By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 40 pages
of 40
Greek
"violet flower"
This unusual Greek flower and color name has gained considerable recent attention via actress Ione Skye, who is the daughter of sixties folksinger Donovan. Ione was one of the fifty sea nymphs —…
English
"woman from Magdala or high tower"
Biblical name long associated with the fallen-yet-redeemed Mary Magdalen, now rising improbably into the ranks of the fashionable among parents hungry for classic yet distinctive girls' names. The…
"bright"
This name of a tragic figure in Greek mythology, the daughter of King Minos, sister of Ariadne and wife of Theseus, has a mysterious and intriguing appeal, and would make a dramatic choice. Phaedra…
Flower name, from Greek
"immortality"
Tansy is a flower name rarer than Rose, livelier than Lily and a lot less teasable than Pansy. Tansy is a perennial herbaceous plant of the aster family that has clusters of small bright yellow…
"golden, yellow"
X marks the spot in names these days, usually at the middles or ends of names, but here is one that puts it squarely up front. This extravagant name, which, like many Greek names beginning with X, is…
Variation of Leonidas, Greek
"lion"
Used as a unisex name in Galicia, this powerful name is the Ionic and Attic Greek form of Leonidas.
"rich"
The Roman god of the underworld, the former ninth planet, a cartoon dog...but not a baby.
"tame, domesticated"
This feminine form of Damian projects a positive and lilting image, a distinct contrast to its male counterpart.
Greek place-name
The name of an ancient country located in South Asia Minor, perfect for someone looking for a rare and feminine name with history.
"royal, kingly"
Alternative form of Basil that might suit the adventurous.
"citadel"
This version of the name of a Greek nymph, based on the ancient city of Larisa, is widely used in Russia thanks to a martyr saint venerated by the Eastern Church.
Greek, variation of Artemis
You might think Artemisia is the feminine form of the name, but in fact the original Artemis is feminine too, the name of the Greek mythological goddess of the moon. Artemisia Gentileschi was an…
"amber, shining, bright"
Though the plays by Sophocles and Eugene O'Neill and via the "Electra Complex" proposed by psychoanalyst Carl Jung, this name has, unfortunately, become associated with incest and murder.…
"kiss"
Rarely heard New Testament name -- he was a friend of Saint Paul -- that might conceivably stand up to modern usage.
Greek, diminutive of Nicole
Streamlined version of outdated Nicki.
"the praised one"
In Greek and Roman mythology, Aeneas was the legendary son of Venus (or Aphrodite) who was the hero of Troy and Rome. Appearing in the Aeneid by the poet Virgil, he goes on to found the Roman state…
"resurrection"
A Greek name more familiar in English speaking countries in its feminine form, Anastasia, this masculine version bears further consideration. The traditional nickname is Sakis, as used by notable…
"called forth"
Sometimes used as a short-form of Catholic Pope name Anacletus, Cletus is an ancient name that has not-yet found the popularity of Theodore, Leo, Atticus and Max. It perhaps suffers from its…
Scottish form of Gregory
"vigilant, a watchman"
Two prominent literary namesakes make Gregor a somewhat risky choice. On the highbrow side, there's Gregor Samsa, the Kafka character who woke up one day to find himself turned into a cockroach. And…
"spirit"
Greek nature goddess name that has a pleasing femininity. Damia is one of the more unusual goddess names newly fashionable for contemporary baby girls.
