Names That Mean Mythology

In Greek mythology, Hecate is associated with witchcraft and magic. The name may mean "willpower" or "far-reaching". 

She was often associated with the moon and with storms, making this name a good alternative to more familiar names like Selena, Luna and Tempest. Hecate debuted in the US charts for the first time in 2022.

Hecate

Moria was a nymph, sister of Tylus, who played a role in a very complicated story involving a serpent and a life-giving plant. It sounds like and will often be mistaken for the name Mariah, as in Carey.

Moria

Makaria or Macaria is the name of two figures in Greek mythology, neither of whom have very uplifting stories to inspire a baby name.
One was a daughter of Heracles who sacrificed herself to save the city of Athens. The other was a daughter of Hades associated with blessed death.

Makaria

The mythological story of Minthe goes that she attempted to seduce Hades, god of the underworld. In an act of revenge, his wife Persephone transformed Minthe into the mint plant. In Ancient Greece, mint was commonly associated with funerals and the afterlife, both for its scent-masking properties and Minthe's connection to Hades.

Minthe

In Greek mytholgy, Antigone was the noble and courageous daughter of Oedipus, who acts as his guide after he blinds himself. Antigone is also the eponymous heroine of a play by Jean Anouilh.
 Despite her heroism, however, Antigone has not yet made it into the modern world, but with the increasing acceptance of longer, weightier Greek and Roman names, this could change.

Antigone

Danu is a name from Irish mythology without many details attached. Some say she's a goddess of agriculture and/or of women, but that does not appear in ancient texts.

In Hindu mythology, Danu is a water goddess. Her name is connected to the river Danube.

Danu

Garuda is the Hindu god of birds, a divine sun bird with the wings and beak of an eagle and the body of a man. The appealing Sanskrit meaning is "wings of speech".

Garuda, who can travel across the universe, is a symbol of justice and a divine protector of humans.

Garuda

French form of Cassiopeia, mother to Andromeda and the W-shaped constellation.

Cassiopée

French form of Artemis, the ancient Greek goddess of hunting, nature, childbirth and chastity. It is given occasionally to girls in France.

Artémis

The mythological Hellen, ancestor of the Hellenic aka Greek people, was actually male, a relative of sun god Helios. Today, there are no baby boys named Hellen though the Hellen spelling is hot for girls.

Hellen

The name of a mythically handsome youth – loved by Selene, the moon, who bore him fifty daughters. If you're looking for a mythological name for your son, this might make an excellent choice both rare and appealing.

Endymion

Tolkien may have been inspired by this unisex name of a Celtic goddess of war. Welsh poet Dylan Thomas named his daughter the variation Aeronwy. With <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/433/goddess-baby-names">goddess names</a> so hot for baby girls, this ethereal choice is one to consider.

Aeron

Though you may pray to the god of sleep for your baby to slumber through the night, a drowsy image is not the greatest one to inflict on your little boy. 

Morpheus

Sounds like a name from an old science fiction movie -- but this god of letters invented writing, and so might interest parents who are writers or professors. 

Nebo

The name of the father of the sea nymphs -- or one of its shorter forms such as Nereo or Nerio -- would be somewhat easier for a child to carry than Neptune. The name Nereus is largely forgotten but it certainly could rise again along with Atticus and Cassius and other ancient Greek brethren.
 It derives from the Greek neros meaning "water" and was borne by a 1st century Roman saint, making it both a saint name and a sea-related choice. The traditional Greek pronunciation has two syllables while the English form has three. 
 
The name has never charted in the US, but its Spanish and Italian form Nereo has occasionally been used.

Nereus

Dionysius derives from Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, revelry and fertility. This Romanized spelling has been used for poets, soldiers, and saints throughout the centuries, but is hardly ever seen today.

Dionysius

A Titan in Greek mythology, would not work in the modern world. 

Cronus

One way to reference mythology without naming your son after a god.

Olimpio

Name of the legendary ancient Greek poet and musician — whose music was so beautiful it made trees dance and rivers stop to listen — would provide a child with a challenging but indelible identity. 

Orpheus

Only if you're hoping for your son to become a wine-besotted poet. To the ancient Romans, Bacchus was the god of agriculture, wine and fertility.