Mythological names

Every name links to its full page: meaning, origin, and its real popularity curve since 1890.

Hector Greek · holding fast

Diana Latin · divine

Helen Greek · light, torch

Troy Greek · from the ancient city of Troy

Phyllis Greek · 'leafy, green bough'; a mythological figure transformed into an almond tree

Gwendolyn Welsh · traditionally "white ring, blessed ring"

Cindy Greek · diminutive of Cynthia, from Mount Cynthos

Marcia Latin · traditionally dedicated to Mars, war-like

Deanna Latin · variant of Diana, divine

Faye French · from the English word fay, 'fairy' (Middle English faie, ultimately from Latin fata, the Fates); sometimes a short form of Faith

Gavin Welsh · form of Gawain; meaning disputed, traditionally "white hawk"

Bridget Irish · from Irish Brighid, old Celtic *Brigantī, "the exalted one"; the name of a Celtic goddess and Ireland's beloved saint

Flora Latin · from Latin 'flos/floris' (flower); Roman goddess of flowers and spring

Marcella Latin · feminine diminutive of Marcus, related to Mars, Roman god of war

Damian Greek · traditionally "to tame, subdue," from Damianos; a physician saint of the early church, patron of doctors, gave it centuries of quiet European use before America warmed to its dark-velvet sound in the 2000s

Penelope Greek · traditionally "weaver," after the wife in the Odyssey who unwove her loom each night to hold off suitors, though the root may be an old word for a duck; four syllables of loyal, literary charm that clip to Penny and Poppy

Sabrina Welsh · from the River Severn goddess in Welsh myth

Delia Greek · traditionally from the island of Delos (epithet of Artemis)

Arturo Welsh · Italian and Spanish form of Arthur, of unknown meaning, possibly Celtic artos "bear"

Jason Greek · healer

Cassie Greek · diminutive of Cassandra (possibly kekasmai "to excel, to surpass" with aner "man")

Selena Greek · "moon goddess"

Arthur Celtic · of unknown meaning, possibly Celtic artos "bear" or the Roman family name Artorius; the legendary British king

Fay French · fairy

Griffin Welsh · surname form of Griffith; also the mythological creature

Tristan Welsh · the knight of the great medieval romance with Isolde; from the Celtic Drustan, its root debated, though medieval storytellers linked it to the French triste, "sad," to fit the tale. Chivalric, melancholy, and modern all at once

Aurora Latin · "dawn," the Roman goddess who opened the gates of morning; poets kept it alive for centuries, Sleeping Beauty gave it a princess, and the celestial wave carried it into the top tier. Rory and Auri hide inside its four syllables

Paris French · from the French capital, named for the Parisii, a Gaulish tribe

Diane French · divine

Dillon Welsh · variant of Dylan, traditionally translated as 'son of the sea'

Marlin Welsh · variant of Merlin; traditionally sea fortress

Rhea Greek · Titan goddess of Greek mythology, mother of the Olympian gods

Ulysses Latin · meaning uncertain (Latin form of Odysseus, possibly 'wrathful')

Chloe Greek · "young green shoot," a springtime epithet of the harvest goddess Demeter, mentioned once in the New Testament; beloved in France for decades before the English-speaking world caught up. Ancient credentials, thoroughly modern sound

Dianne Latin · variant of Diana, 'divine, goddesslike', the Roman goddess of the hunt

Lynette Welsh · meaning uncertain (Welsh Arthurian name)

Marsha Latin · of Mars, the Roman god of war

Arianna Greek · Italian variant of Ariadne, traditionally "utterly pure"

Cynthia Greek · from Greek Kynthia, 'woman from Cynthus,' an epithet of Artemis; associated with the moon goddess but not literally meaning 'moon goddess'

Damien Greek · variant of Damian, traditionally "to tame"

Dianna Latin · variant of Diana, 'divine, goddesslike'

Minerva Latin · traditionally wisdom (Roman goddess); etymology uncertain

Demetrius Greek · means 'follower of Demeter', the harvest goddess

Denis Greek · variant of Dennis, follower of Dionysus

Denny Greek · diminutive of Dennis, traditionally 'follower of Dionysus'

Irene Greek · peace

Sybil Greek · prophetess, oracle

Merlin Welsh · sea fortress

Selina Greek · variant of Selene, the moon

Thea Greek · short form of Dorothea/Theodora, "goddess"

Doris Greek · gift; from Doris

Gunnar Scandinavian · from Old Norse Gunnarr, gunnr "war" + herr "army, warrior"

Iris Greek · rainbow, iris flower

Jayson Greek · variant of Jason (Greek Iason, "healer", from iaomai, "to heal")

Leandro Greek · lion-man; the mythic hero who swam the Hellespont nightly to reach his love Hero

Thurman Germanic · English/Germanic surname, traditionally 'Thor's man'

Una Irish · meaning uncertain, possibly lamb; also Latin for one

Zoe Greek · "life," the word Hellenistic Jews chose to render Eve; borne by an early martyr and Byzantine empresses, then rediscovered by the modern world with all its brightness intact. Three letters, two sounds, one of the oldest meanings there is

Calista Greek · most beautiful

Conor Irish · lover of hounds, wise counsel (legendary King Conchobar mac Nessa)

Deon Greek · short form of Dionysus, god of wine

Elissa Greek · variant of Elisa/Elizabeth ('God is my oath'); also the name Dido bore in classical legend

Hellen Greek · traditionally torch, light; true root debated

Leonidas Greek · "son of the lion"

Lorelei German · from the Rhine rock and legendary siren, traditionally "murmuring rock"

Marcellus Latin · diminutive of Marcus, linked to Mars, the god of war

Marcus Latin · Roman name probably related to Mars; its deeper origin is uncertain

Nestor Greek · meaning disputed, traditionally wisdom, Homeric hero

Venus Latin · traditionally goddess of love

Cassandra Greek · possibly Greek kekasmai "to excel, to surpass" with aner "man"; the Trojan prophetess

Dion Greek · short form of Dionysios, referencing the god Dionysus

Iola Greek · from Greek ion, violet, tied to Iole of Greek myth; a separate Welsh reading gives valued by the Lord.

Ione Greek · from Greek ion, violet flower; borne by a sea nymph in Greek myth, used in English since the 1800s.

Kali Sanskrit · Hindu goddess name, traditionally "the black one"

Kassandra Greek · variant spelling of Cassandra, the Trojan princess of Greek mythology cursed to give true prophecies no one believed

Lavina Latin · variant of Lavinia, wife of Aeneas in Roman mythology; meaning disputed

Lavinia Latin · wife of Aeneas in Roman mythology; meaning disputed, sometimes linked to Latin lavare, 'to wash'

Leyla Turkish · night (Turkish spelling of Layla, the classic Layla and Majnun romance)

Marcela Spanish · feminine form of Marcellus, from Latin Marcus, traditionally 'dedicated to Mars'

Markus Germanic · Germanic spelling of Marcus, Latin, traditionally 'dedicated to Mars'

Vesta Roman · Name of the Roman goddess of the hearth and home, from a Latin root meaning to burn or shine.

Aura Greek · breeze, gentle air

Demetria Greek · The feminine form of Demetrios, linked to Demeter, the Greek goddess of the harvest.

Echo Greek · Greek mythological nymph; the name also means 'echo, sound'

Isadore Greek · Greek, from Isidoros, gift of Isis; an Anglicized form used by Jewish and Christian immigrant families alike.

Leandra Greek · feminine of Leander, "lion of a man"

Linus Greek · Greek mythological name, traditionally linked to 'flax'

Marcy Latin · pet form of Marcia, from Mars, Roman god of war

Ara Armenian · legendary Armenian king Ara the Beautiful of Armenian mythology

Bridgette Irish · variant spelling of Bridget, from Irish Brighid, 'exalted one'

Deanne Modern American · A variant of Deanna/Diane, popularized in the 1930s-40s; Diane traces to Latin Diana, goddess of the moon and hunt.

Dimitri Greek · follower of Demeter, goddess of the harvest

Helena Greek · Latinate form of Helen; the deeper Greek etymology is uncertain, with light or torch only a traditional proposal

Isidro Greek · Spanish form of Isidore, 'gift of Isis'

Leander Greek · "lion of a man"

Maia Greek · goddess name, "mother, nurse"

Odin Scandinavian · chief god of Norse mythology, "fury, inspiration"

Olympia Greek · 'of Olympus', home of the Greek gods

Tyra Old Norse · From Thyra, an Old Norse name borne by a 10th-century Danish queen; meaning debated, sometimes tied to the god Tyr.

Aditya Sanskrit · the sun; a name of the Hindu sun god

Aris Greek · modern Greek form of Ares, god of war; also a short form of Aristotelis and Aristides, from aristos "best"

Bridgett Irish · Variant spelling of Bridget, Old Irish Brighid, exalted one, name of both a Celtic goddess and Ireland's patron saint.

Casandra Greek · Variant spelling of Cassandra, the Trojan prophetess of Greek mythology; the name's deeper meaning is disputed.

Daphne Greek · laurel tree

Deidre Irish · Variant spelling of Deirdre, heroine of Irish legend, Deirdre of the Sorrows; the root meaning is disputed, often glossed as sorrowful.

Evander Greek · 'good man', a mythological founder-hero in the Aeneid

Inga Scandinavian · A Scandinavian short form of names beginning Ing-, such as Ingrid, honoring the Norse god Ing (Yngvi).

Kaia Greek · variant of Gaia, "earth"

Lino Italian · Italian/Spanish name related to Linus, from Greek Linos, a musician in Greek legend

Marcello Italian · Italian form of Marcellus, a diminutive of Marcus linked to Mars, the Roman god of war

Thor Scandinavian · from Old Norse; the god of thunder in Norse mythology

Tristen Welsh · variant spelling of Tristan, a Celtic legend name popularly linked to French 'triste' (sad)

Wayland Germanic · from the legendary Germanic/Anglo-Saxon smith Wayland; also read as 'land by the road'

Aditi Sanskrit · boundless; mother of the gods in Vedic myth

Alvis Norse · From Old Norse Alviss, all-wise, the name of a dwarf in Norse mythology outwitted by Thor

Delphia Greek · Short form of Philadelphia, brotherly love, from Greek adelphos, brother, or evoking Delphi, site of Apollo's oracle.

Denice Modern American · A respelling of Denise, the French feminine form of Denis, from the Greek god Dionysus.

Itzel Native-American · Mayan; possibly from itz "dew, nectar", or a form of the goddess Ixchel

Karan Sanskrit · ear; also the name of a Mahabharata hero

Marcelle French · French feminine form of Marcel, from Latin Marcellus, a diminutive of Marcus, of Mars.

All 459 mythological names, A to Z

Mythological names

All 459 mythological names, A to Z

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