Puck is a Dutch and English given name and nickname for other names. It is derived from the
Old English
Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...
''
puca'', referring to a
mischievous household spirit or nature sprite. It is a popular name for girls in the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
.
Puck is a character in
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
’s ''
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves ...
''.
[ https://www.behindthename.com/name/puck] As a surname, it has multiple possible origins.
Notable people named Puck include:
Given name
Women
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Puck de Leeuw Puck de Leeuw (1953 - 8 February 2002) was a Dutch director.
She gained most fame with her series ''Love beyond frontiers'', describing European women who have fallen in love with men from completely different cultural backgrounds and decided go to ...
(1953–2002), Dutch director
*
Puck Moonen
Puck Moonen (born 20 March 1996 in Sint-Michielsgestel) is a Dutch cyclist, who has ridden in the past for UCI Women's Continental Team . She previously rode for Lotto Soudal but left, in part due to a knee injury. In 2019, she became a spokesper ...
(born 1996), Dutch cyclist riding for Lotto–Soudal Ladies
*
Puck Pieterse
Puck Pieterse (; born 13 May 2002) is a Dutch cyclist specializing in road, cyclo-cross and mountain biking. She currently rides for . In 2024 as under 23 world champion in the road race. Pieterse is known for her ability to bunny hop the pla ...
(born 2002), Dutch cyclist specializing in cyclo-cross and mountain biking riding for team Alpecin–Deceuninck.
Surname
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Eva Puck
Eva Puck (November 25, 1892 – October 25, 1979) was an American entertainer, a vaudeville headliner who later found success performing in Broadway musical comedies and film.
Early life
She was born in New York City, the middle of three ...
(1892–1979), American vaudeville star and Broadway and film actress
*
Theodore Puck
Theodore Thomas Puck (September 24, 1916 – November 6, 2005) was an American geneticist born in Chicago, Illinois. He attended Chicago public schools and obtained his bachelors, masters, and doctoral degree from the University of Chicago. His ...
(1916–2005), American geneticist
*
Wolfgang Puck
Wolfgang Johannes Puck (born July 8, 1949) is an Austrian chef and restaurateur.
Early life
Puck was born in Sankt Veit an der Glan, Austria. He learned cooking from his mother, who was a pastry chef. He took the surname of his stepfather, Jos ...
(born 1949), Austrian celebrity chef and restaurateur
Nickname
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Bertha "Puck" Brouwer (1930–2006), Dutch sprinter
*
Maria Petronella "Puck" Oversloot (1914–2009), Dutch swimmer
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Gerardus Henricus "Puck" van Heel (1904–1984), Dutch footballer
*
David Edward "Puck" Rainey (born 1968), American reality TV personality
Stage name
*
Puck Dupp (born 1967), ring name for American wrestler Marty Garner
References
{{Given name, type=both
Dutch feminine given names
Feminine given names
Hypocorisms
Nicknames
Unisex given names