The Hunger Games Names
“Tributes of Panem”
These names come from the dystopian world of Panem — the tributes, victors, mentors, and rebels of The Hunger Games. They split neatly in two: the earthy, plant-rooted names of the Districts and the grand Roman names of the Capitol's ruling elite.
Cesar
Hairy or head of hair
Joanna
God is gracious
Annie
Grace
Johanna
God is gracious
Alma
Nourishing, kind, or soul
Caesar
Long-haired or hairy
Seneca
Old; from the place of the stone
Finnick
White, fair, or marshland farm
Effie
Well-spoken or pleasant speech
Rue
Herb of grace or regret
Did you know Suzanne Collins rooted her heroes' names in nature? Katniss is an edible water plant, Primrose and Rue are a flower and a herb, and Gale blows in straight from the natural world — while the Capitol's elite carry grand Roman names like Coriolanus, Seneca, and Cinna.
Cashmere
Fine wool from the Kashmir goat
Rye
Cereal grain; island meadow
Primrose
First rose
Cato
Wise, intelligent, or all-knowing
Castor
Pious one or beaver
Gale
Pleasant, merry, or a strong wind
Prim
First; demure or precise
Roe
Small deer or red-haired
Katniss
Aquatic plant of the genus Sagittaria
Rennick
Dweller at the raven farm or farm in the ridge
Cashmir
From the region of Kashmir; wool fabric
Claudius
Lame or limping
Zeph
Hidden by God or west wind
Cressida
Gold
Effy
Well-spoken or pleasant speech
Rua
Red or vision
Clove
Nail; a spice derived from the flower bud
That plant theme runs deep: Katniss, Primrose, and Rue all nod to growing things, mirroring the books' story of survival in the wild. Primrose — "Prim" — is the gentlest of them, an old English flower name the trilogy introduced to a whole new generation of readers.