Most of the characters who appear in the Hatshepsut Trilogy were real historical individuals, and their authentic ancient Egyptian names are used in the books. However, some of these names can be real tongue-twisters! You can hear how they are pronounced by clicking on the HEAR THE NAME button next to each entry. No one knows for certain how the ancient Egyptian language was pronounced, though, so if you say the names differently it doesn't really matter!


The ancient Egyptians were very fond of nicknames, so authentic nicknames were used for some of the characters. Some names were very common in Eighteenth Dynasty Egypt; to help differentiate between characters, their tomb numbers are given where known. (DB = Deir el Bahri, EK = El Kab, KV = Valley of the Kings, TT = Theban Tomb, WV = Western Valley of the Kings.)


The names of wholly fictional characters are marked by an asterisk. Real characters whose names have been lost to history, and have been given fictional names, are marked with a dagger.



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		Ahhotep (Queen)
		Hatshepsut’s great-grandmother and mother of Ahmose the Liberator.
		Ah-kheper-en-re
		Throne name of King Tuthmosis II. (Name usually written without hyphens.)
		Ah-kheper-ka-re
		Throne name of King Tuthmosis I. (Name usually written without hyphens.)
		Amenhotep, King
		(Amenhotep I) Second king of the Eighteenth Dynasty; predecessor of Tuthmosis I.
		Ahmose si-Ibana
		Admiral of the Royal Fleet. Tomb EK5.
		Ahmose, King ("Ahmose the Liberator")
		(King Ahmose I) First king of the Eighteenth Dynasty; revered for driving the Hyksos oppressors out of Egypt.
		Ahmose, Queen
		Great Royal Wife of Tuthmosis I, mother of Hatshepsut.
		Ahmose-Meritamen
		God’s Wife of Amen, Hatshepsut’s aunt; sister and wife to Amenhotep I. Tomb DB 341.
		Ahmose-Nefertari
		King’s Great Wife of King Ahmose I and the first God’s Wife of Amen.
		Ahmose-Pennekheb
		Army General with a military career spanning the reigns of Amenhotep I to Hatshepsut. Tomb, EK2.
		Alodia*
		Kushite princess and sister of Sesebi.
		Amen-em-het
		High Priest of Amen in Karnak during early Eighteenth Dynasty. (Name usually written without hyphens.) Tomb, TT97.
		Amenmose
		Hatshepsut’s older half-brother. (Mother, Mutnofret.)
		Amotju
		Hatshepsut’s former tutor; father of Nefer-Weben. Tomb TT83. (Amotju is a nickname for the name Ahmose.)
		Apophis
		King of the Hyksos; father of Herit.

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		Baki*
		Horse groom.
		Bet
		Nefer-Weben’s wife.

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		Dedu
		Captain of Hatshepsut’s bodyguards. Tomb, TT200.

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		Hapuseneb
		One of Hatshepsut’s closest friends with a long career in the priesthood. Tomb TT 67.
		Hatshepsut
		Daughter of King Tuthmosis I and Queen Ahmose; God’s Wife of Amen, wife and sister of King Tuthmosis II; King of Egypt ca. 1479 BC to 1458 BC. Tombs: Carter No.22 in Wadi Sikket Taqet Zaid and KV20.
		Herit
		Hyksos princess, daughter of Apophis.
		Humay
		Steward at Akhet-Nub. Tomb TT224. (Humay is a nickname for the name Ahmose.)

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		Imhotep
		Vizier under Tuthmosis I, Hapuseneb’s grandfather. Tomb WV46.
		Imhotep, Saint
		Vizier and Chief of Works for King Djoser (Third Dynasty); revered as a sage and patron of healers.
		Ineni
		Chief of Works and Chief Royal Architect. Tomb TT81.
		Inet
		Hatshepsut’s nurse. Inet was the nickname of the Lady Sitre. Tomb, KV60.
		Ipuky*
		Divine Adoratrice, daughter of High Priest Amen-em-het; later, wife of Hapuseneb.
		Iset
		Concubine of Tuthmosis II, mother of Tuthmosis III.

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		Kha-kaure Senwosret
		(Senwosret III) Fifth King of Twelfth Dynasty. (Name is usually written without hyphens.)
		Kira*
		Hatshepsut’s body servant.

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		Ma’atkare
		Throne name of Hatshepsut.
		May
		Ship’s Captain of the God’s Wife.
		Menna†
		Royal physician.
		Merit-re Hatshepsut
		Daughter of Huy. Tomb KV42.
		Mosi*
		Horse groom.
		Mutnofret
		First wife of Tuthmosis I, mother of Wadjmose, Amenmose and Tuthmosis II.

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		Neb-hepet-re Montuhotep
		King Montuhotep II, first King of the Eleventh Dynasty. (Name is usually written without hyphens.)
		Neferure
		Hatshepsut’s daughter. Tomb C, Wadi Gabbanat el-Qurud.
		Nefer-Weben
		Eldest son of Amotju.
		Neshi
		Prince of Wawat in Nubia, one of Hatshepsut’s closest friends. Tomb I.6, Saqqara.
		Nitiqret
		Female King who ruled briefly at the end of the Sixth Dynasty. (Often referred to by the Greek form of her name, Nitocris.)

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		Paheri
		Mayor of Nekhen. Tomb EK3.
		Pamieu*
		Kitchen hand, brother of Tanef.
		Ptah-hotep†
		Vizier of Lower Egypt.
		Puyemre
		Steward at Per-Tashey, later Second High Priest of Amen. Tomb TT39.

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		Senenmut
		Army scout; later chief advisor and lover of Hatshepsut, tutor of Neferure. Tombs: TT71, DB353. Was Senenmut really a spunk?     (click button)
		Seni
		Viceroy of Kush.
		Senimen
		Half-brother of Senenmut. Tomb: TT252.
		Seniseneb (1)
		Daughter of Hapuseneb and Ipuky.
		Seniseneb (2)
		Daughter of Hapuseneb and Ipuky.
		Sesebi†
		Young Prince of Kush.
		Sobeknoferu
		Female King, last ruler of the Twelfth Dynasty.
		Sopdu*
		Royal valet.

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		Tanef
		Wardrobe mistress of Queen Ahmose. (Tanef is a nickname for Taneferet.)
		Tefnut*
		Daughter of Huy and Amenmose.
		Tjefet*
		High Priestess of Hathor.
		Tui
		Wardrobe mistress and body servant of Hatshepsut.
		Tut
		In these books, a nickname for Hatshepsut’s brother, Tuthmosis. Not connected in any way with the famous King Tutankhamen ('King Tut') who ruled about 120 years later than the time span covered in the Hatshepsut Trilogy.
		Tuthmosis I, King
		Hatshepsut’s father, third king of Eighteenth Dynasty. Tombs: KV20, KV38. (Alternative renderings of the name Tuthmosis are Tutmose or Thutmose; in Egyptian, the name is Djehutymes.)
		Tuthmosis II ('Tut')
		Hatshepsut’s half-brother and husband, fourth king of Eighteenth Dynasty. Tomb: possibly KV39.

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		Wadjmose
		Son of Tuthmosis I and Mutnofret.

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