The first name Khaleesi
A girl’s name meaning “queen”, “king”.
Pronounced /kəˈliː.si/ 3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Khaleesi means “queen”, “king”.
Borrowed from Dothraki khaleesi (“queen”), feminine of khal (“king”). Coined by American writer and television producer George R. R. Martin for the title of the character Daenerys Targaryen in his book A Song of Ice and Fire (1996) novels. Popularised by the later television adaptation Game of Thrones (2011).
More names that mean king, queen.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 21 girls were named Khaleesi, making it the 1,454th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2017, with 76 births (#565).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Khaleesi with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Khaleesi at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 410 girls born in the United States were named Khaleesi, the 690th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2018, when 565 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
- Kaleesi
- Khalessi
- Kahleesi
Questions
- What does the name Khaleesi mean?
- Khaleesi means “queen”, “king”.
- How popular is the name Khaleesi?
- In 2025, 21 girls born in England and Wales were named Khaleesi, ranking 1,454th. Its peak was 2017, with 76 births.
- Is Khaleesi a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 5,537 US babies named Khaleesi since 1880 were girls.
- When was Khaleesi most popular?
- 2018 in the United States, when 565 babies were named Khaleesi, its highest rank at 549th.
- How do you pronounce Khaleesi?
- Khaleesi is /kəˈliː.si/, 3 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Khaleesi?
- Kaleesi, Khalessi and Kahleesi.