Whether a mom-to-be is a fan of classic story books, Disney princess movies, or cultural fables, there is so much name inspiration to be found in fairy tales, both new and old. Princesses, princes, royal companions, and other lovable characters from far away lands, there are tons and tons of name possibilities that come from all different origins, with all kinds of meanings behind them. Sometimes a name really clicks just because of the character associated with it. Other times, a name just sounds good. No matter what the reasoning behind a name choice may be, there are so many cute, strong, distinctive, and fantastical names to consider!
From the traditional princesses like Belle, Ariel, and Jasmine, to more recent ones like Moana, Merida, and Elsa, there are tons of pretty girl names that are fit for a little princess. And there are just as many princes and fictional little boys to provide name inspiration for someone who is expecting a boy. For example, think of Robin Hood, Peter Pan, Jack and the Beanstalk, Prince Eric, Prince Phillip … the list goes on! There are probably so many names that moms-to-be haven't even thought of using, no matter how many times they have read a certain fairy tale or watched a movie on repeat.
We compiled a list of girl and boy names plucked from our favorite fairy tales, both classic and modern-day stories. There are definitely some pretty magical options when looking at classic fairy tales, folklore, and even recent books and films.
Belle
Belle is a classic fairy tale princess name from Beauty and the Beast. Princess Belle was caring, kind, and intelligent. The name is Latin and means "beautiful."
Giselle
In the 2007 film Enchanted, Giselle is the name of the princess, portrayed by Amy Adams. The name is of German origin and means "pledge/hostage."
Robin
Robin from Robin Hood of course! In German, the meaning of the name Robin is: "Famed, bright; shining."
Jasmine
Jasmine was the princess in the Disney film Aladdin. It is a Persian name that comes from the flower, jasmine.
Aurora
Aurora, meaning "dawn" in Latin, is the name of the princess in Sleeping Beauty. It is another one of the "classic" Disney princess names.
Gretel
This name comes from the Brothers Grimm fairytale Hansel and Gretel. "A short form of Margarethe (a pearl), Greta is also commonly bestowed as an independent given name," according to Baby Name Wizard.
Ariel
Ariel comes from The Little Mermaid. The name's origin is actually biblical — it's a Hebrew name meaning "lion of God." However, most associate the name with the mermaid princess who had a lovely singing voice.
Flynn
Flynn is a great boy's name made popular from the Disney film Tangled, which is based on the classic fairy tale of Rapunzel. The name Flynn wasn’t even on the Social Security Administration’s top baby name list until after the movie Tangled was released in 2010.
Elsa
Elsa comes from the popular Disney film Frozen. It was originally a nickname for Elizabeth, but Elsa is now common use as an independent name.
Merida
Merida is the Scottish princess from the Disney movie Brave. This is a more unusual name that has never ranked among the top 1,000 names in America.
Fiona
Princess Fiona from Shrek isn't the typical princess one would expect, but she is funny, kind, outspoken, and strong. Arguably one of the most genuine princesses the fairy tale world has ever seen. With that said, Fiona is a beautiful name.
Anya
Anya comes from the film Anastasia. Anya is the Russian form of the name Anna, meaning "gracious."
Tiana
Tiana comes from the fairy tale The Princess and the Frog. In the Disney version of the fairy tale, Tiana is determined, smart, talented, and an extremely hard worker.
Hansel
Hansel from Hansel and Gretel is a Hebrew name. The meaning of it is: "Gift from God."
Chip
Chip is the name of the teacup in Beauty and the Beast. It is often used as a nickname for Charles, as opposed to a name in its own right, but we still think it's super cute!
Jack
Jack is from the fairy tale Jack and the Beanstalk. It is an English name that has been commonly used as a nickname for John or Jackson.
Anastasia
Although the Russian princess in Anastasia often went by Anya, we think Anastasia is a gorgeous name as well. It is a Greek name that means "resurrection."
Sebastian
Sebastian was the crab's name in The Little Mermaid, but it also makes a pretty dashing name for a little boy. It's a Greek name that means "revered."
Kiara
Kiara is the name of Simba's daughter in The Lion King II. It's an Irish name derived from the word ciar, and means "black-haired one."
Phillip
Phillip is the prince from Sleeping Beauty. It is also the name of real-life royal, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
Naveen
Naveen is the handsome (and spoiled) prince from The Princess and the Frog. It is traditionally an Arabic boy's name and it means "new." It can also be spelled Navim.
Odette
The name Odette comes from the 1994 animated fairy tale The Swan Princess. It is also the name of the good swan in Tchaikovsky's ballet Swan Lake. The name Odette is of French origin and means "wealthy."
Christopher
Christopher Robin is one of the main characters from Winnie-the-Pooh. It is a Greek name that has become popular in America, especially in the 1970s and ’80s.
Moana
Moana is the name of one of the most recent Disney princesses. It is a Hawaiian girl's name that means "ocean."
Derek
Derek is the name of the prince in The Swan Princess. In German the meaning of the name Derek is "gifted ruler" and it is a form of the name Theodoric.
Eric
Prince Eric comes from The Little Mermaid. Eric is popular boy's name with a Norse origin. It means “eternal ruler.”
Edmund
Edmund is an Old English name and was used in The Chronicles of Narnia. Derived from the name Eadmund, the name means "wealthy protection."
Jane
Jane is from the Disney story of Tarzan. It is also the name of Wendy's daughter in Peter Pan: Return to Neverland. Jane is a popular name that peaked in America in the 1940s.
Arthur
Arthur is the name of the young king in The Sword in the Stone. In Celtic, the meaning of Arthur is: "Strong as a bear."
Alice
Alice is an adorable name from the Alice in Wonderland books and movies. The character Alice is a smart, creative, and brave young girl.
Caspian
Prince Caspian comes from The Chronicles of Narnia books and movies. The Nordic name is likely based on the name of the Caspian Sea, the great saltwater lake between Russia and Iran.
Nala
Nala is the name of Simba's love interest in The Lion King. It's a beautiful African name and the meaning of it is "successful." It can also be spelled Nahla.
Peter
Peter is one of the main characters in Peter Pan. He was mischievous, playful, brave, and he could fly!
Hans
The name Hans is from Frozen. Although the Hans in the movie turned out to be a not-so-nice guy, it's still a pretty cool name! Hans is of Scandinavian, German, Danish and Hebrew origin, and the meaning is "God is gracious."
Melody
Melody is the name of Ariel's daughter in The Little Mermaid II. It's a musical name of Greek origin.
Ella
The name Ella could be short for Cinderella, one of the most famous Disney princesses, but it's also the name of Anne Hathaway's character in the 2004 fairy tale movie, Ella Enchanted. Ella can also be the short form of Eleanor and Ellen, meaning "light" and it can also mean "beautiful fairy woman" in English.
Kristoff
The name Kristoff comes from the Disney movie Frozen. It's a Scandinavian version of the name Christopher.
Wendy
Wendy is the name of the little girl in Peter Pan. Wendy is a modern form of the name Gwendolyn, but it was because of the fairy tale that it really started being used.
Amelia
In the modern-day fairy tale The Princess Diaries, Amelia was the name of the American teenager who found out she was the princess of the fictional land Genovia. The name is an English variant of the Germanic name Amalia.
