Greek Names

In Greek mythology, Daira ( or Daeira) was the name of a divinity and nymph connected with the Eleusinian mysteries, or the initiations held to enter the cult of Persephone. Her name is sometimes used as an epithet for Persephone, though she has also been depicted as the goddess's nurse and jailer.
 
It could also be seen as a variation of the Irish Daire (or Dara), meaning "fertile, fruitful" or Adair ("wealthy spear").

Daira

With a long and noble history -- Cyprian was one of the great Christian Latin writers -- this could make a highly unusual but meaningful choice. 
 Cyprian has been in use since medieval times, initially made known via the third century lawyer, martyr and bishop of Carthage, St. Cyprian, who wrote widely on theological themes...
There was a noted Nigerian writer named Cyprian Ekwensi, and a character named Cyprian in a Louise Erdrich novel, and in Harry Potter, Cyprian Youdle is a Quidditch referee.

Cyprian

A bright sounding name with a serious and spiritual meaning, Ezelio is a form of Eselias, itself the Greek variation of Hebrew Atsalyahu. It ranked in the US data for the first time in 2024, when it was given to 53 boys.
 
Some sources suggest Ezelio comes from Ezell, contracted from of Ezekiel.

Ezelio

Many will associate this name with Galen of Pergamon, the second-century physician considered to be the founding father of medicine. A more recent reference is Star Wars character Galen Erso. The name still projects a gentle, scholarly image, while sharing sounds with more popular names like Aiden and Nathan. Bonus: it's also an anagram of Angel.

Galen

Filomena

Pandora has occasionally been used by the British gentry (for girls with brothers who might be called Peregrine) and is now starting to be heard in the US too: It was given to 34 baby girls last year. 
 Down side: Pandora was the mythological first woman on earth whose curiosity caused her to lift a forbidden box and inadvertently unleash all the evils of the world. But perhaps she's paid the price long enough--Pandora is riding the wave of mythological names used for babies after centuries of being confined to legend.
 Pandora is the eponymous title character of an Anne Rice vampire novel, and appears in the Adrian Mole books. There was a Pandora character on Skins, who was adorably called Panda.

Pandora

Very popular on its native turf, foreign-sounding here. 

Alexios

Avram is a masculine name of Hebrew origin, serving as a variation of Abraham. Meaning 'exalted father' or 'father of many,' it carries significant religious and historical weight in Jewish tradition. While Abraham is the anglicized form commonly used in English-speaking countries, Avram remains closer to the original Hebrew אַבְרָהָם (Avraham). The name appears in the Torah/Bible as God's chosen name for the patriarch originally called Abram. Popular in Jewish communities worldwide, especially in Israel and among Ashkenazi Jews, Avram also has usage in Eastern European countries. The name combines historical gravitas with a distinctive sound that feels both ancient and accessible. Its biblical significance makes it meaningful for many religious families.

Avram

While Erina may look like popular Irish name Erin with an -a on the end (and some may well use it as such), it is in fact a multicultural choice.
 
From its Greek origins, it likely derives from Erinna, the name of an ancient poetess from the Island of Telos. Some sources suggest her name comes from erinos meaning "spring", while others connect it to heros meaning "hero". In this case, it would be pronounced as i-RIN-uh.
 
As a Japanese name, Erina blends the kanji symbols meaning "benefit, favor" and "village, parent's home" and would be pronounced EH-REE-NA. In Albania, meanwhile, it may be used as a form of Irina (meaning "peace") or Erjona ("our wind"), connecting it to nature too.
 
Additionally, it has been used as a Swiss-Italian form of Irene, or a floral choice, inspired by the erinus alpinus, better known as the alpine balsam or the star flower, as a Maori form of Elena and Ellen, and, as mentioned earlier, as an elaboration of Erin.

Erina

A much more dynamic nickname than Nicky for any of the Nic-names. Part of a growing trend of boyish nicknames for girls - alongside Stevie and Lou - Nico has cheerful, snappy sounds, and a fresh, sassy image.
 
Nico was used for 37 baby girls in the US last year, and twin sister Niko for another 17 -- though that's still far fewer than the 2700 baby boys who were given one of those two names.
 
The single-named German Nico (born Christa) was the iconic 1960s singer with Andy Warhol's Velvet Underground. Nico was chosen by Thandiwe Newton for her daughter.

Nico

The story of King Midas's Midas touch is a common cautionary tale, as he wished for everything he touched to turn to gold, only to regret it later. The associations with greed likely turn parents off of the name, but it does combine two popular trends: mythological names and names ending in -s.
 
Familiar in the Netherlands, where it ranked in the Top 400 in a recent year, rather interestingly, Midas has been chosen by two celebrity couples in 2026, notably Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury and Samantha and Pat McAfee.
 
Pronounced as MEE-das or MY-duhs, the exact meaning of Midas is uncertain, though theories include "reddish" or "copper " from Hittite and Proto-Slavic, or perhaps "to mince, grind, twist" from Proto-Indo-European. Other sources base the name's meaning on its associations, suggesting it could mean "wealth" or "gold".

Midas

Overly ambitious choice, recently borne by the hapless hero of cult movie hit Napoleon Dynamite. 

Napoleon

In Greek mythology, Poseidon is the wild God of seas, storms, earthquakes and horses — which he could tame with a strike of his trident. He is notable for helping the Greeks against the Trojans during the Trojan War nd for punishing Odysseus and his men after they kill the Cyclops Polyphemus. 
 
An equivalent to the Roman Neptune, the name Poiseidon could mean either "lord of the earth", "master of the water", or "earth shaker", though the exact etymology is debated. 
 
Poseidon would make a very bold option, but with Greek names like Odysseus and Perseus on the rise, Poseidon isn't out of the question. In fact, it's been appearing in the US stats since 2010, with 22 boys given the name in a recent count.

Poseidon

If you can put aside the oil connection, Castor is a mythological option, borne by one of the (half) twins that make up the constellation Gemini, the other being Pollux. A son of Leda and a king of Sparta, and a sibling of Helen of Troy, Castor and Pollux are seen as patrons of travellers and sailors, and of athletes. 
 
The exact meaning of the name is unknown, though speculation suggests it means "shining" (from kekasmai), "wood" (from Doric Greek káston), or, in a more contemporary context, "beaver" from the Greek word for the animal. The latter is unlikely to be the original source, however, given beavers would not have been native to Greece. There's also the Greek katharos meaning "clean, pure" which might be another possible source. 
 
Used by Metallica's James Hetfield for his son in 2000, it may inevitably linked to the aforementioned castor oil, a substance of many purposes, used in soaps, lubricants, brake fluids, dyes, and waxes. Nevertheless, it first appeared in the US stats back in the late 1990s and was given to 21 boys in a recent year.

Castor

Zephyrus was the Greek god of the west wind, and all names associated with him have a pleasantly gentle, breezy feel. With its cool Z initial and similarity in sound to Stephie and Serafina, Zephyr has been rising up the US charts in recent years as a unisex name.
 Given to 42 girls and 188 boys in a recent year, this is an impressive rise, given that the name was rarely used before the 2000s. For every girl called Zephyr, there are at least five boys but this could even out in the future. 
 Frequently seen in computer and video games thanks to its mystical quality, Zephyr is also a character in the children's book Silverwing, and in the Babar books--as a monkey. It features in the TV series My Little Pony, the short animated film How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming, and in the manga series, One Piece.

Zephyr

Homer is a name of two halves, associated with the ancient Greek poet of the epic Odyssey and with the (often) doltish patriarch of The Simpsons. So does that make Homer a classic and scholarly choice — or is it clunky and cartoonish?
 
Derived from ancient Greek homeros, the name can mean "hostage, pledge" or more figuratively, "security". It was popular in the US from at least the 19h-century onwards and featured in the Top 1000 until the early 1980s when it fell into decline. In a recent count, just 21 boys were called Homer in the US, ranking it alongside Icarus, Howie, Essex, and Lyfe in the same year. 
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Interestingly, however, Homer has been a surprising celebrity pick on multiple occasions, selected by Richard Gere, Bill Murray, and Anne Heche. Simpsons creator Matt Groening also has both a father and a son named Homer.
 
Returning to its Greek roots, however, Homer is associated with the term "homeric", which implies work on an enormous scale, and with "homeric laughter" too, in reference ro the unrestrained laughter of the Greek gods. 
 
In fact, 2026 might just have marked a turning point for the name, reacquainting it with its ancient roots, following the movie adaptation of The Odyssey in the same year.

Homer

This name of a third-century Christian martyr has an romantic, appealing feel in the modern world. It first came to American attention via Prince's love interest in the film Purple Rain. It could make an unexpected route to sweet nickname Polly — or perhaps to the quirky apple!
 St. Apollonia of Alexandria propelled her name into great popularity in the Middle Ages; her name is invoked against toothaches.
 Apolonia, one 'l', is the name of a character in John Steinbeck's novel, The Pearl.

Apollonia

Icarus, the mythological figure famous for flying too close to the sun, has a couple of negatives: his rash reputation, and those "icky" nicknames. 

Icarus

A name with a surprising amount of history--it was the name of the wife of Ptolemy I of Egypt, occurs in the New Testament, and belonged to a fourth century saint.  In the US, it has long been spelled and pronounced Bernice.  Nicknames include Bernie, Berry, Binnie and Bunny.

Berenice

In Greek myth, Circe, daughter of Helios, the sun, was a sorceress living on the island of Aeaea (or Aiaia) who could turn men into animals with her magic wand, which is just what she did to Odysseus's crew in Homer's Odyssey, transforming them into swine. All was forgiven, however, as Circe and Odysseus later had a child together;Telegonus.

The name and legend have appeared in countless forms, from a section of James Joyce's Ulysses to short stories by Julio Cortazar to Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon to films to DC comics to a dance by Martha Graham. Contemporary readers may well be familiar with Madeline Miller's popular 2018 novel, Circe which retells the goddess's story 

Meaning "hawk, bird", Circe is a witchy choice which has seen quiet uptake since the release of the aforementioned novel. Prior to 2018, it had never been given to more than 10 girls in a single year, while in more recent years, nearly 30 babies have been called Circe in the US.

Circe

Greek names include choices from ancient mythology along with modern Greek names both familiar to English speakers and those used mainly in Greece. As 

 become more popular, Greek baby names are found more often in nurseries and on playgrounds around the world.

 for girls include Alexandra, Chloe, Katherine, Sophia, and Zoe. For boys, Greek names in the US Top 300 include Alexander, Andrew, Elias, Lucas, and Phoenix. In 

 include Constantine, Nicholas, Eleni, and Vasiliki.

today include Atalanta, Kassia, Timon, and Xan. Baby names drawn from ancient Greek myth include Pandora, Calypso, and Zephyr.



Many Greek baby names have traveled far and wide from their origins in Greece. But there are other Greek names that are attracting new interest that are more distinctly Greek: Cassia and Ione for girls, for instance, and Homer and Linus for boys.



If you’re interested in Greek names for your baby, here is our full range, ordered by current popularity on Nameberry.

Greek baby names for girls and boys with meanings and popularity, including top Greek names such as Theodore and Ophelia along with hundreds of unique Greek names. (Page 16)

Greek Names (with Meanings & Popularity)