Despina

DESS-pi-na or dess-PEE-nah
Greek
"lady"

Despina Origin and Meaning

The name Despina is a girl's name of Greek origin meaning "lady".

Despina is best known as the clever and wily maidservant character in Mozart's opera Così fan tutte. It is a name of Greek origin, derived from Despoina, who in Greek mythology was the daughter of Demeter and Poseidon.

In its native Greece, Despina is pronounced with the emphasis on the first syllable – DESS-pi-na -– but in Italy, Portugal, and other countries where the name is often found, it's usually pronounced dess-PEE-nah.

Despina Popularity

Famous People Named Despina

  • Despina Khatun (born Theodora Megale Komnene)
    Princess of Trebizond
  • Despina "Debbie" Matenopoulos
    American TV host
  • Despina Vandi
    Greek pop singer
  • Dena "Despina" Olympiou
    Greek Cypriot pop singer
  • Despina Papamichail
    Greek tennis player
  • Despina Davidovitch Storch
    Turkish WWI spy for Germany

Despina in Pop Culture

  • Despina
    city name in Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities
  • Despina
    character in Mozart's opera Così fan tutte (1790)