Greek Names for Girls

Though the plays by Sophocles and Eugene O'Neill and via the "Electra Complex" proposed by psychoanalyst Carl Jung, this name has, unfortunately, become associated with incest and murder. 
 
Nevertheless, if you can put the mythology and theory aside, Electra makes a bright, spikey, electric feeling choice, with a shiny, gemstone meaning. If you can't, you could follow actress Isabella Rossellini who chose the gentler Italian version, Elettra, for her now grown daughter.

Electra

Niki

Greek nature goddess name that has a pleasing femininity. Damia is one of the more unusual <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/433/goddess-baby-names">goddess names</a> newly fashionable for contemporary baby girls.

Damia

Lamia is a name with two very different images: from its Arabic roots, it is a bright yet gentle choice with a glowing meaning. As a Greek name however, Lamia appears in mythology as a child-eating monster, who was driven to madness after Zeus's wife Hera took her children away. This latter figure is the inspiration behind the Keats poem of the same name.
 
While the mythological Greek form would be pronounced as LAY-mee-uh, the Arabic name is pronounced as LA-mee-a, which does help distinguish the two.

Lamia

Succinct and simple in spelling, Leda is a currently rare choice from Greek mythology with that appealing four-letter, ending in -a format of Lyra, Maia, Vada, Veda, and Nora. Borne by a Spartan queen in classic Greek myth, Leda was the mother of Helen of Troy, Clytemnestra, and the twins, Castor and Pollux. All were fathered by Zeus, who assaulted her in the form of a swan.
 
Familiar in Brazil and a Top 1000 choice in the US in the late 19th-century, Leda was given to just 12 girls in a more recent year, with parents put off, perhaps, by the myth. Nevertheless, if you can look beyond that, Leda has plenty of potential: unique, simple, and pretty.
 
Pronounced as LEE-duh or LAY-duh in English and as LEH-dah in Italian and Greek, the exact meaning is unknown, though "woman, wife" is one possibility, while other sources link it to the similar Leta ("glad, happy") via the Latin laetus.

Leda

Liliah is a delicate feminine name with Hebrew origins, considered a variation of Lilith or Delilah. It may also be connected to the word 'lilac' or 'lily,' flowering plants that symbolize innocence and purity. The name has a soft, flowing quality with its melodic sounds. While not among the most popular names, Liliah has seen modest usage in recent years as parents seek alternatives to the more common Lily, Lila, or Delilah. The spelling with an 'h' gives it a distinctive touch while maintaining its graceful character. Liliah evokes images of springtime, renewal, and gentle beauty, making it an appealing choice for parents seeking a name that sounds both timeless and fresh.

Liliah

Nicola, an elegant Latinate feminization of Nicholas, has long been standard issue for English girls but for some reason has never voyaged across the Atlantic, which we consider a pity, especially as Nicole's standing has waned.
 
 In Britain, Nicola first appeared around 1940, started rising in the fifties and by the mid-1970's had reached third place on the popularity list, after which it began to be replaced by Nicole.

 Nicola is a masculine name in Italy: one historic bearer Nicola Pisano was a renowned and influential thirteenth century sculptor. Classic Nicola still ranks well within the Top 100 boy names in Italy, although it is trending steadily downwards like its English equivalent.

 In his novel The Well Beloved, Thomas Hardy spelled it Nichola. Nicoletta or Nicolette, which was the name of an enchanting princess in the medieval French romance Aucassin et Nicolette, is a more feminissima version.

Nicola

Just when we had written off Peggy as the eternal perky, pug-nosed prom-queen she projected from the 1920s into the fifties, along came Mad Men, with intriguing mid-century characters with names like Joan and Betty--and Peggy, causing a bit of a re-think. MM's proto-feminist Peggy Olson was followed by Amy Adams's strong Oscar-nominated Peggy Dodd character in The Master.
 Peggy has been used independently since the eighteenth century, later combined with other names such as Peggy Sue, made famous by the Buddy Holly song and the film Peggy Sue Got Married.
 Some notable namesakes who have gone by Peggy include jazz singer Peggy Lee (born Norma), art patron Guggenheim (born Marguerite), skater Fleming, and author/speechwriter Noonan (born Margaret).
 It's not likely that Peggy will ever regain the 31st position it held in 1937, but we can see it coming into somewhat wider use.

Peggy

Pronounced as SEH-vee, this sparky name is a short form of Sevasti, Sevastiani, or Sevastiana, ultimately used as Greek femininizations of Sebastian. When pronounced ZEHV-ee, it's a rare Cornish word name, meaning "strawberries".

Sevi

Cassiopeia, the name of a mythological mother who became a stellar constellation, is challenging but intriguing, and has all those softening Cass nicknames available. And with all names Cass-related trending, Cassiopeia may be an unusual route to a stylish name.

With the rise of other otherworldly and mythical choices, from Apollo to Jupiter to Juno, Cassiopeia may just feel more possible for mortals now than ever before in its long history.

Some sources say the meaning relates to the cassia berry or tree, and may be "cassia juice," making this a botanical as well as a mythological name.

Cassiopeia

Time was, even C-starting Catherines who called themselves Kate spelled it with a K, but Cate Blanchett changed all.  Cate is now as acceptable as (but not as well used as) Kate. Cait might be short for Caitlin.

Cate

Cressida is a golden, mythological, and Shakespearean name, much better known in Britain than it is in the US. Given to just 11 American girls in a recent year — though still the highest number on record — it shares the cool golden meaning of Aurelia, Orla, and Goldie, and offers cute Cassie- alternative nickname Cressie, along with Ida and Sid too. 
 
Ultimately derived from the Greek name Chryses, first via its patronymic Chryseis, then through Criseida, the Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio's spin on it, Cressida is the form that finally appears in Shakespeare's Cressida and Troilus. While she doesn't have the best of literary reputations — in the works by Boccaccio, Shakespeare and Chaucer, she is faithless to her Trojan lover Troilus and breaks his heart — the name remains a fresh, crisp, and arty feeling option today.
 In Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Cressida is a film director character; while in the "real world", Cressida Cowell is the author of the popular novel series How to Train Your Dragon and Cressida Bonas is an actress and model.

Cressida

Hypatia, an ancient Greek name, has a distinguished namesake: Hypatia of Alexandria was an early philosopher and scholar of mathematics and astronomy. Fittingly, the name derives from the Greek hypatos meaning "highest, supreme", giving it a lofty and powerful feel.
 Hypatia's name has been claimed by second-wave feminists, and used as the name of the academic publication "Hypatia: A Journal of Feminist Philosophy". She also featured in Judy Chicago's installation "The Dinner Party", a triangular table with 39 place settings for mythical and historically important women.
 
The name (and philosopher) also features in the 1853 novel Hypatia by Charles Kingsley and in the 2009 movie Agora, in which Hypatia is played by Rachel Weisz. Additionally, the name has been notably borne by 19th century peace activist Hypatia Bradlaugh Bonner, and more recently by the character of Hypatia Vex in Cassandra Clare's popular series, The Shadowhunters.

Hypatia

Parthenia may be a bit unwieldy, but does conjure up majestic images of the Parthenon. It was briefly in the US charts in the late 19th century. 

Parthenia

Tasia is a feminine name that originated as a diminutive of Anastasia, which comes from Greek meaning 'resurrection.' This shortened form maintains the melodic quality of its longer counterpart while offering a more succinct, modern feel. Tasia gained modest recognition in the late 20th century as parents sought distinctive yet accessible names. The name carries a blend of classical Greek heritage with contemporary appeal. Its international character makes it recognizable across different cultures while remaining relatively uncommon. Tasia's bright vowel sounds and graceful cadence give it a feminine elegance without excessive ornamentation. The name appeals to parents drawn to names with classical roots but seeking something less common than traditional favorites.

Tasia

Many old-school girl names are feminine forms of male names. This one gets an exotic twist from being the female version not of Basil but the form used very commonly in Greece, Vasilios. This uncommon name would make an interesting and rare V-starting choice.

Vasiliki

This name of an ancient fertility goddess is associated with the month of May and could make a pretty, unusual choice for a springtime baby. Damaris is a similar possibility.

Damara

Feminization of the Greek place name Delphi (of oracle fame), Delphia could also be used as a nod to American city Philadelphia. Delphine and Delphinia are similar names.

Delphia

Elidi is intriguing but potentially confusing. Try the French Elodie instead. 

Elidi

Flowing and intriguing, Eurydice is a name from Greek mythology, borne by the wife of musician Orpheus. After she is poisoned by a snake and condemned to the underworld, Orpheus attempts to rescue her, but fails after breaking the condition set by Hades that he mustn't look back at her.
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Meaning "wide justice", Eurydice has provided creative inspiration in the arts, namely as the subject of operas by Monteverdi, Haydn and Gluck, an eponymous play by Jean Anouilh, and paintings by Titian, Rubens and Poussin. The myth has also provided inspiration for Tennessee William's drama Orpheus Descending, David Almond's novel A Song for Ella Grey<//em>, Céline Sciamma's film Portrait of a Lady on Fire and the song Talk by Hozier. 
 In pop culture, it turns out that in the U.K. TV cult favorite Absolutely Fabulous, the outrageous Patsy's full name is Eurydice Colette Clytemnestra Dido Bathsheba Rabelais Patricia Cocteau Stone.
 
Some may see the name as a heavy choice but with weighty four-syllable Greek myth names like Persephone in style, could Eurydice become a more usable option? With nicknames Edie, Dizzy, Riri or Cece perhaps? In fact, 10 girls were given the name in a recent year in the US: still a small number but significantly more girls than previous years.
 
The modern Greek form is Evridiki (ehv-ree-DHEE-kee) which could get you nickname Kiki too.

Eurydice

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 14)

Greek Girl Names