Names That Mean Mythology
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About this list
The names
Maya
Sanskrit, English, Hebrew, Estonian
"illusion, magic; mother; water; beloved, bitter, drop of the sea"
Maya, which has an almost mystical image, has been steadily climbing in popularity in the US and the English-speaking world, along with a range of other countries, including France, Germany, Israel,…
Athena
Greek
"from Athens"
Magical and distinctive but grounded and familiar too, it's no surprise that Athena has become one of the most widely used ancient goddess names in the contemporary Western world. Derived from the…
Sabrina
Celtic, Latin name for the River Severn
Sabrina, the bewitchingly radiant name of a legendary Celtic goddess, is best known as the heroine of the eponymous film, originally played by Audrey Hepburn, and later as a teenage TV witch; it…
Orion
Greek
"boundary, limit"
Orion is a rising star, with both mythical and celestial overtones. The Greek mythological Orion was the legendary hunter who pursued the seven daughters of Atlas, was slain by the goddess Artemis,…
Mya
Variation of Maia, Maya, or Mia, Greek, Scandinavian, Hebrew, Burmese
"mother; larger, greater; bitter, beloved; emerald"
This distinctive spelling was popularized by the R&B singer Mya (Harrison) and entered the US Top 100 in 2009 after the singer appeared on Dancing with the Stars . While it has since declined in the…
Apollo
Greek mythology name
"destroyer; strength; father's light"
With mythological names rising, the handsome son of Zeus and god of medicine, music, and poetry among many other things might offer an interesting, and melodic option. Similar in style to Atlas and…
Calliope
Greek mythology
"beautiful voice"
Melodic and beautiful but with a touch of sass, Calliope is the name of the muse of epic poetry — and perhaps less glamorously, the musical instrument on the merry-go-round. Bold and creative, it…
Odin
Variation of Óðinn, Old Norse
"god of frenzy; poetic fury"
Odin is the name of the supreme Norse god of art, culture, wisdom, and law — who was handsome, charming, and eloquent into the bargain. The name projects a good measure of strength and power and has…
Rhea
Greek mythology name
"a flowing stream"
Rhea is an old-style creative name of the Greek mythological earth mother of all the gods. A lot better than the Roman equivalent: Ops. Rhea reentered the US Top 1000 in 2015 and has been heading…
Eris
Greek
"strife, discord"
Eris was the goddess of strife and discord, turned fairy tale and then popular culture figure Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty. Ironic, as her name sounds so much like that of Eros, the god of love.…
Persephone
Greek
"bringer of destruction"
Magical and earthy, sophisticated but off-beat, Persephone appears as the daughter of Zeus by Demeter in Greek mythology. After she was kidnapped by Hades to be Queen of the Underworld, it was…
Echo
Greek mythology name
"echo or sound"
Echo, the pretty, resonant name of a legendary nymph, was the heroine of Joss Whedon's sci-fi series Dollhouse . Nick Hexum, of the band 311, named his daughter Echo Love. In the Greek myth, Echo was…
Clytie
Greek mythology name
"glorious or renowned"
Clytie was a sea nymph who loved the sun god Helios, who spurned her. She turned into the heliotrope flower.
Artemis
Greek mythology name
"safe or butcher"
Artemis, one of the key figures of the female Greek pantheon, is the ancient virgin goddess of the hunt, wilderness, animals, childbirth, and a protector of young girls, later associated with the…
Halie
Greek mythology name
"dweller in the sea"
Halie is the name of several figures in Greek mythology, most of them sea nymphs. The most prominent mythological Halie was the mother of Rhodos, who gave her name to the island Rhodes, and six sons…
Elara
Greek mythology name
"hazelnut, spear"
A bright, airy choice, Elara appears in Greek mythology and is borne by a lover of Zeus who gave birth to a giant son called Tityos. One of Jupiter's moons is named after her, adding a celestial feel…
Jami
Japanese mythology name
In Japanese folklore, Jami is an evil mountain spirit. Jami might also be a generic name for these deomons.
Venus
Latin
"love, desire"
The name of a heavenly planet and the Roman goddess of beauty and love was an intimidating no-no until tennis champ Venus Williams put an athletic, modern spin on it. Associated with the Greek…
Lissa
African, Arabic mythological name; diminutive of Melissa, Greek
"honeybee"
Lissa might be an abbreviation of Melissa, but it's more substantial in its own right: Lissa is the name of a supreme mother goddess in African mythology and an Arabic symbol of rebirth.
Tamra
English, Arabic, Hebrew
"date palm, fruit"
Tamra is both a contracted form of Tamara and an Arab village in Jezreel Valley, Israel. As such, its meaning could be "date palm" or "fruit" more generally, or it could relate to an old Arabic word…
