What is the name of the fairy in Peter Pan?

The fairy in Peter Pan is Tinker Bell. She is J. M. Barrie’s famous fairy companion to Peter Pan, first appearing in the 1904 play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up, and later in the 1911 novel Peter and Wendy.

Barrie gave her the name because she was a “tinker,” a fairy who repaired pots and kettles. In the original stage play and novel, Tinker Bell does not speak ordinary human language; her communication is represented by tinkling bell sounds, which Peter interprets for the other characters.

Her personality is more complicated than many modern adaptations suggest. She can be loyal and helpful, but she is also jealous, hot-tempered, and vindictive. Barrie explained that fairies are so small they can hold only one feeling at a time, so a strong emotion temporarily overwhelms every other one.

Disney’s 1953 animated Peter Pan made Tinker Bell a global icon and an unofficial symbol of the company. Later Disney Fairies stories expanded her world, giving her a speaking role, a home in Pixie Hollow, and many fairy companions.