Greek Names for Girls

Kris was once the ultimate cool cheerleader name, but now she's more likely to be a matriarch ala Kris Jenner. 

Only five baby girls were named Kris in the US last year, though there are still several hundred baby girls named Kristina, Kristen and sisters every year, making this name far from unique, at least as a short form.

Kris

While only 8 baby girls were named Milia in the US in 2021, its rise seems inevitable along with the rise of Emilia and Mila and other similar names. Like Livia, Milia has the advantage of being different from the rest, but the disadvantage of maybe not being different enough (and being a word for tiny, harmless white spots on skin).

 In Greek, Milia means "apple tree" and is also found as a place name in Greece.

Milia

Long in our category of so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out category, once seen as a gum-cracking 1940's telephone operator, we think it's time to reassess Myrtle, and look at is as a nature name, a plant with pink or white aromatic berries. Ruled by Venus, myrtle is a plant associated with love, peace, fertility and youth.
 Myrtle has lots of literary references as well: in Thomas Hardy's The Hand of Ethelberta, Theodore Dreiser's The Genius, P. G. Wodehouse's Meet Mr Mulliner, and especially The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald's Myrtle Wilson has been played on film by actresses as varies as Shelley Winters, Karen Black and Isla Fisher.

Myrtle

A simple but unusual name with roots in disparate cultures, Neri appears in the Bible as a male name and is still sometimes used for boys as well as girls. The appeal of Neri are its deep roots combined with its simple, upbeat, modern feel, ala Peri and Rory.

Neri

Toula came to light as the name of the heroine of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," short for Fotoula, a variant of Fortini, a feminine version of Fotis or Fotios, meaning "light". 
 
Toula is cute and spirited, but it is slightly harder to imagine Fotoula catching on in the U.S, despite its intriguing feel.
 The simpler spelling Tula is also an option, which would also give the name English, Spanish

Toula

The capital of Georgia is far from the ocean, but got its name from the Western and Atlantic Railroad which ran through the city. Best known as a hub of industry and transport, and for its roles in the Civil War and Civil Rights Movement, it has never been popular as a baby name despite sounding like one. Its peak popularity was in 1995, the year before Atlanta hosted the Olympic Games.
As parents embrace more diverse place names for babies, beyond the obvious Georgia and Savannah, we may start to see more of Atlanta on the baby name map. Or add an extra letter to make it Atalanta, a bona fide (but even rarer) mythological name.

Atlanta

Cyrene was a mythical nymph and huntress who was beloved by the god Apollo. He founded a city named after her in what is now Libya and made her the queen. Derived from Greek and pronounced with three syllables, it may come from Kyros meaning "authority, supreme power", giving the name gravitas and distinction.
 
The name also appears in the Bible, borne by Simon of Cyrene, the man who carried Jesus's cross before he was crucified.

Cyrene

Delphina is another form of the sleek French Delphine, rising in popularity. The Blessed Delphina was a Provencal nun.

Delphina

A male name occasionally borrowed by the girls, as in Dorian Cramer, a long-running female character on the soap One Life to Live and famous midcentury model Dorian Leigh.

Dorian

Rather than confusing things with Elexis, we'd stick with the original Alexis version. 

Elexis

Isla is hot, Iona is cool – maybe it's time Iola got a second look? Last heard from on Carol Burnett's Mama's Family show, Iola feels like just the sort of uncommon, vowel-rich, vintage name that should be ripe for rediscovery.

Iola

Medora is a Greek name much less common here than, say, Melanie or Melissa.  It has some literary references, including as the beautiful and passionate heroine of Lord Byron's poem The Corsair, and in Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence, there is a character named Marchioness Melora Manson.

Medora

Euphonic hybrid of the sounds of Melissa and Laura. Melora Hardin is an actress who was featured on The Office.

Melora

Nikola is a feminine name in Slavic countries, though it serves as the masculine form of Nicholas in several Eastern European languages. Derived from the Greek 'Nikolaos' meaning 'victory of the people,' this name combines 'nike' (victory) and 'laos' (people). While predominantly masculine in countries like Serbia, Croatia, and Bulgaria, Nikola has gained popularity as a feminine name in some regions. The name carries associations with strength and triumph while offering the friendly nicknames Niki or Niko. Its international recognition connects to notable figures like scientist Nikola Tesla. The name's cross-cultural nature allows it to travel well across borders while maintaining its distinctive Slavic character. With its strong consonants balanced by ending vowels, Nikola projects both strength and elegance as a feminine choice.

Nikola

The mythological queen whose perpetual weeping for her slain children turned her into a stone has always cast a pall over this name. Still, when other names with less-than-savory associations -- Delilah, Ophelia, Persephone -- are becoming popular, parents might want to consider this one of the more unusual <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/325/mythological-baby-names-for-girls">mythology names for girls</a>.

Niobe

Phyllis has been used by classical poets for the idealized pastoral maiden. A Greek mythological name of a woman who was turned into an almond tree, Phyllis was in the Top 100 from 1916 to 1958, reaching #24 in 1929, and has the (remote) possibility of joining other revived s-ending names like Iris. In the 'St Clare' book series by Enid Blyton Phyllis is nicknamed Fizz.  Just a thought.
Phyllida is a variation that sounds at once more old-fashioned and more stylish.

Phyllis

This mythological sea monster, as described in Homer's Odyssey, lives on one side of a narrow channel of water opposite her counterpart, Charybdis. Scylla is described as having 12 feet and six heads on long snaky necks, each head having a triple row of sharklike teeth. She had the habit on snacking on passing sailors, including several of Odysseus's crew.
 
There are two other Scyllas in Greek mythology: a princess of Megara who betrays her city and sabotages her father, and a one of the Danaids, notable for killing her cousin Proteus. Pronounced as SIL-uh in English but as skul-lah in Greek, it is derived from skyllo, meaning to "pluck, tear, plunder, and torment".
 
While its meaning and mythological connections may feel rather bloodthirsty or off-putting to many, Scylla has been appearing in the US stats since 2017, with 7 babies given the name in a recent year. Sometimes used as a short form of Biblical Priscilla (if spelled Priscylla),it would make a daring choice, with a somewhat familiar sound. It may be best, however, to save it for a fictional character.

Scylla

Anastasia is a lovely yet very long name, and Stasia is a fresher, classier short form than Stacy.

Stasia

This name of the queen of the fairies in A Midsummer Night's Dream has a delicate, lacy charm similar to Tatiana's, but that first syllable could cause embarrassing problems.

Titania

Readers who remember J. D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey have probably forgotten that the character was male (nee Zachary). Nowadays the somewhat loopy spin on Zoe is associated with actress Zooey Deschanel.

Zooey

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 16)

Greek Girl Names