Khaleesi (given name)

Khaleesi

Daenerys Targaryen cosplayer, 2012
Pronunciation	English: /kəˈliːsiː/
Gender	female
Origin
Word/name	Created literary name from constructed language Dothraki
Meaning	queen
Other names
Related names	Caleesi, Daenerys, Kaleesi, Khaleesie, Khalesi, Khalessi

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 the television series varied from the pronunciation originally intended by linguist David J. Peterson. Peterson pronounced the word as English: /kəˈleɪsiː/ (kə-LAY-see) or English: /kəˈleɪəsiː/ (kə-LAY-ə-see) while the pronunciation used in the television series was English: /kəˈliːsiː/ (kə-LEE-see).^[1][2]

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. Pet owners also named their animals after the character. The dark turn taken by the character and her ultimate fate on the 2010s television series prompted discussion about whether parents would regret using the name for their daughters.^{[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][excessive citations]}