Greek Names

A multicultural choice with two rather different meanings, Thana is an Arabic name with the spiritual meaning of "praise". It may also appear as Thanaa, Sana, and Sena, the latter spellings reflecting its pronunciation in Urdu and Turkish. 
 
Alternatively, Thana comes from the name of the Greek god Thanatos, giving it the meaning "death". That could make it feel rather ominous, but in mythology, the god was actually a jolly winged creature living in the underworld. It could also be considered a short form of Athanasia, meaning "immortal". 
 
In Arabic, the name would be pronounced tha-NA, while from its Greek roots, it would be THAN-a.

Thana

Borne by a Goddess of Justice, Themis (said as THEE-mis and TEH-MEES), is quietly, though more prominently, used for girls. 

Themis

If Thessaly, Thalassa, and Theano aren't bold enough for you, how about this striking choice? It was originally borne by an ancient Macedonian Greek Princess — the daughter of King Phillip II and a half-sister of Alexander the Great. She married the Macedonian ruler, Cassander, who named the city of Thessaloniki after her.
 
Comprised of the elements Thessalos ("Thessalian") and nike ("victory"), the princess was given the name to honor a battle victory of her father's in the region of Thessaly. 
 
A very rare option, the modern Greek form, Thessaloniki, and the Latinized form, Thessalonica, are used just fractionally more often.

Thessalonike

The name of a city in Macedonia, this is also the modern Greek form of Thessalonike, the ancient Greek princess for whom the city was named. The daughter of King Phillip II, a half-sister of Alexander the Great, and the wife of Cassander, Thessalonike was named to commemorate a battle victory of her father's in the region of Thessaly. 
 
It is currently a very rare choice.

Thessaloniki

The name of a river in West Asia, Tigris may have its origins in Ancient Greek, in which case it means "running water" or "swift water". Alternatively, it's a saintly choice, possibly borne by a sister of St. Patrick, and derived from Celtic and Gallic to mean "lady". 
 
Tigris was used by Suzanne Collins in her popular Hunger Games series, a cousin to President Snow and a stylist who has had her face surgically altered to look feline. In this instance, and from its Latin origins, the name would mean "tiger" or "tigress".

Tigris

Also spelled as Teiresias, this is the name of a blind seer in Greek mythology, who was transformed into a woman for seven years, and blinded by Hera after becoming involved in an argument between her and Zeus. The figure notably appears in Sophocles's Oedipus Rex, Ovid's Metamorphoses, and in Homer's Odyssey.
 
The name, often given to seers and prophets, can mean "to see the constellations or heavens" or "seeing wonders and divine signs", giving it a starry and powerful feel.
 
With similar sounds to Tyson, Elias, Reese, and Ozias, the name has yet to rank in the US stats.

Tiresias

A sharp, bright name with a bold meaning, Tisifoni is a modern Greek form of Tisiphone, associated with several figures from Greek mythology, including one of the Erinyes (goddesses of vengeance) and a daughter of Alcmaeon. 

Tisifoni

Short and snappy, Tol has an entirely different feel to its longer forms, Bartholomew, Ptolemy, and Anatole. Similar in sound and feel to the stylish Sol, it makes a lighter choice for several grandiose names.
 
Borrowed from Biblical Bartholomew, likely via the English nickname Tolly, Tol could mean "son of Talmai" or "son of the furrow". From the Greek Ptolemy it has the tough meaning of "warlike", while from the French Anatole (itself from the Greek ς Anatolius), it relates to the the rising sun.
 
Other sources of the name could be the Turkish Tolga meaning "helmet"; the Khmer name, Tola, also used as the word for October; a a Polish diminutive of Antoni, inspired by the use of Tola for Antonia. It may also originate from various names including the Old Norse Þórr (Thor), such as Tollak, Torkell, Torgils, and Torleif. 
 
There's also the surname Tolliver ("ironworker"), the Nahuatl Tlatol ("language"), or the Indonesian Tolha (via the Arabic ṭalḥ, meaning "fruit tree").

A striking, unflowery girls name, Tomyris could work for parents looking for a distinctive choice with a strong namesake. Tomyris was a 6th century warrior queen of the Massagetae (modern-day Turkmenistan) noted for defeating Persian ruler Cyrus the Great when he tried to invade her country. 
 
The name is a Latinized form of the Ancient Greek Tomuris, itself a variation of the Saka (or ancient Iranian) name Taumuriyah, ultimately derived from Old Persian to mean "kinship" or "family". She became a popular figure of the "Power of Women" theme in Renaissance art. 
 
International forms of the name include Tomiris and Tomris, used in Kazakhstan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikstan. Tamires, Thamyres and Tamíris are a Portuguese and Brazilian variants.

Tomyris

Rare for girls and rarer still for boys, Topaz is a gemstone name with a cool -Z ending, reminiscent of stylish options such as Azriel, Azariah, and Azai, along with the more classic Christopher, Thomas, and Tobias. Associated with healing, protection, fidelity, and good fortune, the golden gemstone is also the birthstone of November, which could make it a distinctive option for babies born in the month.
 
While the exact etymology of the name is unknown, one theory is that it comes from the Greek Topázios, the ancient name for what is now St. John's Island in the Red Sea. A yellow stone was originally mined from there, and while it believed to have been chrysolite and not topaz, the name may have became attached to the yellow gemstone anyway. A second theory is that it emerged from the Sanskrit word tapas meaning "heat" or "fire", likely in reference to its color.
 
While Topaz has never appeared in the US stats for boys, it has seen some use in Israel, India, and Canada as a masculine name. Thanks to its rarity however, it could work for any gender, especially as an unexpected middle name or a bold but familiar first.

Topaz

This Dutch form of the ancient Greek saints' name Tycho is in the Top 100 in The Netherlands.  While largely unknown in the English-speaking world, it's got a cool sound and ancient roots, which equals a winning choice.

Tygo

Edgy and cool but ancient too, Tyro fits in with the likes of Kyro and Mylo. It appeared on the US stats for the first time on 2024 when it was given to 5 boys.
 
In Greek mythology, Tyro featured as a feminine name, borne by a princess whose name was given in reference to her pale, "goat's cheese" complexion. The similar Tyros also appears, worn by a nymph and lover of Heracles, whose name comes from the city of Tyre in Lebanon, which means "rock".
 
Additionally, as a modern, masculine name, it could be a spin on Tyrone, literally meaning "Land of Eoghan" or more figuratively, "land of the Yew tree", or even a word name, meaning rookie, novice, or beginning.

Tyro

While Tyro has only ever appeared in the US stats for boys, in Greek mythology, it was borne by a princess, who was named for her pale "goat's cheese" complexion. She is notably the grandmother of Jason (as in Jason and the Golden Fleece) and the mother of Pelias, the king who sends Jason on his quest. 
 
There's also a Tyros in Greek mythology, a nymph and lover of Heracles, whose name is linked to Tyre in Lebanon, giving it the additional meaning of "rock". This gives the name a purple hue, as Tyros asks for a dress dyed in what became Tyrian purple.
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As cool as Cleo, Lyra, and Calypso, Tyro is a rare option that might appeal to those who enjoy spiky names like Tyler and Tyra, distinctive mythological choices, and names ending in -o. Also used as an English word to mean "rookie" or "beginner", Tyro might additionally be linked to Tyre in Lebanon, meaning "rock".
 
The name could be pronounced TIE-ro or TIR-o, depending on preference.

A seriously classic <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/434/baby-names-that-mean-love">name meaning love</a>, Adelpha is also the name for a genus of butterflies.

Adelpha

Likely derived as a spin on Iolanthe, itself created by Gilbert and Sullivan for their 1882 opera of the same name, Violanthe connects the name more obviously to the violet flower. It may appeal to those who enjoy the sleek, vintage Violet and the distinctive Xanthe but want something rarer than both. 

Violanthe

Derived from Yuriy, the Russian and Ukrainian form of George, Youri is a Dutch and French equivalent of the name. Gentle yet hardy, it has an international feel and was saw some popularity in France and the Netherlands during the 2000s. Pronounced as yoo-ree, in France, both syllables would be emphasized, while in Dutch, only the first would be.
 
Alternative Dutch forms include Joeri and Yoeri, along with Joris and Jurriaan, while in France, the alternative would be Georges.

Youri

A variation of the classic Irene, predominantly used in Peru, Venezuela, and Mexico, Yrene also appears in Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass series. Typically pronounced as ee-REH-neh, the book character's name is said as EYE-reen by some readers, following the English pronunciation.

Yrene

More than 1000 baby girls were named Azalea in the US last year, but none were named Zale. Theoretically unisex, there were no baby boys named Zale either. Simple yet rare, Zale suffers by its association with the mall jewelry store.

Zale Parry was a record-breaking female scuba diver and underwater stuntwoman.

Zale

An enthusiastic, upbeat choice that makes an unusual but positive word name. It might have seemed liked an odd choice a few years back, before Halo, True, Chosen, and Sunny made the rankings, but with the rising interest in wild word names and the popularity of Zaylee, it might not seem quite so out there any more. Six girls and 25 boys were given the name in a recent year. 

Zeal

Popular in Brazil during the 1960s, Zenaide is the Portuguese and Italian form of the Greek Zenaida. Associated with a genus of white-winged doves, a first-century saint and doctor, and the highest of the Greek gods, it is pronounced as dzeh-NIE-deh in Italian and as zeh-NYE-jee in Portuguese. 

Zenaide

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 40)

Greek Names (with Meanings & Popularity)