Khaleesi (given name)

{{Infobox Given Name Revised

| name = Khaleesi

| image= File:Khaleesi cosplay.jpg

| imagesize=

| caption= Daenerys Targaryen cosplayer, 2012

| pronunciation= {{IPAc-en|k|ə|ˈ|l|iː|s|iː}} or /ˈxa.le.e.si/

| gender = female

| meaning = queen

| region =

| nickname =

| origin = Created literary name from constructed language Dothraki

| related names = Caleesi, Daenerys, Kaleesi, Khaleesie, Khalesi, Khalessi

| footnotes =

}}

Khaleesi is a feminine given name derived from the Dothraki title meaning queen that was used for the fictional character Daenerys Targaryen in American author George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire books and in Game of Thrones, the television series based upon the novels.

The intended pronunciation of the word from the constructed language used in Game of Thrones varied from the pronunciation originally intended by conlanger David J. Peterson. The proper pronunciation of the word in Dothraki is /ˈxa.le.e.si/ (KHAH-lay-ay-see){{cite web|url=https://dothraki.com/2012/03/developing-canon/ |title=Developing Canon |website=Dothraki.com |date=18 March 2012 |access-date=2025-04-26}}, while the pronunciation used in the television series was {{IPAc-en|k|ə|ˈ|l|iː|s|iː}} ({{respell|kə|LEE|see}}).{{Cite news |last=Das |first=Abhimanyu |date=9 April 2019 |title=Meet the Person Who Created Dothraki and Valyrian for Game of Thrones -- And Learn How 'Khaleesi' Should Have Been Said |url=https://ideas.ted.com/meet-the-person-who-created-dothraki-and-valyrian-for-game-of-thrones-and-learn-how-khaleesi-should-have-been-said/ |access-date=5 November 2023 |work=TED |archive-date=5 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231105221239/https://ideas.ted.com/meet-the-person-who-created-dothraki-and-valyrian-for-game-of-thrones-and-learn-how-khaleesi-should-have-been-said/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Longridge |first=Chris |date=14 March 2019 |title=Everyone's been pronouncing 'Khaleesi' wrong all this time |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a26821453/khaleesi-game-of-thrones-pronunciation/ |access-date=5 June 2022 |work=Digital Spy}}

Parents who chose the name for their daughters said they were attracted by the strength and beauty of the character, who liberated slaves and overcame obstacles to assume power in her own right. The dark turn taken by the character and her ultimate fate on Game of Thrones prompted discussion about whether parents would regret using the name for their daughters.{{Cite news |last=Matthews |first=Dylan |date=9 April 2014 |title=Before Game of Thrones, no one named babies "Khaleesi." In 2012, it beat the name "Betsy." |url=https://www.vox.com/2014/4/9/5590250/game-of-thrones-has-changed-the-way-we-name-babies |access-date=7 May 2022 |work=Vox}}{{Citation |title=Are people really calling their baby girls Khaleesi? |date=15 August 2014 |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/shortcuts/2014/aug/15/are-people-really-calling-their-baby-girls-khaleesi |access-date=7 May 2022}}{{Cite news |last=Safronova |first=Valeriya |date=29 April 2019 |title=Hello, Arya! 'Game of Thrones' Baby Names Are for Girls: Baby names inspired by the powerful women on "Game of Thrones" are rising in popularity. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/29/style/game-of-thrones-baby-names.html |access-date=3 June 2022 |work=New York Times}}{{Cite news |last=Pelletiere |first=Nicole |date=3 May 2019 |title=This mom and 'Game of Thrones' superfan named her daughter Khaleesi |url=https://news.google.com/articles/CBMiamh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lmdvb2Rtb3JuaW5nYW1lcmljYS5jb20vZmFtaWx5L3N0b3J5L21vbS1nYW1lLXRocm9uZXMtc3VwZXJmYW4tbmFtZWQtZGF1Z2h0ZXIta2hhbGVlc2ktNjI4MDM5MzPSAW5odHRwczovL3d3dy5nb29kbW9ybmluZ2FtZXJpY2EuY29tL2FtcC9mYW1pbHkvc3RvcnkvbW9tLWdhbWUtdGhyb25lcy1zdXBlcmZhbi1uYW1lZC1kYXVnaHRlci1raGFsZWVzaS02MjgwMzkzMw?hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US%3Aen |access-date=5 June 2022 |work=Good Morning America}}{{Cite news |last=Murphy |first=Joe |date=10 May 2019 |title=Name of Thrones: Parents are naming their kids after favorite 'Game of Thrones' characters: "If it's a boy it's Aegon, if it's a girl we'll call her Myrcella." |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/tv/lil-joffrey-game-thrones-baby-names-n1004541 |access-date=5 June 2022 |work=nbcnews.com}}{{Cite news |last=Ingraham |first=Christopher |title=Why at least 3,500 parents may be having regrets after last night's 'Game of Thrones' |date=13 May 2019 |work=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/05/13/why-least-parents-may-be-having-regrets-after-last-nights-game-thrones/ |access-date=7 May 2022 |archive-date=21 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220521125532/https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/05/13/why-least-parents-may-be-having-regrets-after-last-nights-game-thrones/ |url-status=live }}{{Citation |last=McGovern |first=Kyle |title=So You Named Your Kid Daenerys. How's That Feel Now? |date=13 May 2019 |work=New York Magazine |url=https://www.vulture.com/2019/05/game-of-thrones-parents-daenerys-name.html |access-date=7 May 2022 |archive-date=7 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220507221341/https://www.vulture.com/2019/05/game-of-thrones-parents-daenerys-name.html |url-status=live }}{{Citation overkill|date=June 2023}}