Laertes

lay-AIR-tees
Ancient Greek
"gatherer of the people"

Laertes Origin and Meaning

The name Laertes is a boy's name meaning "gatherer of the people".

An Ancient Greek name with a huge dose of literary credibility. Laertes was the father of Odysseus in Greek mythology, who therefore pops up in Homer's The Odyssey.

Laertes is even more familiar to English speakers as a central character in Shakespeare's Hamlet, the impetuous son of Polonius and brother of Ophelia who ends up (spoiler alert!) killing Hamlet with a poisoned sword.

Laertes is almost never used as a baby name today, but we think it has lots of potential. Variant Leart is slightly more popular -- it was given to 6 boys in 2016 -- and some may find it more approachable.

Laertes in Pop Culture

  • Laertes
    character in Shakespeare's "Hamlet" ('He is justly serv'd. It is a poison temper'd by himself'. Act 62.)
  • Laertes
    father of Odysseus in Greek mythology