Greek Names (with Meanings & Popularity)

Sapphira

Greek variation of Sapphire, Hebrew jewel name

"sapphire"

Sapphira is a lovely name which unfortunately has an unsavory Biblical history. The New Testament Sapphira was killed by God for lying about a tax payment. There's a Willa Cather novel called…

Zenaida

Greek

"the life of Zeus; dedicated to Zeus"

A powerful name with an intriguing air of antiquity, Zenaida has the freshness of Zephyr and Azalea too. Meaning "life of Zeus" or "dedicated to Zeus", it was notably borne by the first-century…

Callista

Greek

"most beautiful"

Calista Flockhart spotlighted this lovely Greek name that has a long future in the English-speaking world. Kallista is another spelling; Calixta and Calixto are related.

Cleopatra

Greek

"glory of the father"

A royal name in ancient Egypt that's never quite made it to the modern world, though nickname Cleo is widely used. Other now-extinct Cleopatra diminutives, including Cleora and Cleola, achieved some…

Rheya

Greek mythology name

"flowing stream"

It's a futuristic name in Solaris , but it is also related to Rhea, the name of Zeus's mother and wife of Cronus.

Celena

Celena is a feminine name with multiple potential origins, primarily considered a variant spelling of Selena or Celina. The name ultimately derives from Greek origins related to 'selene,' meaning…

Dorcas

Greek

"doe, gazelle"

Classic name used by the Romans, the Puritans, and the Bard, but pretty much taboo today due to the objectionable connotations of both its front and back ends.

Justina

Latin, feminine variation of Justin

Justina was the pre-Justine feminization of Justin, now a possible alternative to Christina. Oddly, while Justine feels like a name unto itself, Justina feels like a pinned-together feminization in…

Bernice

Greek

"she who brings victory"

Rarely heard today-- it fell off the list around 1980--Bernice is a biblical name of Greek origin. In the Bible, she is a sister of King Agrippa. Bernice was a Top 100 name in the US for more than…

Kassia

Spelling variation of Cassia, Greek

"cinnamon"

Kassia is the k-styled spelling variation of rising star name Cassia, an obscure but attractive botanical choice drawn from the cassia tree, which produces a cinnamon-like spice. The biblical Keziah…

Theodosia

Greek

"gift of God"

This feminine form of Theodosius has long been buried deep in the attic, but might be a good discovery for the parent who wants to move beyond Theodora. Vice President Aaron Burr named a daughter…

Corinna

Greek

"maiden"

Delicate and gentle old-fashioned name, the kind found in early English poetry. While Corinna and the original Green Korinna are technically diminutives of the ancient Kore, now the popular Cora,…

Asteria

Greek

"star"

Asteria is an Anglicized spelling of the Greek Astraea or Astraia, the goddess of justice and innocence. She became the constellation Virgo, so all forms of this name would be especially appropriate…

Hyacinth

Flower name, from Greek

"blue larkspur; precious stone"

Though it may not be as sweet and gentle as, say, Violet, the purple-hued Hyacinth still might hold some appeal for the parent seeking a truly unusual flower name. In Greek mythology, Hyacinthus was…