Boy Names From Classical Mythology

Perseus is a godly Greek hero (he was a son of Zeus) whose ancient name just might have modern possibilities along with other so-old-they're-new-again names such as Atticus and Orion.

Castor's twin in the constellation Gemini. That final x makes this name modern and cool.

This version of the sea god's name may be more ready for prime time than the Roman version, Neptune -- slightly.

In ancient Greek mythology, a Trojan king with fifty children; in the modern world it sounds more like a computer language or environmentally correct car.

Remus is one of the legendary twins who, with brother Romulus, founded Rome. An unusual yet classic name for the extremely adventurous who can put aside the stereotyped image of Uncle Remus. Though because of that "ream" first syllable, we prefer Romulus.

He was the original Roman, Remus's twin and a founder of Rome. But parents attracted to this name are advised to read the legend first. Romulus does have some less than savory characteristics, including killing his twin brother and making Rome in his own image, and is later deified as Quinnius. Romy and Quinn might make good twin names.

If you've rejected all the names on earth, you might move on to the sixth planet from the sun, also the Roman god of agriculture and plenty, and the origin of Saturday.

In Greek mythology, Telamon was son of King Aecus and Endeis, a mountain nymph, and was one of Jason's argonauts.

The name of the Greek mythological hero famous for slaying the Minotaur is also heard in Chaucer and Shakespeare. While Theseus might have sounded pretentious for an American baby a decade ago, today with so many babies getting ancient mythogical names, it just might work.

Troy shot to popularity as a first name in tandem with that of 1960s heartthrob Troy (born Merle) Donahue; its image has now, thanks in part to the Brad Pitt-starring epic, Troy, receded back to conjuring up the ancient site of the Trojan wars.

Ulysses is one of the few U boys' names anyone knows -- with heavy links to the Homeric hero, eighteenth president Grant, and the James Joyce novel -- all of which makes it both distinguished and kind of weighty for a modern boy. Ulysses was on the US popularity list well into the twenty-first century; it's off now, but Number 684 on Nameberry.

Vulcan was the Roman god of fire (from which, volcano) and metalworking, but this name is now more familiar as the pointy-eared humanoids on "Star Trek," represented by Mr. Spock.

The supreme Olympian god represents a mighty image for a little fella to live up to, but more and more parents are beginning to consider it seriously. The Roman equivalent Jupiter has also come down to earth. And Zeus wasn't just the supreme god, he was also the god of the sky, thunder, lightning, and fate, among other weighty responsibilities.