Names That Mean Queen

Royal meanings travel well across languages, and this list shows how many different cultures found a word for queen that works as a given name. Regina is simply Latin for queen, and Spanish gives the related Reina and Reyna. Malka is the Hebrew word, with Malky as an affectionate form used in Jewish families. Queen itself has served as an English given name for generations.

Some choices carry older stories. Rhiannon appears in the Welsh tales of the Mabinogion and is thought to descend from an ancient title meaning great queen; Rhianna is a related modern form. Candace comes from Kandake, a title held by ruling queens of Kush along the Nile, and Candice is its common alternate spelling. Raina is often linked to the same royal words as Regina and Reina.

Khaleesi is the newest arrival, taken from the title given to a character in Game of Thrones rather than from an older language. Because it is tied so closely to one story, some parents love the reference and others prefer a name with a longer history. Think about how each name will feel to your daughter well beyond childhood.