There are 13 official Disney Princesses, not 40. They are Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, Moana, and Raya.
So who are the 40 Disney Princesses people search for? The number 40 comes from expanded, unofficial lists that add Disney queens, royal characters, and popular heroines to the official princess lineup. Anna, Elsa, Kida, Eilonwy, Giselle, and Elena of Avalor are among the characters frequently included.
There is no single Disney-approved list of 40 princesses. However, you can make a broader list of 40 Disney female characters by combining the 13 official princesses with 27 additional royal characters and heroines.
Below is one such list, with each character’s movie or series and whether she is officially recognized as a Disney Princess. The categories matter because not everyone on the expanded list is actually royalty.
Who Are the 40 Disney Princesses? Complete List of Names
This expanded list includes 13 official Disney Princesses, 16 additional royal or princess-associated characters, and 11 other Disney heroines often discussed alongside them.
Only the first 13 belong to Disney’s official Princess franchise. The remaining names illustrate how broader fan lists can reach 40. They are not an established alternative Disney Princess lineup.
1-13: The Official Disney Princesses
| # | Disney Princess | Movie |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snow White | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs |
| 2 | Cinderella | Cinderella |
| 3 | Aurora | Sleeping Beauty |
| 4 | Ariel | The Little Mermaid |
| 5 | Belle | Beauty and the Beast |
| 6 | Jasmine | Aladdin |
| 7 | Pocahontas | Pocahontas |
| 8 | Mulan | Mulan |
| 9 | Tiana | The Princess and the Frog |
| 10 | Rapunzel | Tangled |
| 11 | Merida | Brave |
| 12 | Moana | Moana |
| 13 | Raya | Raya and the Last Dragon |
These 13 characters appear on the official Disney Princess website. Raya is the most recent character added to this lineup.
It’s important to understand that being an official Disney Princess is not the same as having a royal title in a film. Mulan, for example, isn’t a princess by birth or marriage, but she is an official member of the franchise.
For more on this group, including how Disney categorizes its characters, see my guide to how many Disney Princesses there are.
14-29: Unofficial Princesses, Queens, and Other Royal Characters
These characters have stronger connections to royalty than most unofficial Disney heroines. Some are actual princesses or queens within their stories, but Disney doesn’t include them in its main Princess franchise.
| # | Character | Movie or Series | Royal Connection |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Anna | Frozen | Princess of Arendelle, later queen |
| 15 | Elsa | Frozen | Queen of Arendelle in the first film |
| 16 | Kida | Atlantis: The Lost Empire | Atlantean princess, later queen |
| 17 | Eilonwy | The Black Cauldron | Princess |
| 18 | Elena of Avalor | Elena of Avalor | Crown princess, later queen |
| 19 | Sofia | Sofia the First | Princess through her mother’s marriage to King Roland |
| 20 | Amber | Sofia the First | Princess of Enchancia |
| 21 | Atta | A Bug’s Life | Princess of the ant colony |
| 22 | Dot | A Bug’s Life | Princess and Atta’s younger sister |
| 23 | Nala | The Lion King | Queen of the Pride Lands |
| 24 | Kiara | The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride | Daughter of Simba and Nala |
| 25 | Melody | The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea | Daughter of Ariel and Prince Eric |
| 26 | Maid Marian | Robin Hood | Royal family connection |
| 27 | Vanellope von Schweetz | Wreck-It Ralph | Princess of Sugar Rush |
| 28 | Queen Iduna | Frozen | Queen and mother of Anna and Elsa |
| 29 | Queen Leah | Sleeping Beauty | Queen and mother of Aurora |
Anna and Elsa are probably the best-known examples. Both belong to the royal family of Arendelle, yet neither is part of Disney’s official Princess franchise.
Kida and Eilonwy are also genuine princess characters in their respective films. Their absence from the official lineup doesn’t mean they aren’t princesses within their stories.
Other entries, such as Nala and Queen Iduna, are queens rather than characters marketed as Disney Princesses. This is why the expanded list is useful for identifying Disney royalty but shouldn’t be mistaken for the official franchise.
30-40: Disney Heroines Sometimes Included in Expanded Lists
The final group contains well-known Disney heroines who appear in princess-related fan discussions, even though they generally aren’t royal characters.
| # | Character | Movie | Why She Is Included |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | Giselle | Enchanted | Classic fairy-tale princess-inspired heroine |
| 31 | Megara | Hercules | Major Disney animated heroine |
| 32 | Esmeralda | The Hunchback of Notre Dame | Independent Disney heroine |
| 33 | Jane Porter | Tarzan | Lead female character in a Disney animated film |
| 34 | Alice | Alice in Wonderland | Classic Disney fantasy heroine |
| 35 | Wendy Darling | Peter Pan | Classic Disney heroine |
| 36 | Tiger Lily | Peter Pan | Chief’s daughter, sometimes described as a princess |
| 37 | Tinker Bell | Peter Pan | Popular Disney fairy with her own franchise |
| 38 | Asha | Wish | Fairy-tale heroine who challenges a king |
| 39 | Mirabel Madrigal | Encanto | Lead heroine from a magical family |
| 40 | Isabela Madrigal | Encanto | Popular character from the Madrigal family |
These final 11 names are the loosest part of the expanded list. Mirabel and Isabela are not princesses in Encanto, Asha isn’t a princess in Wish, and Tinker Bell is a fairy rather than a royal character.
They appear here only to illustrate how broad fan-created lists can reach a total of 40. Another person’s list could use different characters, and neither list would be official.
Why Are Anna and Elsa Not Official Disney Princesses?
Anna and Elsa are two of the most recognizable Disney royal characters, which makes their exclusion from the official lineup especially surprising to some fans.
In Frozen, Elsa becomes Queen of Arendelle while Anna remains a princess. By the end of Frozen II, Anna takes over as queen.
However, Disney markets Frozen as its own major entertainment franchise rather than including Anna and Elsa among the official Disney Princess characters.
That doesn’t change their royal status within the films. It simply means they’re outside the official Princess brand.
The same general situation applies to Kida, Eilonwy, and several other royal Disney characters who aren’t officially marketed as members of the Princess franchise.
For a more detailed explanation, see Are Anna and Elsa Disney Princesses?.
What Makes Someone an Official Disney Princess?
Disney Princess is a specific entertainment and merchandise franchise, not a comprehensive list of every princess appearing in Disney movies and television series.
That’s why the official lineup includes Mulan, who isn’t royal, while excluding Anna, Elsa, and Kida, who are royal characters.
It also explains why Elena of Avalor and Sofia the First are treated separately. Both are princess characters, but they’re associated with Disney television franchises rather than the main Disney Princess lineup.
There isn’t a publicly stated rule that automatically makes every eligible royal character an official Disney Princess. The franchise lineup is determined by Disney.
You can explore the more commonly discussed exclusions in my guide to honorary Disney Princesses.
Are There 40 Official Disney Princesses in Order?
No. There is no official Disney Princess list numbered from one to 40.
The numbered list above begins with the 13 official princesses in the order their original films were released, followed by an illustrative collection of unofficial royal characters and Disney heroines.
It isn’t a popularity ranking, a chronological list of 40 Disney movies, or an official franchise order.
If you’re looking for the complete official list, use the first 13 names. If you’re interested in a broader discussion of Disney royalty and princess-inspired characters, the additional names provide a starting point.
Which Disney Princess List Should You Use?
For official Disney Princess merchandise, movies, character branding, and franchise information, the 13-member lineup is the accurate list.
For a fan-created list that includes more Disney royalty and heroines, an expanded list of 40 can be entertaining, but it needs to be labeled as unofficial.
The clearest answer is that Disney officially recognizes 13 Princess franchise members, while the idea of 40 Disney Princesses comes from broader, nonstandard lists.
For Disney’s currently recognized characters, visit the official Disney Princess website.
