Seems like a French name! Read this : "The eponymous hero of the story is Despereaux, a tiny, sickly mouse with massive ears and is born with his eyes open and likes music and honey and everyone doesn't like him. His name means "despair." Despereaux lives in desperate times.." FROM http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tale_of_Despereaux

Desperate

desperate if memory serves