Game of Thrones: What does Daenerys’ name mean?

This week, the famous Targaryen family makes a big comeback in the prequel series House of Dragons, which takes place around 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones. For this occasion, focus on their descendant Daenerys, played by Emilia Clarke in the original series, and the meaning of her name.

While there is no official explanation for the name Daenerys, a number of specialist name sites have attempted to decipher it. Some argue that “Dane” comes from Hebrew and means “God is my judge”but “Eris” comes from Greek “Eris” and invokes the goddess of discord and destruction. Quite a program for Daenerys, especially when we know the fate of the character.

Others, more optimistic, think so “day” actually comes from the English word “of the day” (challenge of day and light), while “Nerys” comes from Welsh and means “lady”. Therefore Khaleesi will literally be “Lady of Light”.

But did the author of the original work, George A.R., really think about all this? Martin when he was trying to come up with names for his characters? At least as he saidMaster class at the Toronto festival : “Names are really hard. I have to know a character’s name before I can write about them.”

The author did not take the names of his characters lightly, but even went so far as to include them in the history of his world.

“There were several waves of invasion of Westeros in this story”she said. “It started with the First Men, who have very simple, descriptive names like Stark or Strong or Mud. They were named after something. Then came the Andals, and their names are a little more sophisticated. (…)Like Lannister or Aaron. And then, of course, there are the Valyrians and the Targaryens.”

Regarding the latter, Martin explains that the sound of their names must have evoked the change of scenery and the mysterious distant lands from which they came:

“They have very exotic names with all those ‘ae’s’ and ‘y’s, weird spellings, like Daenerys Targaryen. I found it to be a very exotic name, evoking an exotic past, which suited her silver hair and purple eyes.”

Thus, whether Daenerys invokes the Goddess of Destruction or the Lady of Light, her name either way allows the entire history of her people and her family to resonate.

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