Names That Mean Puppet

Names that mean puppet include Marionette (a string puppet, from “little Mary”), Kukla (puppet or doll in Russian), Karagoz (the Turkish shadow puppet, meaning black eye), Kathputli (wooden puppet in Hindi), Petrushka (the Russian glove puppet), Punch (from Punchinello, the famous puppet) and Kasper (the German hand puppet). Real given names that mean puppet are rare, so most of these suit nicknames, stage names and fictional characters.

What Does a Puppet Name Mean?

A puppet name points to a figure that moves by strings, hands or rods. It suggests play, performance, theater and sometimes being controlled.

Some names mean puppet directly. Others are the names of famous puppet characters.

Marionette: The String Puppet

Marionette comes from Marion or Mariette, a pet form of Mary, so it means little Mary. Early French puppet shows used small figures of the Virgin Mary.

It is the most elegant and recognizable puppet name in English.

Girl Names That Mean Puppet

• Marionette: little Mary, string puppet (French)
• Mariette: little Mary (French)
• Marion: form of Mary, also a puppet root (French)
• Pupa: doll, girl (Latin)
• Putul: doll, puppet (Bengali)
• Putli: doll, puppet (Hindi)
• Kukla: puppet, doll (Russian, Turkish)
• Kukiełka: puppet (Polish)
• Loutka: puppet (Czech)

Boy Names That Mean Puppet

• Punch: after Punchinello, the hook-nosed puppet (English)
• Pulcinella: clown puppet character (Italian)
• Petrushka: Russian glove puppet, from Pyotr (Russian)
• Kasper: the German hand puppet, from Caspar (German)
• Karagoz: black eye, Turkish shadow puppet (Turkish)
• Hacivat: Karagoz’s partner in shadow plays (Turkish)
• Guignol: French glove puppet from Lyon (French)
• Burattino: puppet (Italian)
• Sutradhar: holder of strings, narrator (Sanskrit)

Unisex Names That Mean Puppet

• Marion
• Kukla
• Wayang: shadow puppet (Javanese)
• Puppet
• Poppet: little puppet or doll (English)

Puppet in Other Languages

• Marionnette: French
• Titere: Spanish
• Marionetta: Italian
• Marionette: German
• Kukla: Russian and Turkish
• Kukiełka: Polish
• Loutka: Czech
• Ningyo (人形): Japanese, doll or puppet
• Muou (木偶): Chinese, wooden puppet
• Kuilei (傀儡): Chinese, puppet
• Wayang: Indonesian
• Kkokdu: Korean

Hindu and Indian Names

India has one of the oldest puppet traditions in the world.

• Kathputli: wooden puppet (Rajasthani, Hindi)
• Putli: doll, puppet
• Putul: doll (Bengali)
• Bommalata: puppet play (Telugu)
• Bommi: doll (Tamil)
• Sutradhar: string holder, narrator
• Tholu Bommalata: leather shadow puppetry (Telugu)

Kathputli joins kath (wood) and putli (doll). It is also the name of a famous colony of puppeteers in Delhi.

Japanese Names Linked to Puppets

• Bunraku: traditional puppet theater
• Ningyo: doll, puppet
• Kugutsu: old word for puppet
• Karakuri: mechanical doll
• Ayatsuri: manipulation, string puppet

Bunraku is a UNESCO listed art form where three people move one large puppet.

Turkish and Arabic Names

Shadow puppetry is deeply loved across the Middle East.

• Karagoz: black eye, hero of Turkish shadow plays
• Hacivat: the educated partner of Karagoz
• Aragoz: Egyptian hand puppet
• Karagiozis: Greek version of Karagoz
• Khayal al-Zill: shadow play (Arabic)

Karagoz and Hacivat are comic opposites, which is what makes the shows so popular.

Italian and French Puppet Names

• Pulcinella: Italian clown with a hooked nose
• Pinocchio: pine nut, the wooden puppet boy
• Geppetto: the puppet maker, a pet form of Giuseppe
• Arlecchino: Harlequin, the trickster
• Guignol: French glove puppet
• Polichinelle: French form of Pulcinella
• Marionnette: string puppet

English and German Names

• Punch: the loud puppet husband
• Judy: Punch’s wife in the traditional show
• Kasper: the German hand puppet
• Kasperl: the Austrian and Bavarian form
• Hanswurst: a German comic stage figure
• Poppet: little doll or puppet

Punch and Judy has been a seaside show in Britain for centuries.

Russian Puppet Names

• Petrushka: the Russian glove puppet
• Kukla: puppet
• Petrouchka: French spelling made famous by Stravinsky
• Matryoshka: nesting doll, from Matryona
• Buratino: the Russian version of Pinocchio

Chinese and Southeast Asian Names

• Muou: wooden puppet
• Piying: shadow puppet
• Budaixi: glove puppet theater (Taiwan)
• Wayang Kulit: leather shadow puppet (Java and Bali)
• Wayang Golek: wooden rod puppet (Java)
• Rooi Nuoc: water puppets (Vietnamese)

Vietnamese water puppets perform on the surface of a pond.

Famous Puppet Characters

• Pinocchio
• Kermit
• Elmo
• Punch
• Kasper
• Karagoz
• Lamb Chop
• Gonzo
• Sooty
• Howdy Doody

Many puppet names are playful and short, which makes them good for pets and mascots.

Names for Puppeteers

• Geppetto: the maker of Pinocchio
• Sutradhar: string holder
• Jim: after Jim Henson
• Henson: surname of the Muppets creator
• Mourguet: creator of Guignol
• Maestro
• Weaver

Names Linked to Strings and Control

These do not mean puppet, but they carry the idea of strings and control.

• Sutra: thread, string (Sanskrit)
• Thread
• Weaver
• Fate: destiny
• Moira: fate (Greek)
• Orlog: fate (Old Norse)

Names for Characters and Stories

• Marionette Vale
• Petrushka
• Kukla
• Mariette
• Geppetto
• Pulcinella

These work well in fantasy, horror and theater stories.

How to Choose a Puppet Name

• Decide if it is for a person, pet or character
• Check the culture behind the puppet word
• Pick a name that is easy to say and spell
• Say it aloud with the surname
• Remember that some names suggest being controlled

FAQs

What name means puppet?

Marionette means little Mary and is the best-known string puppet name. Kukla means puppet in Russian, and Kathputli means wooden puppet in Hindi.

What girl name means puppet?

Marionette, Mariette, Marion and Kukla are girl names linked to puppets.

What boy name means puppet?

Punch, Petrushka, Kasper, Karagoz and Pulcinella are boy names tied to famous puppets.

What does Marionette mean?

Marionette comes from Marion or Mariette, a pet form of Mary. It means little Mary and began with puppets that played holy figures.

What does Karagoz mean?

Karagoz means black eye in Turkish. It is the name of the hero of the Turkish shadow puppet theater.

What does Pinocchio mean?

Pinocchio comes from a Tuscan word for pine nut. It is the name of the wooden puppet boy in Carlo Collodi’s story.

What is the Hindi word for puppet?

Kathputli means wooden puppet in Hindi and Rajasthani. Putli means doll or puppet.

What does Punch mean in Punch and Judy?

Punch is short for Punchinello, the English form of the Italian Pulcinella. The puppet is known for his loud voice and hooked nose.

What is the Japanese word for puppet?

Ningyo means doll or puppet in Japanese. Bunraku is the traditional puppet theater of Japan.

What does Wayang mean?

Wayang means shadow or puppet in Javanese and Indonesian. Wayang Kulit is the leather shadow puppet art of Java and Bali.