Greek Names

As a masculine name, Persey might well be used as a Bulgarian and Russian form of Perseus, however, as a feminine choice, it's more likely to derive from the name of the Greek goddess of the Spring and the Underworld, Persephone. Alternatively, it may be used as a gender-neutral form of Percy, itself adapted from a French place name, Perci-en-Auge, meaning "one who pierces the valley".

Persey

A Greek form of the Latinized Phaedrus, this name has the vibrant meaning of "bright". It appears in the title of a dialogue written by Plato, in which Phaidros (or Phaedrus) is an Athenian aristocrat.
 
The name has also been borne by a Roman fabulist, who first versed Aesop's Fables into Latin, and more recently appeared in Natasha Pulley's novel, The Hymn to Dionysus.

Phaidros

A feminine form of an Ancient Greek name, Philine was popularized in the 18th century by the author Goethe, who used it in his novel Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship. Also spelled as Philina, it comes from the Greek philos meaning "friend, lover".
 
The name appeared in the Top 500 in The Netherlands in the 2010s and has been notably borne by musician Philine Sonny, footballer Philine von Bargen, and actress Philine Schmölzer. The Swedish lifestyle and beauty influencer Filippa Moulier also used the name for her daughter in 2025.

Philine

Love Sophia but want a truly bold choice too? You could try Sophronia, but Philosophia is a rarer option still. 
 
Associated with the word philosophy, it combines the Greek elements philos and sophia meaning "lover" and "wisdom, cleverness" respectively. Philosophus and Philosophos are masculine forms (and a saint's name).
 
Nicknames include Phia, Pippa, Sophie, and Sophia, and while it may be a lot to wear for a baby, it could certainly work as a name for a wise character in fiction.

Philosophia

A name with links to mythology and the Bible, Phlegon is a distinctive Greek name with a blazing meaning. It was borne by one of the seventy disciples in the New Testament, by an Ancient Greek writer, known for the Olympiads, and by one of the horses that pull the sun God Helios's chariot.
 
Phlegon may be pronounced as FLEH-gohn or FLEE-gohn in English, but internationally, it appears as Flegont (FLEE-gohnt) in Russian and as Flegón (fleh-GOHN) in Spanish.

Phlegon

In Ancient Greece, Pneuma translated to "breath", though more philosophically, it's related the vital spirit, lifeforce, or soul of a person. Now, it may be associated with a character from the Xenoblade franchise, or with, well, pneumonia (or maybe a pneumothorax). 
 
Nevertheless, five girls received the name in 2024, and it has the benefit of sounding similar to Uma, Una, Nula, and Juna.

Pneuma

Ptolemais is an intriguing feminine form of the bold Ptolemy, once given to an ancient city in Libya, ruled over by Ptolemy III Euergetes. The location is now called Tolmeita in honor of its ancient name.
 
Derived from Greek, the name means "warlike" and offers cool nickname potential, such as Tolly and Emmy.

Ptolemais

A name associated with fire and the autumnal shades of orange and red, Pyhrra is both a feminine form of the name Pyhrrus, and a figure in Greek mythology herself. A daughter of Pandora and Epimetheus, she and her husband are the only survivors of a flood sent by Zeus.
 
Derived from the adjective purrhos, usually applied when referring to hair color, the name means "flame-colored", and the mythological Pyrrha is described as being a redhead by Ovid and Horace. 
 
The name appears again in Greek legend, used by Achilles when he is disguised as a girl by his mother, in the hope of avoiding his prophesized death at Troy. Achilles later uses Pyrrhus for one of his sons, perhaps as a nod to this. 
 
Also the name of a minor planet making it a space-related choice, the name has also been used for characters in the game Soul Calibur V and in the web-series RWBY.

Pyrrha

An unusual name form Greek mythology, Pyrrhus is an alternative name for Neoptolemus, the son of Achilles. In this case, Pyrrha was the name of the woman Achilles once disguised himself as, and so it was passed on to his son. 
 
Borne by a king of Greece in the third century BC, Pyrrhus is associated with the idea of a Pyrrhic victory, that is, one that is achieved by too greater loss to the winner for it really to be considered successful. Still, with its cool, blazing meaning and mythological ties, Pyrrhus might appeal, and it could make an edgy yet playful choice for a cat (similar in sound to puss and in appearance to purr).

Pyrrhus

An intriguing name with connections to Greek mythology, Pythia was the title of the high priestess at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. Also known as the Oracle of Delphi, she was one of the most powerful oracles and women in Ancient Greece.
 
The name derives from the phrase pythia hiereia meaning "priestess of the Pythian Apollo", Pythios being an epithet of Apollo, likely borrowed from Pytho, the original name for Delphi. The name Pytho means "to rot" in Ancient Greek, and while this meaning does sound unfortunate, it was given to celebrate Apollo slaying a monstrous Python, which in turn gave off a sweet sickly smell as it decomposed. 
 
While it may be pronounced as PIH-thee-uh in English, in Ancient Greek, it would have been PIE-THEH-A.

Pythia

A Greek feminine form of Ralph or Raoul, Rallia may appeal to those who enjoy Talia, Aurelia, Tallulah, Rhea, and Amalia. It also lends itself to the very charming diminutive Rallou (rah-loo).
 
Ultimately derived from the Old Norse Ráðúlfr, Rallia means "wolf-counsel", and has been notably borne by politician and singer Rallia Christidou and by a character in the game franchise Grim Dawn.

Rallia

An interesting, palindromic name, Sabas may appeal to those who like Silas and Sebastian but want something rarer (in the US at least). Derived from the Greek Sabbas, ultimately from the Aramaic sava, the name means "old man, grandfather" making it a name for an "old soul" or perhaps as a subtle honor to a grandparent figure. 
 
Borne by a number of saints, bishops, and martyrs, alternative transcriptions of the name include Sabbas (Greek), Savvas (modern Greek), and Sava (Slavic).

Sabas

Borne by a variety of early Christian martyrs, saints, and bishops, including Sabbas the Goth and Sabbas the Sanctified, Sabbas is a palindromic name with similar sounds to Sebastian, Silas, and Sasha. A rare choice, it may make an interesting ancient revival.
 
Derived from the Greek Sabbas, ultimately from the Aramaic sava, the name means "old man, grandfather" giving it an "old soul" feel. Alternative transcriptions of the name include Sabas (Spanish), Savvas (modern Greek), and Sava (Slavic).

Sabbas

Sasha in all its forms -- which include Sacha and Sascha -- is rising in popularity for both boys and girls, especially with the Sasha spelling attached to one of the First Daughters. Sacha with this spelling is a Top 20 name for baby boys in France.


Sacha

Also used as a surname, Santra is both a Finnish and Greek form of Sandra, and a Hindi and Marathi name, meaning "orange", making it a multicultural choice that travels well. 
 
In the first instance, it derives from the classic Alexandra and would be pronounced SAN-tra in Finnish and san-DHRA in Greek (DH like the sound at the beginning of them>).
 
In the second — and more popular — case, Santra is an Indian name, ultimately derived from the Sanskrit santram, the Hindi and Marathi santre and the Urdu santari, all referring to oranges, as in the citrus fruit. In this case, it would be said as SUN-truh or SUN-tru

Santra

This cool, sauntering boy's name would fit in and stand out in a classroom today. Other similar diminutives more distinct than Xander or Zander include Saunders, Sander, and Sanders. 

Saunder

With the new fashion in the US for S-ending surname-names, Saunders could see some use.

Saunders

The modern Greek transcription of the ancient Sabbas, this name is historically associated with the Patron saint of Serbia, a 4th century Christian martyr, and a 5th Cappadocian monk and priest. It has the cool appeal of being a palindrome and having a savvy sound, slightly reminiscent of Sasha, Sebastian, and Sylvan.
 Derived from the Greek Sabbas, ultimately from the Aramaic sava, the name means "old man, grandfather" making it a subtle way to honor a paternal, grandfather figure or for someone with an "old soul" or wisdom. 
 
Alternative transcriptions of the name include Sabas (Spanish) and Sava (Slavic).

Savvas

Also spelled as Serafiia, this name is a variation of Serapia, itself derived from Serapis, a Greco-Egyptian god, formed by fusing the sacred bull Apis with the god of the dead, Osiris. It is notably born by a 2nd-century saint, who was beheaded after she refused to worship the Roman Gods. 
 
This form is used in Swedish and Finnish, while elsewhere, Seraphia and Seraphie may be used. Thought to come from the Egyptian asar meaning "eye" or "mighty", some may additionally consider it as a creative twist on Serafina, a name inspired by a group of Biblical angels.

Serafia

An alternative form of Serapia, itself derived from Serapis, the name of a Greco-Egyptian god, formed through fusing the sacred bull Apis with the god of fertility and the dead, Osiris. It was notably borne by Saint Seraphia of Syria, a 2nd-century martyr, punished and then beheaded for refusing to worship the Roman gods.
 
From its Greek and Egyptian roots, Seraphia likely comes from the Egyptian asar meaning "eye" or "mighty", however, it may occasionally be used as a twist on Seraphina. In this case, it comes from the Biblical and Hebrew seraphim, referring to six-winged angels whose name means "fiery ones"
 
It could make an interesting alternative to Seraphina or Sophia.

Seraphia

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 38)

Greek Names (with Meanings & Popularity)