Miranda is a feminine given name of Latin origin, meaning "worthy of admiration", deriving the feminine name from the Latin word mirandus. Although it existed as a surname prior, held by, for example, Giovanni Miranda (fl. 1566) and Juan Carreño de Miranda (born 1614),The Surnames of the Maltese Islands- An Etymological Dictionary, Mario Cassar, Book Distributors Ltd, 2003, p. 393Hispanic Surnames and Family History, Lyman D. Platt, Genealogical Publishing Company, 2008, pp. 133, 344Book of Jewish and Crypto-Jewish Surnames, Judith K. Jarvis, Susan L. Levin, Donald N. Yates, CreateSpace, 2018, pp. 17, 49, 64Spanish Surnames, a List- Attachments J1 and J2, General Coding Procedures Manual, 1970 Census, United States Census Bureau, 1971, pp. 16, 25 William Shakespeare originated use of the name as a forename for a character in his play The Tempest. In the play, the character is addressed as "Admired Miranda! Indeed the top of admiration! Worth what's dearest to the world!" People named their daughters after the Shakespearean character beginning in the 1700s. A moon of Uranus was also named after Miranda from the play. The name was more popular in the United States than elsewhere in the Anglosphere, possibly due to its similarity in sound to Amanda, a name also more common for American girls by the 1800s. The name declined in use after 1900 but was revived in the United Kingdom due to the popularity of the 1948 British fantasy film Miranda about a mermaid named Miranda. The name also increased in usage in the United States when the film began airing on television there in the 1950s. Other media influences also increased usage of the name through the early 2000s.
Usage The name has been well used in the Anglosphere since the 20th century. Usage of the name in the United States peaked during the 1990s, when it was among the 100 most popular names for American girls. It also peaked in usage in the 1990s or early years of the 21st century in countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Sweden. It has also been well used in other Spanish speaking countries such as Mexico, where it was among the 100 most popular names for Mexican girls in 2020 and 2021.
People
Fictional characters
Queen Miranda, the mother of the title character in Sofia the First Miranda (The Tempest), in the play The Tempest by English writer William Shakespeare Miranda, the titular character of Miranda Miranda (Doctor Who), in the British novel series Eighth Doctor Adventures Miranda (W.I.T.C.H.), in the American television series W.I.T.C.H. Miranda the Beauty Fairy, from the Rainbow Magic series Miranda Bailey, Chief of Surgery and attending general surgeon at Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital in the American TV series Grey's Anatomy Miranda Corneille, in the Canadian webcomic User Friendly Miranda Evans, in the British soap opera Doctors Miranda Feigelsteen, in the Canadian television series Mysterious Ways Miranda Sommers-Gilbert, adopted mother to Elena in The Vampire Diaries Miranda Goshawk, in the Harry Potter novel series by English author J. K. Rowling
Miranda Jeffries, in the American film Chances Are Miranda Keyes, in the American video game series Halo Miranda Killgallen, in the American television series As Told By Ginger
Miranda Lucas Payne, in the television series House of Payne Miranda Montgomery, in the American television series All My Children Miranda Navas, in the film Wonder , fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours
Miranda Sanchez, in the American television series Lizzie McGuire
Miranda Tate, played by Marion Cotillard in the 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises Miranda Wright, in the American television series Bonkers
See also
References