Every Rhaena Targaryen, told apart
3 of them across three hundred years, 0 of whom ruled. This is the single biggest reason the Targaryen family tree confuses people.
All 3, in order of birth
-
Rhaena Targaryen
23 to 73 ACWidowed when Maegor killed her brother-husband, then forced to become one of Maegor’s Black Brides. She spent her later years as Lady of Dragonstone.
- Dragon
- Dreamfyre
- Parents
- Aenys I Targaryen and Alyssa Velaryon
- Remember them as
- daughter of Aenys I, 23 to 73 AC
-
Rhaena Targaryen
b. 116 ACBaela’s twin. She hatched Morning, one of the last four dragons in the world.
- Dragon
- Morning
- Parents
- Daemon Targaryen and Laena Velaryon
- Remember them as
- daughter of Daemon, born 116 AC
-
Rhaena Targaryen
b. 147 ACThe quiet one of Aegon III’s three daughters. Locked in the Maidenvault by Baelor, she took the vows of a septa when she came out.
- Parents
- Aegon III Targaryen and Daenaera Velaryon
- Remember them as
- daughter of Aegon III, born 147 AC
Why they kept reusing the same names
Naming a Targaryen child was a political act. Calling a son Aegon invoked the Conqueror. Calling him Jaehaerys invoked the Old King and fifty five years of peace. Calling him Daeron invoked either the boy who conquered Dorne or the man who married it into the realm, depending on which one you needed.
The cost of that habit is a family tree where the first name tells you almost nothing. The chart on this site labels every person with their dates and their epithet for exactly that reason. If you are trying to work out which one you are looking at, the year is the fastest way in.
Questions about the Rhaenas
How many Targaryens were named Rhaena?
At least 3 appear on this family tree, of whom 0 ruled from the Iron Throne. The Targaryens reused a small pool of names deliberately, to tie each new child to an ancestor worth invoking.
Why are there so many Targaryens named Rhaena?
Naming a child after a celebrated ancestor was a claim on that ancestor’s reputation. Aegon invoked the Conqueror, Jaehaerys invoked the Old King, Daeron invoked the Good. The result is a family tree where a first name tells you almost nothing.
How do you tell them apart?
By their dates and their epithet. Every Targaryen who mattered picked up a nickname, and where they did not, the reign years do the work. This site labels every node on the chart with both.