Everyone thinks they know Cinderella. You've seen the blue dress, the pumpkin, and the glass slipper a thousand times. But if you actually sit down and try to list the names of Cinderella characters, you realize something kinda weird. Most of them don't have names. Or, more accurately, their names change depending on who is telling the story.
It’s actually a bit of a mess.
In the original Charles Perrault version from 1697—the one that gave us the fairy godmother and the carriage—the titular heroine isn't even named Cinderella by her parents. That’s a nickname. A mean one. Her step-sisters call her Cucendron (Cinder-wench), but the less-mean one calls her Cendrillon.
The Heroine and the Nickname Trap
Basically, the most famous name in fairy tale history is an insult. Cinderella is a mashup of "cinder" and "ella." She’s the girl who sits in the ashes. In the Brothers Grimm version, Aschenputtel, the vibe is much darker. There is no bibbidi-bobbidi-boo. There’s just a hazel tree growing over her mother’s grave and a whole lot of birds.
Most people today default to the Disney version. In the 1950 animated classic, her name is just Cinderella. But in the 2015 live-action remake starring Lily James, they give her a "real" name: Ella. It makes the "Cinderella" transition feel more like a bullying tactic from the stepfamily. It's a small detail, but it changes how we see her identity. She isn't just a archetype; she's a person who lost her name to her labor.
The Stepfamily: More Than Just "Evil"
The stepmother is the engine of the story. Without her, Cinderella is just a girl with a nice house and a dead dad. In the 1950 film, she is Lady Tremaine. It’s a cold, sharp name. It sounds like silver cutlery hitting a porcelain plate. She isn’t a witch with a cauldron; she’s a social climber with a grudge.
Then you have the sisters.
In Disney’s world, they are Anastasia and Drizella. Anastasia is usually the one who gets a redemption arc in the straight-to-DVD sequels (yes, those exist, and Cinderella II: Dreams Come True is a wild ride for character development). Drizella stays mean.
But go back to the older stories. They didn't always have names. Sometimes they were just "the elder" and "the younger." In some operatic versions, like Rossini’s La Cenerentola, they are Clorinda and Tisbe. If you’re looking at the 1997 Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella (the iconic Brandy and Whitney Houston version), they are Calliope and Minerva.
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It’s fascinating how we keep renaming them to fit the era. Calliope and Minerva sound like pretentious attempts at Greek mythology, which perfectly fits that specific version’s comedic tone.
The Prince Problem
Honestly, the Prince is the most boring person in the room. For decades, he didn't even have a name. He was just "The Prince" or "Prince Charming."
Fun fact: "Prince Charming" actually comes from a completely different French fairy tale by Madame d'Aulnoy called Le Oiseau Bleu (The Blue Bird). We just sort of grafted it onto Cinderella because we felt bad for the guy not having a primary identity.
Disney eventually got tired of the "Charming" label. In the Once Upon a Time TV series, he’s David. In the 2015 movie, he’s Kit. Why Kit? It’s short, punchy, and makes him feel like a guy you could actually grab a drink with rather than a cardboard cutout in tights.
The Animal Kingdom and the Magic
This is where the names of Cinderella characters get really specific to the 1950 Disney brand. If you talk about Cinderella to someone who grew up on the movie, they will immediately mention the mice.
- Gus: His real name is Octavius, but nobody calls him that. He’s the chubby, loyal one.
- Jaq: The leader. High energy. Extremely stressed.
- Lucifer: The cat. One of the best villain sidekicks because he isn't magical; he’s just a jerk.
There’s also Bruno the dog and Major the horse. These names don't exist in the literary versions. In the Grimm version, the "helpers" are just a flock of white birds that peck out the stepsisters' eyes at the end. Yeah, the original stories were brutal. No cute mice in tiny shirts there.
The Fairy Godmother and the King
The Fairy Godmother rarely gets a name. She’s a functional character—she shows up, fixes the wardrobe situation, and bounces. In the Brandy version, she’s just Marie (implied). In most media, she is simply "The Fairy Godmother."
The King is often just "The King," though some spin-offs give him a name like Maximilian. His role is usually the same: he’s obsessed with his son getting married because he wants grandkids. It’s a very relatable, albeit high-stakes, parental nag.
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Then there’s the Grand Duke. In the 1950 film, he’s the one doing the actual legwork, carrying the slipper around the kingdom while the King loses his mind. He doesn't get a first name. He’s just a stressed bureaucrat.
Why the Names Keep Changing
Why do we keep renaming these people? It’s about ownership. Every time a new studio or author takes on the story, they want to ground it in their own "vibe."
Giving the stepmother the name "Lady Tremaine" made her a specific type of mid-century villain—the icy socialite. Giving the Prince the name "Kit" makes him a modern romantic lead.
But the core remains. Whether she's Aschenputtel, Cendrillon, or Ella, the character is defined by the contrast between her name and her situation.
Quick Reference for Key Names
If you're writing a script or just trying to win a trivia night, here is how the names usually break down across the most popular versions:
The 1950 Disney Animated Version
Cinderella, Lady Tremaine (Stepmother), Anastasia & Drizella (Stepsisters), Prince Charming, Gus & Jaq (Mice), Lucifer (Cat).
The 1697 Perrault Version
Cendrillon, The Stepmother (Unnamed), The Sisters (Unnamed, though sometimes called "the daughters").
The 2015 Live Action Version
Ella, Lady Tremaine, Prince "Kit," Anastasia & Drisella.
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Ever After (1998)
This one is great because it tries to be "historical." The Cinderella character is Danielle de Barbarac. The stepmother is Rodmilla de Ghent. The sisters are Marguerite and Jacqueline. It feels much more like a period drama than a cartoon.
The Meaning Behind the Monikers
The names of Cinderella characters aren't just labels; they're social commentary. In the 17th century, names like "Cinderella" highlighted the plight of the "scullery maid." Today, we focus more on the individual names like "Ella" to emphasize her agency as a person before she was forced into servitude.
We see this in modern retellings like Cinder by Marissa Meyer, where the main character is a cyborg named Linh Cinder. The name retains the "ash" connection but moves it into a sci-fi context.
What to Do With This Information
If you are analyzing the story for a class or writing your own adaptation, don't feel locked into the Disney names. Unless you're working for Disney, "Lady Tremaine" isn't the "official" name of the stepmother—it’s just the one that stuck in pop culture.
- Check your source: If you're referencing the Grimm brothers, don't use the name "Gus" for a mouse. There are no named mice.
- Look for the "Ella" root: Almost every variation keeps some version of the "El" or "Cinder" sound to maintain the connection to the fireplace.
- Consider the "Why": If you're naming a character in a retelling, think about what their name says about their status. High-society names for the stepfamily vs. a simple, earthy name for the lead.
The names are the easiest way to track how this story has traveled through time. From the French courts to Hollywood, the names of Cinderella characters tell a story of evolution. They show us what each generation finds scary, what they find romantic, and what they find funny.
Next time you watch a version of this story, pay attention to when the name "Cinderella" is actually used. Usually, it’s a turning point—the moment the girl is stripped of her identity and turned into a servant. And the moment she takes that name back and makes it something royal? That’s the real magic of the story.
To get a better handle on these archetypes, look into the Aarne-Thompson-Uther (ATU) Index, specifically Type 510A. It categorizes "Persecuted Heroines" and shows how the "Cinderella" figure appears in almost every culture, from the Chinese Ye Xian to the Egyptian Rhodopis. Seeing those names side-by-side proves that while the names change, the struggle is universal.