Thisbe

Greek mythology

Delightfully playful and full of energy, sweet Thisbe is a mythological choice, best known from Ovid’s Metamorphoses which tells the story of Thisbe and Pyramus. A tragic myth of forbidden love —and a likely inspiration for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet — Thisbe and her lover meet under a mulberry tree but due to various misunderstandings and misinterpretations, they both end up dead.

Pronounced as THIZ-bee in English but as TEEZ-beh in Classical Greek, the name is also borne by a mythological nymph and was the name of an ancient town too, likely named for the nymph. The exact meaning of the name is unknown, but it nevertheless has a cheerful and zippy sound — and though its similarity to “Frisbee” might put some people off, I find it kind of endearing.

Thank you to Sophie Kihm for suggesting Thisbe.