By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 40 pages
of 40
Greek, first letter of the alphabet
The first letter of the Greek alphabet ande the brightest star in every constellation, this would make an interesting choice for a first daughter, though it does give off some spectral sci-fi…
Greek
"far-famed"
Ancient Athenian statesman whose name was once used in the US mostly for enslaved people, following a trend for names of ancient figures.
"rock"
Piers was the first version of Peter to reach the English-speaking world, via the Normans, but it's never made it in the US, despite its large measure of understated panache. This might change due to…
"very sweet"
Made cool by that final X (as seen in Felix, Lennox, and Rex), Pollux is the Romanized form of Polydeukes, the half-twin of Castor, and the son of Zeus and Leda. Associated with the Gemini…
"joy"
Chara is the name of a star in a constellation that represents hunting dogs, recently named as one of the most likely to host extraterrestrial life. Also, Chara is a variation of both Sarah and…
"the wise one"
Despite the reputation of the sagacious ancient Greek lawmaker, this name hasn't moved to the modern world.
"garland, crown"
The original form of Stephen, a readily importable choice.
Eirini is the traditional Greek form of Irene, deriving from the Greek word 'eirēnē' meaning 'peace.' This beautiful feminine name has profound historical roots in ancient Greek culture, where Eirene…
Vietnamese
"good-hearted; respectful; blooming"
Thảo is a unisex, though primarily feminine, name in Vietnam.
"loved by God"
Multisyllabic New Testament relic dimly recalled from the Thornton Wilder novel Theophilus North .
"reward, honor"
Kids would be more likely to associate this name with the hyperactive meercat in "The Lion King" than with the ancient Greek philosopher or Shakespearean character, which could cause playground…
Word name, Greek
"manifestation, striking appearance"
Spiritual in multiple senses of the word, Epiphany has been given to a handful of girls since the late 1980s, peaking in 1988 when it was given to 55 babies, following the release of the movie Angel…
Greek, diminutive of Alexis
Lexis is a condensation of Alexis, or the expression of a wish to drive a Lexus. Go with the longer form.
Persian
"dawn"
Alternative (rarer) spelling of Roxanne.
"sensible, prudent"
Stately and elegant, but with the familiar sounds of Sophia and Sophie, Sophronia was a familiar choice back in the 19th century but has since fallen into obscurity. Derived from the Greek sophron ,…
"love, affection"
Agapi has a sweet meaning of love and affection, but though this name is used in modern Greece, it's one of the Greek names for girls that has not yet emigrated to the US along with so many of her…
"lady"
Despina is best known as the clever and wily maidservant character in Mozart's opera Così fan tutte , and as one of Neptune's moons, making it a musical and an astronomy-inspired choice. However, the…
"demi-god"
Despite the possibility of gender confusion, the Hero in Greek myth was a woman. Myleene Klass got that when she chose Hero for her daughter, and Sam Taylor-Wood and Aaron Johnson used it as their…
Greek mythology name
Io may be one of the slightest names in the book, but there aren't many two-letter names with as much substance as this Greek mythological example. Io, a name used for the largest moon of Jupiter,…
"last"
Omega is a perfect choice for a youngest child.
