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There’s nothing more timeless than Shakespeare – his plays have been adapted on stage and on screen for centuries. 

So why not give your new baby a moniker inspired by some of history’s greatest characters – those who have been at the centre of tragic romances, gripping battles and exulting love stories.  

We have a wealth of baby name inspiration on HuffPost UK Parents, but here are 12 special names straight from the quill of the Bard.

Othello

Othello is about… Othello, a brave and competent soldier of the Venetian Republic. He elopes with Desdemona, but is later betrayed by his friend, Iago. 

Ophelia

A tragic, romantic character in Hamlet, Ophelia – a young noblewoman of Denmark – drowns herself in the name of love. 

Juliet

Ever-popular since the tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet, this name is synonymous with romance.

Desdemona

A Venetian beauty who enrages her father when she elopes with Othello, in the play by the same name.

Romeo

Handsome, intelligent, and sensitive; Romeo circumvents the violent feud between his family and Juliet’s when he falls in love with her.

Paris

Count Paris is a suitor of Juliet’s. He is handsome and rich, yet ultimately cannot compete with Romeo.

Ariel

Ariel is a spirit who works in Prospero’s service in The Tempest. Representing the power of creative imagination, Ariel is unerringly loyal to Prospero. 

Beatrice

In Much Ado About Nothing, Beatrice is “a pleasant-spirited lady”. Generous and loving, with a sharp tongue, she loves puns and wins wordy battles. 

Adriana

The Comedy of Errors sees Adriana worrying that her husband loves another woman. She is observant and astute on a woman’s role in marriage.

Rosalind

The heroine and protagonist of As You Like It, Rosalind’s father, the exiled Duke Senior, is banished from the kingdom, breaking her heart.

Balthazar

The Merchant of Venice features Balthazar as one of Portia’s servants. She steals his name for her disguise as a boy.

Horatio

Hamlet’s confidante, Horatio finds himself called on by castle guards to try to communicate with the ghost of his departed friend.