Greek Names for Girls

Asteria is an Anglicized spelling of the Greek Astraea or Astraia, the goddess of justice and innocence.  She became the constellation Virgo, so all forms of this name would be especially appropriate for a child born in late August or early September.

Asteria

Though it may not be as sweet and gentle as, say, Violet, the purple-hued Hyacinth still might hold some appeal for the parent seeking a truly unusual flower name. 
 
In Greek mythology, Hyacinthus was a Spartan youth accidentally killed by Apollo, from whose blood sprang a beautiful and fragrant flower, and it is also the name of several saints; Hyacinth became exclusively female in the nineteenth century. To the ancients, Hyacinth was, in addition to being a bluebell-like blossom, the name of a precious stone.
 
Hyacinth Bridgerton is the youngest child of the fictional Bridgerton family, named in alphabetical order from A-H. There is a character named Hyacinth Robinson in Henry James's The Princess Casamassima and Hyacinth Bucket is the social-climbing character on the British sitcom Keeping Up Appearances, with sisters named Daisy, Rose, and Violet. To underscore her pretentiousness, Hyacinth Bucket insisted that her last name be pronounced as "bouquet".
 
You might also consider the Spanish version, Jacinta.

Hyacinth

Biblical name from the New Testament. The Book of Philemon mentions Apphia as a Christian woman in Colossae.

Apphia

In Greek mythology, Daira ( or Daeira) was the name of a divinity and nymph connected with the Eleusinian mysteries, or the initiations held to enter the cult of Persephone. Her name is sometimes used as an epithet for Persephone, though she has also been depicted as the goddess's nurse and jailer.
 
It could also be seen as a variation of the Irish Daire (or Dara), meaning "fertile, fruitful" or Adair ("wealthy spear").

Daira

Filomena

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. 
 Down side: Pandora was the mythological first woman on earth whose curiosity caused her to lift a forbidden box and inadvertently unleash all the evils of the world. But perhaps she's paid the price long enough--Pandora is riding the wave of mythological names used for babies after centuries of being confined to legend.
 Pandora is the eponymous title character of an Anne Rice vampire novel, and appears in the Adrian Mole books. There was a Pandora character on Skins, who was adorably called Panda.

Pandora

While Erina may look like popular Irish name Erin with an -a on the end (and some may well use it as such), it is in fact a multicultural choice.
 
From its Greek origins, it likely derives from Erinna, the name of an ancient poetess from the Island of Telos. Some sources suggest her name comes from erinos meaning "spring", while others connect it to heros meaning "hero". In this case, it would be pronounced as i-RIN-uh.
 
As a Japanese name, Erina blends the kanji symbols meaning "benefit, favor" and "village, parent's home" and would be pronounced EH-REE-NA. In Albania, meanwhile, it may be used as a form of Irina (meaning "peace") or Erjona ("our wind"), connecting it to nature too.
 
Additionally, it has been used as a Swiss-Italian form of Irene, or a floral choice, inspired by the erinus alpinus, better known as the alpine balsam or the star flower, as a Maori form of Elena and Ellen, and, as mentioned earlier, as an elaboration of Erin.

Erina

A much more dynamic nickname than Nicky for any of the Nic-names. Part of a growing trend of boyish nicknames for girls - alongside Stevie and Lou - Nico has cheerful, snappy sounds, and a fresh, sassy image.
 
Nico was used for 37 baby girls in the US last year, and twin sister Niko for another 17 -- though that's still far fewer than the 2700 baby boys who were given one of those two names.
 
The single-named German Nico (born Christa) was the iconic 1960s singer with Andy Warhol's Velvet Underground. Nico was chosen by Thandiwe Newton for her daughter.

Nico

Zephyrus was the Greek god of the west wind, and all names associated with him have a pleasantly gentle, breezy feel. With its cool Z initial and similarity in sound to Stephie and Serafina, Zephyr has been rising up the US charts in recent years as a unisex name.
 Given to 42 girls and 188 boys in a recent year, this is an impressive rise, given that the name was rarely used before the 2000s. For every girl called Zephyr, there are at least five boys but this could even out in the future. 
 Frequently seen in computer and video games thanks to its mystical quality, Zephyr is also a character in the children's book Silverwing, and in the Babar books--as a monkey. It features in the TV series My Little Pony, the short animated film How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming, and in the manga series, One Piece.

Zephyr

This name of a third-century Christian martyr has an romantic, appealing feel in the modern world. It first came to American attention via Prince's love interest in the film Purple Rain. It could make an unexpected route to sweet nickname Polly — or perhaps to the quirky apple!
 St. Apollonia of Alexandria propelled her name into great popularity in the Middle Ages; her name is invoked against toothaches.
 Apolonia, one 'l', is the name of a character in John Steinbeck's novel, The Pearl.

Apollonia

A name with a surprising amount of history--it was the name of the wife of Ptolemy I of Egypt, occurs in the New Testament, and belonged to a fourth century saint.  In the US, it has long been spelled and pronounced Bernice.  Nicknames include Bernie, Berry, Binnie and Bunny.

Berenice

In Greek myth, Circe, daughter of Helios, the sun, was a sorceress living on the island of Aeaea (or Aiaia) who could turn men into animals with her magic wand, which is just what she did to Odysseus's crew in Homer's Odyssey, transforming them into swine. All was forgiven, however, as Circe and Odysseus later had a child together;Telegonus.

The name and legend have appeared in countless forms, from a section of James Joyce's Ulysses to short stories by Julio Cortazar to Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon to films to DC comics to a dance by Martha Graham. Contemporary readers may well be familiar with Madeline Miller's popular 2018 novel, Circe which retells the goddess's story 

Meaning "hawk, bird", Circe is a witchy choice which has seen quiet uptake since the release of the aforementioned novel. Prior to 2018, it had never been given to more than 10 girls in a single year, while in more recent years, nearly 30 babies have been called Circe in the US.

Circe

Eliane is a melodic name with the very fashionable El- beginning. Lovely and lilting as it is, be aware that there are many El- variations around these days, and little girls called Ellie as a result.


Eliane

This Scandinavian name was made famous in English-speaking countries as the name of the dog in the "Thin Man" series.  Danish actress Asta Nielsen was another famous bearer. Asta can be considered as a short form of Astrid or Augusta.

Asta

This is the spelling that old-time film star Katharine Hepburn used, and it's still favored by fans wanting to reference her classic strength and beauty.  But in general, it's losing ground to Katherine and even Ms. Hepburn's own favorite short form, Kate.

Katharine

Literally, the Odyssey is Homer's epic tale of Odysseus's long voyage home from the Trojan wars, but more figuratively, it is used to describe any long, challenging, or eventful journey. A rare choice, but not quite as rare as you might think, Odyssey has been used steadily for girls since the 80s.
 
Occasionally used for boys too, Odyssey shares sounds with more popular options like Ottilie, Issy, Cecily, and Odette, while also feeling like a (much) rarer alternative to Journey, Story, or Sailor.
 
 Given to 27 girls (and 8 boys) in the US in a recent year, this figure may rise following the 2026 release of the movie The Odyssey, brining widespread attention to the word.

Odyssey

A paramour of Alexander the Great and the heroine of a Jules Massenet opera based on the life of a fourth century Egyptian saint, this name is nothing if not dramatic. Often spelled with a diaeresis or umlaut -- aka two dots -- over the letter i, Thais is a Top 100 girls' name in France and is also popular in Spain.


Thais

Trying to imbue your child with charisma at birth involves a certain degree of chutzpah. It was brought into the mix by ex. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" actress Charisma Carpenter, who was named after an Avon perfume. 

Charisma

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. 
 Unlike the sound-alike Cleo, which brings up visions of Cleopatra, Clio is very much a stand-alone name. The only problem? Some might associate it too heavily with the car model, but that will hopefully fade with time.
 In English, the first syllable is emphasized, however, in the original Greek, it is the second O that is more prominent. 
 If you love Clio, you could consider other Greek muse names: Thalia and Calliope.

Clio

Eudora is the name of five minor goddesses of Greek mythology and a major goddess (in the person of Pulitzer Prize-winning Eudora Welty) of modern American literature. Eudora is pleasant and euphoneous and a possibility for rejuvenation.
 In Greek myth, Eudora was one of the Hyades, a set of sisters transformed into the star cluster that bears their name. 
 In Disney's The Princess and the Frog, Eudora was the name of Princess Tiana's mother, who was voiced by Oprah Winfrey, and of Mia Farrow's character in Zelig. Eudora is also a character in Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom, and was chosen by actress Marcia Gay Hardin for her daughter back in 1998.

Eudora

Greek girl names include several classic names that have ranked highly in the US for its entire history, most notably Catherine, Helen, and Margaret.

 in recent times, not only in the US but around the world, is Sophia, the name of the ancient Greek goddess of wisdom. Sofia, the name’s alternate spelling, also ranks in the Top 25, along with the Greek name Penelope.

include Alexandra, Arianna, Chloe, Cora, Evangeline, Iris, Lydia, Maya, Ophelia, Thea, and Zoe. 

 popular in Greece include Konstantina, Katerina, Dimitra, and Eleni.

 currently in style include Anastasia, Anthea, Calypso, Cassia, Dorothea, Eulalia, Ione, Lyra, and Phoebe. But there are so many other Greek girl names worth consideration, from Acacia to Zephyrine, that the entire list bears a closer look.

 were a big favorite of Shakespeare's, with such Greek names as Desdemona and Cressida playing a major part in some of his greatest tragedies. If Greek girl names are good enough for the Bard, surely our list of Greek names for girls is worth exploring!

Greek girl names with meanings and popularity, including top Greek names for girls and unique girls names from Greece and of Greek origin. (Page 10)

Greek Girl Names