In the Broadway musical Wicked, Glinda’s original name is Galinda.
At the beginning of the musical, Galinda is a popular student at Shiz University in the Land of Oz. She shares a room with Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West, and their very different personalities shape the story. Galinda initially cares deeply about popularity and social status, while Elphaba is outspoken and concerned about injustice.
The name change is part of Galinda’s character development. After meeting the Wizard and becoming associated with public heroism, she adopts the name Glinda, which is the familiar name used for the Good Witch of the North in L. Frank Baum’s Oz stories and in The Wizard of Oz. The musical uses the altered name to show how Galinda builds a public identity.
A common mix-up is assuming that “Galinda” is a separate character. It is the character’s original name, while “Glinda” is the name she later uses. The musical premiered on Broadway in 2003, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman.