Editing Courtesan (section)

===17th century and earlier===
[[File:Lais of Corinth, by Hans Holbein the Younger.jpg|thumb|180px|right|''[[Lais of Corinth]]'' by [[Hans Holbein the Younger]], [[Kunstmuseum Basel]]]]
* [[Volumnia Cytheris]] (1st century BC), Roman mimae actress and courtesan
* [[Amrapali]] (5th century [[Common Era|BC]]), ''[[nagarvadhu]]'' dancer of [[Vaishali (ancient city)|Vaishali]], following the [[Buddha]]'s teachings she became an [[arahant]].
* [[Anarkali]] (17th-century) [[tawaif]] of Salim (later [[Mughal emperors|Mughal emperor]] [[Jahangir]])
* [[Arib al-Ma'muniyya]] ({{langx|ar|عَرِيب المأمونية}},  797-890), ''[[qiyan]]''
* [[Faḍl al-Shāʻirah]] ({{langx|ar|فضل الشاعرة}}, d. 871 ), ''[[qiyan]]''
* [[Hwang Jini]] (fl. 1550): legendary ''[[gisaeng]]'' of the [[Joseon dynasty]]
* [[ʽInān]] ({{langx|ar|عِنان}}, d. 841), ''[[qiyan]]''
* [[Imperia Cognati]] (1486–1512), courtesan of Renaissance Rome, referred to as the "first courtesan" in Europe
* [[Kanhopatra]] (15th-century) Indian Marathi saint-poet and dancer,singer
* [[Lais of Corinth]] (5th century BC), ''[[hetaira]]''-courtesan
* [[Lais of Hyccara]] (killed 340 BC), ''[[hetaira]]''-courtesan
* [[Marion Delorme]] (c. 1613–1650): lover of [[George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham|George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham]], [[Great Conde|the Prince of Condé]], and [[Cardinal Richelieu]]
* [[Ninon de l'Enclos]] (1615–1705): lover of [[Great Conde|the Prince of Condé]] and [[Gaspard IV de Coligny|Gaspard de Coligny]]
* [[Phryne]] (4th century BC), ''[[hetaira]]''-courtesan
* [[Praecia]] (fl. 73 BC), Roman courtesan
* [[Shāriyah]] ({{langx|ar|شارِية}}, {{circa|lk=no|815}}-870), ''[[qiyan]]''
* [[Takao II]] (高尾, 1640–1659), Japanese ''[[oiran]]''-courtesan
* [[Thaïs]] (4th century BC), ''[[hetaira]]''-courtesan
* [[Theodora (6th century)]] ({{circa|500}}–June 28, 548), Byzantine actress-courtesan, later wife of [[Justinian I]] of the [[Byzantine Empire]]
* [[List of Italian Renaissance courtesans]]:
** [[File:Courtesan - Unknown - 19 1927 2 89.jpg|thumb|This lady is probably a courtesan or tawaif. She would be accomplished in the arts of music, dancing and poetry and would entertain the men of the court, particularly in Moghul India. Her elegance and expensive gold-embroidered veil show her high status.]][[Tullia d'Aragona]] ({{circa|lk=no|1510}}–1556): top courtesan in several Italian cities, and published poet
** [[Veronica Franco]] (1546–1591): a Venetian ''cortigiana onesta'' courtesan who was once lover to King [[Henry III of France]] and was depicted in the movie [[Dangerous Beauty]]
* [[Yu Gam-dong]] (15th-century), Korean courtesan
* [[Du Shiniang]], China Ming dynasty courtesan