199 Shakespearean names for your dramatic baby

A Shakespeare baby name may be the perfect pick for lovers of literature. While Romeo and Juliet surely come to mind when considering Shakespeare baby names, the playwright's many wonderful works are rich with characters and names from which to choose.

Romeo and Juliet, however, are popular picks, despite their tragic end. Unlike many characters' names in Shakespeare's plays, both rank in the top 300 most popular baby names, according to the Social Security Administration. Romeo is number 293, and rising in popularity in recent years. Juliet is 292, and also on the rise. But the most popular Shakespeare baby name is William, both the playwright's first name and a character in As You Like It. It ranks at number 10 among the most popular baby names for boys.

If you're looking for a Shakespearean baby name that's a little less ... obvious, there are plenty to pick from. Try Cassius or Hector for a boy, or Octavia or Valeria for a girl. While there is some conflict among scholars about whether he wrote 37 or 38 plays, there's no question the characters — and their names — are rich with personality.

Namer beware, of course: Before you fall in love with a Shakepearean name, it's a good idea to read the play first, or at least the Cliff Notes, to make sure you're not giving your sweet baby a villain's name.

The helpful website "No Sweat Shakespeare" has listed every male and female name from Shakespeare's plays. There are 124 boy names and 75 names for girls. See the list of names below as well as the play each is associated with.

Shakespeare names for boys

1. Aaron — (Titus Andronicus)
2. Abram — (Romeo and Juliet)
3. Achilles — (Troilus and Cressida)
4. Adam — (As You Like It)
5. Adrian — (Coriolanus, The Tempest)
6. Ajax — (Troilus and Cressida)
7. Albany — (King Lear)
8. Alexander — (Troilus and Cressida)
9. Alexas — (Antony and Cleopatra)
10. Alonso — (The Tempest)
11. Angelo — (The Comedy of Errors, Measure for Measure)
12. Antonio — (The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Twelfth Night, The Merchant of Venice, The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing)
13. Aragon — (The Merchant of Venice)
14. Arthur — (King John)
15. Balthasar — (The Comedy of Errors, The Merchant of Venice, Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing)
16. Barnardo — (Hamlet)
17. Bartholomew — (The Taming of the Shrew)
18. Benedick — (Much Ado About Nothing)
19. Benvolio — (Romeo and Juliet)
20. Berri — (Henry V)
21. Bertram — (All’s Well That Ends Well)
22. Brandon — (Henry VIII)
23. Caius — (Julius Caesar, Titus Andronicus)
24. Caliban — (The Tempest)
25. Caesar — (Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra)
26. Camillo — (The Winter’s Tale)
27. Cassio — (Othello)
28. Cassius — (Julius Caesar)
29. Cato — (Julius Caesar)
30. Cesario — (Twelfth Night)
31. Charles — (As You Like It)
32. Cicero — (Julius Caesar)
33. Clarence — (Richard III, 2 Henry IV/Henry V)
34. Claudio — (Much Ado About Nothing, Measure for Measure)
35. Claudius — (Julius Caesar)
36. Corin — (As You Like It)
37. Cornelius — (Hamlet, Cymbeline)
38. Curan — (King Lear)
39. Curtis — (The Taming of the Shrew)
40. Davy — (Henry IV)
41. Decius — (Julius Caesar)
42. Demetrius — (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Titus Andronicus, Antony and Cleopatra)
43. Dennis — (As You Like It)
44. Derby — (Richard III)
45. Diomedes — (Troilus and Cressida, Antony and Cleopatra)
46. Donalbain — (Macbeth)
47. Douglas — (Henry IV)
48. Duncan — (Macbeth)
49. Edgar — (King Lear)
50. Edmund — (King Lear)
51. Edward — (Henry VI/Richard III)
52. Egeon — (The Comedy of Errors)
53. Emmanuel — (Henry VI)
54. Fabian — (Twelfth Night)
55. Fenton — (Merry Wives of Windsor)
56. Ferdinand — (The Tempest, Love’s Labour’s Lost)
57. Francis — (Henry IV)
58. Francisco — (Hamlet, The Tempest)
59. Frederick — (As You Like It)
60. George — (Henry VI)
61. Gonzalo — (The Tempest)
62. Gregory — (Romeo and Juliet)
63. Griffith — (Henry VIII)
64. Hamlet — (Hamlet)
65. Hector — (Troilus and Cressida)
66. Henry — (King John, Henry IV, Henry VIII, Henry VI, Henry V)
67. Hubert — (King John)
68. Iago — (Othello)
69. Jamy — (Henry V)
70. Jaques — (As You Like It)
71. John — (King John)
72. Joseph — (The Taming of the Shrew)
73. Justice — (Measure for Measure)
74. Laertes — (Hamlet)
75. Lance — (The Two Gentlemen of Verona)
76. Launcelot — (The Merchant of Venice)
77. Lennox — (Macbeth)
78. Leonardo — (The Merchant of Venice)
79. Lincoln — (Henry VIII)
80. Lorenzo — (The Merchant of Venice)
81. Lucio — (Measure for Measure)
82. Lucius — (Julius Caesar, Titus Andronicus, Timon of Athens)
83. Lysander — (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
84. Macbeth — (Macbeth)
85. Malcolm — (Macbeth)
86. Marcellus — (Hamlet)
87. Mercutio — (Romeo and Juliet)
88. Michael — (Henry VI, Henry IV)
89. Morgan — (Cymbeline)
90. Mortimer — (Henry VI)
91. Morton — (Henry IV)
92. Oberon — (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
93. Octavius — (Julius Caesar)
94. Oliver — (As You Like It)
95. Orlando — (As You Like It)
96. Orsino (12th Night)
97. Oswald — (King Lear)
98. Othello — (Othello)
99. Paris — (Romeo and Juliet, Troilus and Cressida)
100. Peter — (Henry VI Part 2, Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew)
101. Petruchio — (Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew)
102. Philip — (The Taming of the Shrew, King John)
103. Philo — (Antony and Cleopatra)
104. Prospero — (The Tempest)
105. Puck — (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
106. Reynaldo — (Hamlet, All’s Well That Ends Well)
107. Richard — (Richard II, Richard III)
108. Robert — (King John)
109. Robin — (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Merry Wives of Windsor)
110. Roderigo — (Othello)
111. Romeo — (Romeo and Juliet)
112. Ross — (Richard II)
113. Sebastian — (The Tempest, Twelfth Night, The Two Gentlemen of Verona)
114. Shaw — (Richard III)
115. Silvius — (As You Like It)
116. Timon — (Timon of Athens)
117. Titinius — (Julius Caesar)
118. Toby — (Twelfth Night)
119. Tybalt — (Romeo and Juliet)
120. Ulysses — (Troilus and Cressida)
121. Usher — (Coriolanus)
122. Valentine — (Titus Andronicus, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Twelfth Night)
123. Vincentio — (Measure for Measure, The Taming of the Shrew)
124. William — (As You Like It)

Shakespeare names for girls

1. Adrian — (Coriolanus, The Tempest)
2. Adriana — (The Comedy of Errors)
3. Albany — (King Lear)
4. Alexas — (Antony and Cleopatra)
5. Alice — (Henry V)
6. Aliena — (As You Like It)
7. Anne — (Henry VIII, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Richard III)
8. Ariel — (The Tempest)
9. Audrey — (As You Like It)
10. Beatrice — (Much Ado About Nothing)
11. Bianca — (The Taming of the Shrew, Othello)
12. Calpurnia — (Julius Caesar)
13. Cassandra — (Troilus and Cressida)
14. Celia — (As You Like It)
15. Ceres — (The Tempest)
16. Cleopatra — (Antony and Cleopatra)
17. Cordelia — (King Lear)
18. Cressida — (Troilus and Cressida)
19. Cymbeline — (Cymbeline)
20. Desdemona — (Othello)
21. Diana — (All’s Well That Ends Well)
22. Dion — (The Winter’s Tale)
23. Dionyza — (Pericles)
24. Dolabella — (Antony and Cleopatra)
25. Dorcas — (The Winter’s Tale)
26. Eleanor — (King John)
27. Elizabeth — (Henry VIII, Henry VI/Richard III)
28. Emilia — (The Comedy of Errors, The Winter’s Tale, Othello, The Two Noble Kinsmen)
29. Gertrude — (Hamlet)
30. Helen — (Troilus and Cressida, All’s Well That Ends Well)
31. Helena — (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
32. Hermia — (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
33. Hermione — (The Winter’s Tale)
34. Hero — (Much Ado About Nothing)
35. Imogen — (Cymbeline)
36. Iris — (The Tempest)
37. Isabel — (Richard II, Henry V)
38. Isabella — (Measure for Measure)
39. Isidore — (Timon of Athens)
40. Jessica — (The Merchant of Venice)
41. Julia — (The Two Gentlemen of Verona)
42. Juliet — (Romeo and Juliet, Measure for Measure)
43. Juno — (The Tempest)
44. Jupiter — (Cymbeline)
45. Katharine — (Love’s Labour’s Lost, Henry V)
46. Katherina — (The Taming of the Shrew)
47. Katherine — (Henry VIII)
48. Lavinia — (Titus Andronicus)
49. Leonine — (Pericles)
50. Luce — (The Comedy of Errors)
51. Luciana — (The Comedy of Errors)
52. Margaret — ( Henry VI/Richard III, Much Ado About Nothing)
53. Margery — (Henry VI)
54. Maria — (Love’s Labour’s Lost, Twelfth Night)
55. Mariana — (All’s Well That Ends Well, Measure for Measure)
56. Marina — (Pericles)
57. Miranda — (The Tempest)
58. Morgan — (Cymbeline)
59. Octavia — (Antony and Cleopatra)
60. Olivia — (Twelfth Night)
61. Ophelia — (Hamlet)
62. Paulina — (The Winter’s Tale)
63. Phebe — (As You Like It)
64. Portia — (The Merchant of Venice, Julius Caesar)
65. Regan — (King Lear)
66. Robin — (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Merry Wives of Windsor)
67. Rosalind — (As You Like It)
68. Rosaline — (Love’s Labour’s Lost)
69. Silvia — (The Two Gentlemen of Verona)
70. Tamora — (Titus Andronicus)
71. Titania — (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
72. Ursula — (Much Ado About Nothing)
73. Valentine — (Titus Andronicus, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Twelfth Night)
74. Valeria — (Coriolanus)
75. Viola — (Twelfth Night)