# What was the wicked witch of the west's first name? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 22, 2004, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-wicked-witch-of-the-wests-first-name/230514 "2004-02-22T17:22:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-wicked-witch-of-the-wests-first-name/230514/1 "2004-02-22T17:22:19Z")
We all know that Glenda was the Good Witch from the East. Did the Wicked Witch from the West actually have a first name? ---
**Author:** ![CadburyAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@CadburyAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CadburyAngel)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-wicked-witch-of-the-wests-first-name/230514/2 "2004-02-22T17:34:08Z")
According to Gregory Maguire’s excellent book, “Wicked,” it’s Elphaba, after a saint who secluded herself behind a waterfall. I don’t believe there’s any canonical name for her from the official Oz books. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-wicked-witch-of-the-wests-first-name/230514/3 "2004-02-22T18:18:35Z")
Nitpick: The East Witch was also evil (she’s the one who got crushed under the house). Glinda was either North or South (I think it might vary between different versions of the story). ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-wicked-witch-of-the-wests-first-name/230514/4 "2004-02-22T18:26:30Z")
I’m pretty sure Glinda was North. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-wicked-witch-of-the-wests-first-name/230514/5 "2004-02-22T18:32:50Z")
Glenda was the Good Witch of the North. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-wicked-witch-of-the-wests-first-name/230514/6 "2004-02-22T18:34:02Z")
Glinda was the good witch of the South in the original book. And the slippers were silver, not ruby. And it was the “wicked witch of the East” who got housed. That’s 1910. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-wicked-witch-of-the-wests-first-name/230514/7 "2004-02-22T18:39:56Z")
Chronos is correct. In the book, Glinda is the Good Witch of the South (and probably the most powerful person in all of Oz). Dorothy meets her toward the end of the story (after encountering the wizard), and it is she who tells Dorothy how to get home. The Good Witch of the North (who is never given a name as far as I can remember) is the one that Dorothy encounters at the beginning (and who does not know how Dorothy can get home, as opposed to the “I could have told you but you wouldn’t have believed me” crap that is one reason the movie is so lame). In fact, one of the later books in Baum’s _Oz_ series is titled _Glinda of Oz_. In the movie, the Witch of the North is the only good witch we ever meet, and she is named Glinda. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-wicked-witch-of-the-wests-first-name/230514/8 "2004-02-22T20:40:26Z")
Glinda was the Good Witch of the North. Glenda was Ed Wood’s alter ego. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-wicked-witch-of-the-wests-first-name/230514/9 "2004-02-22T21:16:04Z")
> [@CadburyAngel](#): > > According to Gregory Maguire’s excellent book, “Wicked,” it’s Elphaba, after a saint who secluded herself behind a waterfall. I don’t believe there’s any canonical name for her from the official Oz books. Maguire developed the name as an homage to “L. F(r)a(nk) Ba(um)”. ---
**Author:** ![Ex\_Machina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Ex\_Machina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ex_Machina)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-wicked-witch-of-the-wests-first-name/230514/10 "2004-02-22T21:57:39Z")
Also, according to the book, the Witch of the North had the appearance of an elderly woman. Glinda, the Witch of the South, had the appearance of youthful beauty in spite of being old. ---
**Author:** ![Ex\_Machina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Ex\_Machina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ex_Machina)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-wicked-witch-of-the-wests-first-name/230514/11 "2004-02-22T22:09:49Z")
To Baum, the familiarity of a first name may have seemed appropriate for the youthful Glinda but not for the elderly. ---
**Author:** ![blasphmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@blasphmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blasphmer)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-wicked-witch-of-the-wests-first-name/230514/12 "2004-02-22T23:30:18Z")
**Harold** be thy name. Oops wrong thread 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2004, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-wicked-witch-of-the-wests-first-name/230514/13 "2004-02-23T04:18:45Z")
> [@CadburyAngel](#): > > a saint who secluded herself behind a waterfall Is that like masturbating in the shower? ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2004, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-wicked-witch-of-the-wests-first-name/230514/14 "2004-02-23T04:45:35Z")
[QUOTE] And it was the “wicked witch of the East” who got housed. [QUOTE] \*Got Housed \*. I like this term. Alot. EX: “If only Judy from Accounting would \*get housed. \*” Thanks sam! ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2004, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-wicked-witch-of-the-wests-first-name/230514/15 "2004-02-23T04:46:06Z")
I always thought the WWotW was named Rubbish, as in this scene in the movie: > [@](#): > > _WITCH_ > > You stay out of this, Glinda, or I’ll fix you as well! > > _GLINDA_ > > Oh, **Rubbish**! You have no power here. Be gone, before somebody drops a house on you, too. Was I mistaken? ---
**Author:** ![AntaresJB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@AntaresJB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AntaresJB)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2004, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-wicked-witch-of-the-wests-first-name/230514/16 "2004-02-23T05:22:17Z")
In the funkti-fied Broadway Musical version _The Wiz_, **Glinda** is South, and the Good Witch of the North is **Addaperle**. The Wicked Witch of the East (the squished one) is **Evamean** , I believe, and our ever-so-lovely antagonist (I portrayed in my high school’s production of it, I gotta talk her up a little 🙂 ), the Wicked Witch of the West, is named **Evillene**. Totally not canonical, I’m sure, but in that version, that’s what they are. ---
**Author:** ![Yumblie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@Yumblie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yumblie)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2004, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-wicked-witch-of-the-wests-first-name/230514/17 "2004-02-23T06:25:49Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > I always thought the WWotW was named Rubbish, as in this scene in the movie:Was I mistaken? I think it’s just the good witch brushing off the wicked witch’s threats, though the idea of someone being named “Rubbish” I find hilarious for some reason. Hehe, Rubbish. ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2004, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-wicked-witch-of-the-wests-first-name/230514/18 "2004-02-23T15:30:14Z")
> [@](#): > > What was the wicked witch of the west’s first name? Tiffani-Amber. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2004, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-wicked-witch-of-the-wests-first-name/230514/19 "2004-02-23T18:37:56Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > We all know that Glenda was the Good Witch from the East. > > Did the Wicked Witch from the West actually have a first name? I’m pretty sure it was Sandy. You know, Sandy Witch. ---
**Author:** ![TPWombat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@TPWombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TPWombat)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2004, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-wicked-witch-of-the-wests-first-name/230514/20 "2004-02-23T20:34:38Z")
Bob. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-wicked-witch-of-the-wests-first-name/230514.md?page=2)