'Elphaba' Name Meaning in 'Wicked': How Cynthia Erivo's Character Pays Homage to the Original 'Wizard of Oz'

Those heading to theaters to see Wicked this week might not be aware of the meaning behind the main character Elphaba’s name.

There’s actually a fun backstory to how the Wicked Witch of the West got her name. Cynthia Erivo portrays the role in the new movie.

If you aren’t aware, the musical Wicked is based on the book “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West” by Gregory Maguire (which you can purchase on Amazon now!) The characters are all, of course, based on the characters from L. Frank Baum‘s 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, which was eventually made into the Judy Garland movie hit, The Wizard of Oz.

Keep reading to find out more…

The name “Elphaba” is actually a play on original author L. Frank Baum‘s name! “El-pha-ba” uses L. Frank Baum‘s initials to spell out the word! Gregory did this on purpose while writing the “Wicked” book.

“I invented the name by playing with the initials of the author, Lyman Frank Baum. I tried Lafaba, I tried Lafeyba. And then I tried Elphaba. As soon as I got Elphaba, I thought, oh, that’s it,” he once said in an interview.

Buy the book on Amazon now for just over $8 for the paperback version.

And be sure to see Just Jared‘s full coverage of Wicked.

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