princess | “Famous in battle” |
Fairy tale, legend and opera princess names
Storybook and stage princesses offer some of the most romantic names of all. Several come from Greek myth; our mythology girl names has many more, and fairy names continue the enchanted theme.
| Name | Where she appears | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Odette | Swan Lake, Tchaikovsky’s ballet | The enchanted swan princess |
| Aida | Verdi’s opera Aida | An Ethiopian princess in Egypt |
| Buttercup | The Princess Bride | Sweet and playful |
| Leia | Star Wars | Princess of Alderaan |
| Zelda | The Legend of Zelda games | Short for Griselda, “grey battle” |
| Peach | Super Mario games | Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom |
| Ozma | L. Frank Baum’s Oz books | The rightful ruler of Oz |
| Kaguya | The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter | Japanese moon princess |
| Iseult | Tristan and Iseult | Irish princess of Arthurian legend |
| Andromeda | Greek myth | Princess rescued by Perseus |
| Ariadne | Greek myth | Cretan princess of the labyrinth |
| Nausicaa | Homer’s Odyssey | Princess who helps shipwrecked Odysseus |
| Cassandra | Greek myth | Trojan princess and prophetess |
| Briar Rose | Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty | The princess’s name in the German tale |
| Elaine | Arthurian legend | Daughter of the Fisher King, mother of Galahad |
| Snow | Snow White | For a winter baby |
Girl names that mean princess
If you want the meaning, not just the vibe, these names mean princess, queen, lady or royal. See also names that mean queen.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Sarah | “Princess” | Hebrew |
| Sadie | Pet form of Sarah, “princess” | Hebrew |
| Sarai | “My princess,” Sarah’s original name (Genesis 17) | Hebrew |
| Sally | Pet form of Sarah | English |
| Amira | “Princess” | Arabic |
| Almira | “Princess” or “exalted” | Arabic |
| Kumari | “Princess, young girl” | Sanskrit |
| Rani | “Queen” | Sanskrit / Hindi |
| Regina | “Queen” | Latin |
| Reina | “Queen” | Spanish |
| Rhiannon | “Great queen” | Welsh |
| Malika | “Queen” | Arabic |
| Queenie | Pet name meaning “queen” | English |
| Basilia | “Royal, queenly” | Greek |
| Donna | “Lady” | Italian |
| Martha | “Lady, mistress of the house” | Aramaic |
| Reagan | “Little king” or “impulsive” | Irish |
Tips for choosing a princess name
- Pick the name, not the character. Aurora, Belle and Ella work as everyday names; Rapunzel or Vanellope make better pet names or nicknames.
- Look to real royals for classics. Royal families favor timeless names like Charlotte, Margaret and Josephine that age gracefully.
- Think about the full story. Some legendary princesses, like Cassandra and Iseult, have tragic tales, which is part of their charm for some parents.
- Choose a meaning. If you love the idea but not the sparkle, Sarah and Sadie quietly mean “princess.”
- Balance with a grounded middle name. A fanciful first name like Odette pairs nicely with Odette Anne or Odette Claire. Our middle names for girls can help.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular princess name?
Aurora, Charlotte, Isabella and Ariel are among the most-used princess-related names in the US today, with Aurora ranking especially high in recent SSA data.
What name means princess?
Sarah is the classic name meaning princess in Hebrew. Sadie, Sarai and Sally come from it, and Amira and Kumari also mean princess in Arabic and Sanskrit.
What are the names of the Disney princesses?
The official lineup includes Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, Moana and Raya. Anna and Elsa of Frozen are also beloved princess characters.
What are some rare princess names?
Eilonwy, Ozma, Kaguya, Nausicaa, Ariane, Eléonore and Kaʻiulani are unusual in the US while still having real royal or storybook roots.
What was Princess Diana’s full name?
Diana, Princess of Wales, was born Diana Frances Spencer in 1961. Her name, from the Roman goddess of the moon and hunt, surged in popularity after her 1981 wedding.