See also: Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt family tree

Limestone column fragment showing a cartouche of Nefertiti. Reign of Akhenaten. From Amarna, Egypt.
The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, London

A "house altar" depicting Akhenaten, Nefertiti and three of their daughters; limestone; New
Kingdom, Amarna period, 18th dynasty; c. 1350 BC - Collection: gyptisches Museum Berlin, Inv. 14145

Nefertiti, Egyptian Nfr.t-jy.tj, original pronunciation approximately Nafteta[dubious discuss], for ("the
beauty has come"). Nefertiti's parentage is not known with certainty, but one often cited theory
is that she was the daughter of Ay, later to be pharaoh. However, this hypothesis is likely
wrong since Ay and his wife Tey are never called the father and mother of Nefertiti and Tey's
only connection with her was that she was the 'nurse of the great queen' Nefertiti.[9] Nefertiti's
Scenes in the tombs of the nobles in Amarna mention the queen's sister who is
named Mutbenret (previously read as Mutnodjemet).[10][11]
Another theory that gained some support identified Nefertiti with
the Mitanni princess Tadukhipa.[12] However, Tadukhipa was already married to Akhenaten's
father and there is no evidence for any reason why this woman would need to alter her name in
a proposed marriage to Akhenaten or any evidence of a foreign non-Egyptian background for
Nefertiti.
The exact dates when Nefertiti married Akhenaten and became the king's great royal wife of
Egypt are uncertain. Their six known daughters (and estimated years of birth) were:[11][12]

Meritaten: No later than year 1, possibly later became Pharaoh Neferneferuaten.

Meketaten: Year 4.
Ankhesenpaaten, also known as Ankhesenamen, later queen of Tutankhamun
Neferneferuaten Tasherit: Year 8, possibly later became Pharaoh Neferneferuaten.
Neferneferure: Year 9.
Setepenre: Year 11.

Life[edit]