Greek Names (with Meanings & Popularity)

Pipitsa

Pipitsa is an uncommon feminine name with Greek origins, functioning as an affectionate diminutive form. In Greek usage, it serves as a cute, endearing nickname, similar to how English speakers might…

Popi

Popi is a feminine name with multiple cultural origins. In Greek contexts, it can be a diminutive of Kalliopi, meaning 'beautiful voice.' It also appears as a nickname in Hispanic communities,…

Pinelopi

Pinelopi is the Greek form of the name Penelope, a feminine name rich in mythological significance. In Greek mythology, Penelope was the faithful wife of Odysseus who waited twenty years for his…

Penthia

Greek

"flower"

Penthia might not be the most charming flower name, but as the lovely Penelope ascends, and the lovely Cynthia fades away, a compromise may be in order.

Peta

Native American, Blackfoot,or Greek, "golden eagle, or rock, stone"

"golden eagle, or rock, stone"

Too tightly tied to the acronym for the activist group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Peri

Greek; Hebrew; Persian

"mountain dweller; fruit; fairy"

This name used for both sexes in several cultures is quite well used in Israel.

Melantha

Greek

"dark flower"

The th sound both softens and complicates this Melanie relative.

Damaris

Greek

"dominant woman"

In the New Testament, Damaris was an Athenian woman converted to Christianity by St. Paul. Known for her charitable work, her name was a favorite among the Puritans. Having slid off the bottom of the…

Persis

Greek

"Persian woman"

Parents seeking a distinctive New Testament name might consider this one. Adopted by some Puritans in the seventeenth century, Persis was used in the William Dean Howells novel The Rise of Silas…

Petrina

Petrina is a feminine name with classical roots, derived from the Latin name Petrus, meaning "rock" or "stone." It's essentially the feminine form of Peter, carrying connotations of strength and…

Basilia

Greek, feminine variation of Basil

Rare but attractive female form of Basil.

Petal

English from Greek

"leaf"

Petal is the soft and sweet-smelling name of a character in the novel and film, The Shipping News . With the rise of such flower names as Poppy and Posy, we believe Petal — down-to-earth yet romantic…

Melania

Spanish and Greek variation of Melanie

"black"

The current wife of Donald Trump, Slovenian model Melania Knauss, brought this pretty version to the fore. Saint Melania was an heiress who freed thousands of enslaved people.

Petronelle

Greek

"rock, stone"

Petronelle and sisters Petronella and Petronel are all relatives of Petra, a feminization of Peter. They are old names, but extremely rare.

Medora

Greek

"mother's gift"

Medora is a Greek name much less common here than, say, Melanie or Melissa. It has some literary references, including as the beautiful and passionate heroine of Lord Byron's poem The Corsair, and in…

Phedora

Greek

"supreme gift"

A bit pharmaceutical, not to mention hatlike.

Philadelphia

Greek place-name

"brotherly love"

Place-name mentioned in the New Testament and not yet on the name map. Philadelphia Thursday was the character played by Shirley Temple in John Ford's 1948 "Fort Apache."

Phyllida

Greek variation of Phyllis

"green bough"

Phyllida, a "Masterpiece Theatre"-style appellation, seems far fresher and more unusual than Phyllis. It's green-related meaning makes it one of the prime names that mean new beginnings . It's a name…

Damara

Greek

"gentle girl"

This name of an ancient fertility goddess is associated with the month of May and could make a pretty, unusual choice for a springtime baby. Damaris is a similar possibility.

Medea

Greek

"middle"

Mythological princess who killed her kids. Eternal no-no.