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Greek Names (with Meanings & Popularity)

  1. Calista
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "most beautiful"
    • Description:

      Spelled with either one 'l' or two, Calista came to the fore in 1997 when Calista Flockhart hit it big as Ally McBeal. Flockhart, who bears her mother's middle name, didn't just introduce a name, she introduced a whole sensibility. Pretty and delicate, Calista is definitely worthy of consideration, especially for parents with Greek roots.
  2. Ianthe
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "purple flower"
    • Description:

      Like Violet, Lavender and Lilac, Ianthe is a purple flower name. Chosen by the poet Shelley for his daughter, Ianthe has a poetic, romantic, almost ethereal quality. In the ancient myth, she was the daughter of Oceanus, supreme ruler of the sea, and also a Cretan woman so beautiful that when she died the Gods made purple flowers grow around her grave.
  3. Calypso
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "she who hides"
    • Description:

      This hyper-rhythmic name has two evocative references. In Greek mythology, she was an island nymph, a daughter of Atlas, who delayed Odysseus from returning home. It is also a genre of West Indian music, originating in Trinidad and Tobago and largely popularized in the States by Harry Belafonte.
  4. Lois
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "most desirable"
    • Description:

      The eternal fiancee of Superman turned sweet gray-haired lady who's always available to babysit her grandkids turned....hot new baby name?
  5. Christina
    • Origin:

      Latin, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "a Christian"
    • Description:

      Christina, a pretty and feminine, crystal clear classic, may be trending downward, but it's never out of style and its extra syllable does keep it fresher feeling than Christine. Christina's short forms Chris, Christie, and Tina might seem date to some — but used in its full form, it possesses the strength and elegance of Diana, Josephine, and Ophelia.
  6. Indigo
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "Indian dye"
    • Description:

      Indigo is one of the most appealing and evocative of the new generation of color names. Color names have joined flower and jewel names -- in a big way -- and Indigo, a deep blue-purple dye from plants native to India, is particularly striking for both girls and boys. Although most people don't think of it like this, Indigo might also be considered among the most stylish Greek baby names in use today. Some cultural references: The Indigo Girls are a folk duo, 'Mood Indigo' is a classic Duke Ellington jazz composition, and there is a 1970's New Age theory that Indigo children possess special, sometimes supernatural abilities. Indigo is the name of a character in the Ntozake Shange novel Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo, and was used for his daughter by Lou Diamond Phillips.
  7. Clio
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "glory"
    • Description:

      Clio is the name of the ancient Greek mythological muse of history and heroic poetry, one that is rich with modern charm and would make an intriguing choice, especially thanks to its dynamic o-ending.
  8. Demetrius
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "follower of Demeter"
    • Description:

      Classical and Shakespearean name that may appeal if you like your names long, flowing and multicultural.
  9. Irina
    • Origin:

      Russian from Greek
    • Meaning:

      "peace"
    • Description:

      Irina is a Russian ballet-inflected classic, one of the Three Sisters in the Chekhov play. While some Americans will pronounce this like Irene with three syllables, the pronunciation used throughout Europe, where it's widely used, starts with a short i as in it or if and a strong emphasis on the second syllable.
  10. Erasmus
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "beloved, desired"
    • Description:

      Erasmus has long retained the image of the bearded and bespectacled Dutch philosopher, but could be one that the audacious baby namer just might dare to dust off.
  11. Angela
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "angel"
    • Description:

      Angela was a Top 10 name from 1965 to 1979, the fifth most popular name for three years, and staying in the double digits until the turn of the 21st century. Today, though, Angelina or Angelica would be more fashionable options.
  12. Nerissa
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "from the sea"
    • Description:

      An offbeat possible replacement for the overused Melissa and Marisa, Nerissa was used by Shakespeare for Portia's witty confidante in The Merchant of Venice. Queen Elizabeth has a cousin named Nerissa.
  13. Melissa
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "honeybee"
    • Description:

      Melissa derives from the Greek word mélissa, meaning "bee," which was taken from the word for honey, meli. In Greek mythology, Melissa was a nymph who nursed the infant god Zeus with honey. Melissa was used as a given name by the early Greeks, as well as for fairies by Italian Renaissance poets.
  14. Dina
    • Origin:

      Hebrew variation of Dinah or Adinah
    • Meaning:

      "judged or delicate"
    • Description:

      Dina is a 20th century version of either Dinah or Adinah, two Old Testament names not related to each other. Dinah was the beautiful daughter of Jacob and Leah, while Adinah or Adina was a male soldier, though the name is also used for girls in modern Israel.
  15. Draco
    • Origin:

      Greek from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "dragon"
    • Description:

      For as long as we all shall live, Harry Potter's sneering nemesis.
  16. Acacia
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "thorny"
    • Description:

      Acacia is an attractive, rarely used Greek flower name enhanced by its popular beginning-and-ending-with 'a'-construct, and is gradually beginning to catch on as a new member of the stylish girl names starting with A.
  17. Leonidas
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "lion"
    • Description:

      Leonidas is an ancient name that has started rising again along with centuries-old names such as Augustus and Cato. The original Leonidas was the most famous of Sparta's warriors, sacrificing his life at the Battle of Thermopylae; there is also a saint Leonidas.
  18. Junia
    • Origin:

      Latin, Feminine variation of Junius
    • Meaning:

      "born in June"
    • Description:

      Juno is hot, June is showing signs of a comeback along with other month and day names, whereas Junia, the name of the the first century Christian referred to by the apostle Paul as an apostle (and who may have been male), is yet to be discovered.
  19. Phaedra
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "bright"
    • Description:

      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.
  20. Pandora
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "all gifted"
    • Description:

      Pandora has occasionally been used by the British gentry (for girls with brothers who might be called Peregrine) and is now starting to be heard in the US too: It was given to 34 baby girls last year.

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