Ankhesenamun

Ankhesenamun was an ancient Egyptian queen of the 18th Dynasty, known primarily as the Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Her name, meaning "her life is of Amon", reflects the religious shifts that occurred during her lifetime. Originally named Ankhesenpaaten ("she lives for the Aten"), as the third daughter of Pharaoh Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti, she was raised in the cult of the Aten. After her father's death and the subsequent restoration of the traditional pantheon under Tutankhamun, she adopted the name Ankhesenamun, incorporating the god Amon.

Etymology and Family

The name is composed of the Egyptian elements ꜥnḫ (life), the feminine possessive s (her), and jmn (Amon). The change of the theophoric element from Aten to Amun mimics the political and religious transition from Akhenaten's monotheistic reforms back to the traditional polytheistic worship centered on Amun, who was the king of the gods at Thebes. Ankhesenamun was the daughter of Akhenaten and Nefertiti, and likely half-sister of Tutankhamun. She bore two stillborn daughters with Tutankhamun, whose mummies were found in his tomb.

Historical Role and Reign

Ankhesenamun's marriage to Tutankhamun likely occurred after Akhenaten's death. Her husband died young, around age 19. Her subsequent fate is hazy: a letter from a "Egyptian queen" to the Hittite king Suppiluliuma I, thought by some scholars to be from Ankhesenamun, begs for a Hittite prince to marry her and become pharaoh, fearing she would be forced into marriage with a "servant" (likely a general). A Hittite prince, Zannanza, was sent but was assassinated at the border. Ankhesenamun then probably married her husband's originally common-born vizier, Ay, who succeeded Tutankhamun as pharaoh. She disappeared from historical record after that.

Notable Bearers

• Ankhesenamun (c. 1348 – after 1322 BCE): The daughter of Akhenaten and Nefertiti, famed as Tutankhamun's queen. She has been the subject of multiple historical novels and documentaries, often dramatizing her forbidden love with the Hittite prince or her diplomatic actions following her husband's death.

Cultural Significance

Ankhesenamun is depicted in numerous reliefs from Amarna, such as scenes with her parents in domestic and ceremonial settings. The name itself encapsulates the religious upheavals and political turbulence of the Post-Amarna period.

• Meaning: "Her life is of Amon"
• Origin: Ancient Egyptian
• Type: Given name
• Usage Regions: Ancient Egypt (18th Dynasty)