previous            A–Z            next        Jean-Baptiste Poquelin Pseudonym:        Molière It is unknown how the great French dramatist Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (1622–1673) acquired his new name Molière. We do know that he must have first used it in 1643 or 1644, for it is found in a document dated June 28, 1644. It at least has a much more theatrical ring than ‘Poquelin’, which to a Frenchman suggests either ‘poquet’ [seed-hole], or ‘poquer [a verb meaning ‘to throw one’s ball in the game of ‘boules’ in such a way that it stops still where it stands’]. As for the name Molière, it did in fact also belong to a second-rank writer who died in the same year that Jean-Baptiste was born. But the commonly held theory is that he derived it, not from his lesser co-dramatist, but from a place of his name – or something like his name – that was visited by the touring company to which young Poquelin belonged. (There were several villages named Molières, for example, and at least one called Molères.) Source: Room, A. (1981), ‘Name Stories’, Naming Names, p.123 previous            A–Z            next