Wicked fans only just realising what name Elphaba actually means

Wicked fans are only just realising what name 'Elphaba' actually means.

The name of actress Cynthia Erivo's character is super unique - something which has prompted fans of Wicked to wonder where the origins of it came from.

But the mystery is now solved as Wicked's author, Gregory Maguire, has revealed exactly how he came up with the one-of-a-kind name.

The character's moniker is actually a subtle nod to the author of the original The Wizard of Oz book, L. Frank Baum, which came out over a century ago back in 1900.

In the 2024 adaptation, the name 'Elphaba' is a clever adaptation of Baum’s initials, 'L. F. B'.

Maguire has since opened up about how he came up with the name as The Wicked Witch of the West doesn't actually have a name in the original tellings of The Wizard of Oz, either by Baum or their subsequent film adaptations.

This was something Maguire wanted to change completely.

Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in Wicked (Universal)

The author explained on GBH’s Morning Edition that he came up with the name by experimenting with different combinations.

"I invented the name by playing with the initials of the author, Lyman Frank Baum," Maguire shared.

"I tried Lafaba, I tried Lafeyba. And then I tried Elphaba. As soon as I got Elphaba, I thought, oh, that’s it."

And it's not only Erivo's character Elphaba who is getting buzz around her name as the Wicked fandom has recently been forced to explain a major confusion over Grande's character's real name in the film.

Namely, the confusion seems to be centred on whether the name of the protagonist is 'Glinda' or 'Galinda' as fans have seen the modes of address used interchangeably on social media.

Elphaba's name is a subtle nod to the author of the original The Wizard of Oz book, L. Frank Baum (Universal)

Well, the short answer between Grande's character going by two names at different points in the film is simply due to a professor in the story not being able to pronounce the 'a'.

Glinda is first introduced to us as Galinda Upland.

While attending Shiz University, professor Doctor Dillamond (played by Peter Dinklage) struggles with pronouncing Galinda's name during his classes which frustrates her, hence why she keeps correcting him on the pronunciation.

However, her efforts are thwarted as Dillamond is simply unable to get it right, prompting Galinda to change her name to Glinda - claiming she's done so in solidarity with her professor and in protest against his dismissal as a professor at the university.