Disney princesses are some of the most famous characters ever created by the famous studio. Their fame is so great that they have a franchise of their own, known as Disney Princesses, which is extremely famous among animation fans around the world.
It is worth remembering that, to be part of this select group, you must comply with some rules. For this reason, not all of the studio’s princesses are part of the franchise, as with Anna and Elsa, from the “Frozen” franchise, just as not all of the members of the set are in fact royalty, as is Pocahontas and Mulan.
But have you ever wondered where princess names come from and what they mean? RECREIO tells you right below. Check out!
Anna
Princess Anna from “Frozen” is named after a joke. This is because the name means “graceful” in Hebrew, which is a contradiction with the character, who is very clumsy.
ariel
Ariel means, in Hebrew, “lion of God”, and is a name inspired by the angel Isaiah, from the Bible. It symbolizes strength and courage, two of the most striking characteristics of the mermaid.
Aurora
In “Sleeping Beauty” it is said that Princess Aurora’s parents chose this name because she lit up their lives like a ray of sunlight, since the word “aurora” means morning light. The name ends up making sense with the end of the film, when the princess awakens from a deep sleep early one morning.
Lovely
It’s not enough that Bela is the most beautiful person in the village, she also carries beauty in her name. But in addition to being beautiful, she can also see the inner beauty in the people around her, including the Beast. It is worth remembering that the princess is known as Belle in other countries, which is the most common name in France, where the story of “Beauty and the Beast” takes place.
snow White
According to the tale of the brothers Grimm, a queen pricked her finger with a needle and a drop of blood fell on the ground, which was covered with snow. For some reason, looking at what happened, she wished she had a daughter in those shades: white as snow, with lips and cheeks as red as blood. Thus, the name Snow White came up.
Cinderella
Cinderella’s live-action featured a light explanation of the princess’s name. In the 2015 production, the character is called Ella, but is nicknamed by Cinderella’s stepsisters, since she slept near the fireplace with ashes to warm up and always woke up full of fire ashes, thus, a mixture of ashes with Ella .
And the original version of the French tale is not far from that. In the story, the character is called Cendrillon, which means little ashes, and also came up as a nickname for the sisters of the future princess.
elsa
In addition to being the ice queen, Elsa from “Frozen” already has royalty in her name. That’s because, in Hebrew, the name means nobility and royal, which defines a princess well.
jasmine
The daughter of the Sultan of Agrabah, the kingdom we met in “Aladdin”, was named Jasmine, after the jasmine flower. Following the Arab culture, the plant means “gift from God”, in addition to representing elegance, modesty and sensuality.
Merida
The protagonist of “Brave” is called Merida, which means “pearl” in the Celtic language. The language was used in Scotland, the country where the animation takes place, and it makes sense for the princess to take that name, since she is rare as a pearl.
moana
The name Moana was not chosen for nothing for the princess of Motonui. He, who is of Polynesian origin, means oceans in several languages, such as Tahitian and Maori. In addition, the name conveys the importance of the ocean in people’s lives, as well as the beauty and vastness of these waters. Finally, the name can also symbolize a traveler or explorer, two perfect definitions for the character.
mulan
Few people know, but Mulan, in Chinese, means magnolia, a plant symbol of nobility and perseverance. In a scene from the animation, the Chinese warrior’s father puts a flower bud in his daughter’s hair and that the flowering of the plant would mean the character’s maturation and growth during the film.
Pocahontas
Pocahontas is the only Disney princess based on a person who actually existed. The character is inspired by the indigenous Matoaka, and that name means “bright brook between the mountains”. In animation, the character’s original name is Powhattan, which means “playful” in Algoquin, a Native American language.
Rapunzel
The inspiration for the name Rapunzel would have come from the edible flower called the rampion, which, in Portuguese, is known as the bellflower. The plant is not remembered for being the most beautiful, however, it manages to grow in rough soils, where it is difficult for something to grow.
It is because of this that the brothers Grimm chose this name since, in their version of the story, the princess is kidnapped from her parents by a sorceress and locked away in a high tower. That is, she managed to live in isolation. Another interesting fact is that the bluebell flower is purple, which could explain Rapunzel’s purple dress created by Disney.
Tiana
Although it is not official information, it is believed that the name Tiana is a variation of the Greek word “tiani”, which means princess. This would be very significant, as the protagonist of “The Princess and the Frog” was already a princess even before becoming one in fact.
Source: Recreio
