<a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/167/Greek-Names">Greek names</a> for girls include several classic names that have ranked highly in the the US for its entire history, most notably Catherine, Helen, and Margaret. One of the most enduring popular Greek names for girls 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.
 
Along with Sophia and Penelope, other Greek girls' names in the US Top 1000 include Alexandra, Arianna, Chloe, Cora, Evangeline, Iris, Lydia, Maya, Ophelia, Thea, and Zoe. Baby girl names popular in Greece include Konstantina, Katerina, Dimitra, and Anna.
 
Unique Greek girl names 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.
 
Greek female names were a big favorite of Shakespeare's, with such Greek girls' 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!
 
Our full list of Greek names for girls is below. The top names below rank among the current US Top 1000 Baby Names and are ordered by popularity. Unique names rank below the Top 1000 and are listed alphabetically.
 
You might also want to narrow the selection to <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/624/gorgeous-greek-goddess-names-for-babies">Greek goddess names</a> or browse our list of <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/508/greek-names-for-boys">Greek boy names</a>.

Greek Names for Girls

Zoey is a modern spelling variation of Zoe, the Greek Jewish translation of Eve. For a few years, it was even more popular than the original Zoe, but has now dropped back to the second-ranked spelling — not by much, however. In a recent year, Zoe ranked at #29 in the US, which Zoey featured at #59.
 
Despite its Jewish origins, Zoe was historically more popular among Christians. Two early saints were named Zoe — Saint Zoe of Rome and Saint Zoe of Pamphylia.
 
Zoey has become a screenwriters' fave, with characters by that name appearing on Zoey 101, Nurse Jackie and The West Wing. More recently, it appeared in hit movie, KPOP Demon Hunters.
 
This spelling was chosen for 3600 girls in the US the latest count while Zoe was given to 5719 babies, though when you combine the two (and include the Zoie spelling too), the name feels like a Top 20 choice, similar in ranking to Eleanor, Luna, and Violet. 
 
Zoey also ranks in the UK and New Zealand — though Zoe is preferred — The Netherlands — where Zoë is the higher ranking form — and in Canada and the Philippines, where Zoey is the top option.

Zoey

A melodious choice big in the 60s, Melody is now starting to pick up tempo again. It cracked the Top 100 for the first time ever in 2024. Melody is also the name of Ariel's equally curious and more tomboyish daughter in The Little Mermaid sequel. Read more about Melody and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

Melody

Lydia is one of the first place names, after an area of Asia Minor whose inhabitants are credited with strong musical talent great wealth. Always among the US Top 1000 girl names, Lydia is a quietly fashionable classic.
 
Although mentioned in the New Testament (Lydia was the first European convert of Saint Paul), it didn't really emerge as a viable first name until the eighteenth century, promoted via the character of Lydia Languish in Sheridan's popular 1775 play The Rivals, and the youngest of the Bennett girls in Pride and Prejudice.
 
Lydia continued to be a literary favorite, found in the novels of George Eliot and D. H. Lawrence. And there's also the iconic Groucho Marx ditty: "Lydia the Tattooed Lady."
 
Lydia is increasingly appreciated for its history and haunting quality. Cute nickname: Liddy or Lydie.

Lydia

Strong, attractive, and stylish, Amara is a true multicultural choice enjoying some popularity in both the US and the UK. In the US Top 1000 since the turn of this century, Amara has been holding steady in the rankings between overly popular and obscure.
 
Amara is the Italian word for bitter, from the same root as Mary and Miriam. It has separate roots in West Africa as a name that means "grace" in the Igbo language. These two meanings are the best-known, but Amara is also a Sanskrit name meaning "immortal", an Arabic word meaning "tribe" and a Mongolian name meaning "peaceful". Alternatively, it can mean "to love" in various languages such as Galician and Portuguese.

Amara

Magical and distinctive but grounded and familiar too, it's no surprise that Athena has become one of the most widely used ancient <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/433/goddess-baby-names">goddess names</a> in the contemporary Western world. Derived from the city name Athens, it is current a Top 100 choice in the US. 
 
In Greek mythology, Athena is a daughter of Zeus and the goddess of wisdom, warfare, handicrafts, mathematics, and courage. She was the great patron-goddess of the city of Athens and in Homer's Odyssey, she is described as 'sparkling-eyed Athena.' Her Roman counterpart is Minerva. 
 
Associated with owls and olive trees, Athena is a name which might appeal to parents who value wisdom and intelligence — or those who like the sounds of Amelia, Thea, and Anabella. Alternative forms of the name include the Greek Athene and Athenais, along with the Spanish Atenea.
 
One of those names that is probably more popular than you might think, Athena has been in the US Top 1000 since the 1960s but in the Top 100 since 2021. It also ranks highly in England and Wales, Iceland, Canada, Italy, and France.
 
Appearing in Disney's The Little Mermaid as the name of Ariel's mother, Athena was also chosen in 2011 by actress and comedian Tina Fey for her second daughter's middle name, Penelope Athena. This prompted more interest in the name which rose rapidly during the 2010s.
 
More recently in 2024, singer and internet personality Sophia Grace (as in Sophia Grace and Rosie) chose Athena Rose for her daughter, while in 2025, Princes Beatrice selected Athena Elizabeth Rose for her second baby.

Athena

Margaret is derived from the French Marguerite, which in turn came from Margarita, the Latin form of the Greek Margarites. Margarites was based on the Old Persian word margārīta, meaning "pearl." 
 
Margaret has been one of the most Christian and royal of <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">female names</a>—attached to the patron saint of women in childbirth and to various queens and princesses in England, Scandinavia, Austria, and the Netherlands, and to the first female prime minister of Great Britain, Margaret Thatcher.
 
Margaret is a rich, classic name used for queens and saints. Margaret was replaced for decades by less starchy forms like Maggie and Meg, but some stylish parents are reviving Margaret in full, attracted by its strong sound and classic status, as an alternative to Elizabeth or Katherine. 
 
Margaret is also an important family name for many people, having ranked near the top through the first half of the 1900s. An extremely well used name since medieval times, Margaret is still considered the Scottish national name.
 
If you're honoring an ancestral Margaret, there are many fresh and new alternatives, from the French Marguerite—very stylish in Paris—to the diminutive Margo (or Margot). In French, Marguerite is another word for daisy, making Daisy another appropriate Margaret short form or honorific, as is Maisie. Other offspring of Margaret include Madge, Marjorie/Margery, Megan, Molly, Polly, Peggy, Greta, and Rita.

Margaret

Cora is a lovely, old-fashioned girls' that has been recently rejuvenated by its contemporary-feeling simplicity. In fact, Cora seemed headed straight for the top of the popularity list when the coronavirus pandemic somewhat weakened its appeal.
 
Though she has never been completely out of favor, Cora has had her ups and downs. A Top 20 name in the 1880's, she had sunk to Number 876 in 1988 before reversing course yet again. A more recent inspiration is the appealing American-born Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham on Downton Abbey. 
 
In classical mythology, Cora—or Kore—was a euphemistic name of Persephone, goddess of fertility and the underworld. Kore was the name used when referencing her identity as the goddess of Spring, while Persephone referred to her role as queen of the Underworld. 
 
Cora gained popularity as a given name after James Fenimore Cooper used it as the name of his heroine, Cora Munro, in his 1826 novel The Last of the Mohicans. 
 
While a complete name unto itself, some parents who love Cora may want to use it as a short form for such names as Cordelia or Coraline. Cora's fashionable sisters include Clara, Nora, Corinne, Corinna and Coralie.

Cora

Gone with the Wind inspired a generation of girls named Melanie, though it looks as though Scarlett will triumph in the end. 
 Melanie was the name of two Roman saints of the fifth century, a grandmother and granddaughter. The name was introduced to England from France in the Middle Ages. In the US, Melanie has been a steadily popular choice since the late sixties.
Trivia tidbit: Melanie Griffith was named after the character her mother, Tippi Hedren, played in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds.

Melanie

Evangeline is a romantic old name enjoying a major comeback, thanks to its religious overtones, Eva's popularity, and the star of the TV megahit Lost, Evangeline Lilly. Evangelia and Evangelina — two variants of Evangeline — are sure to tag along for the ride.

 Evangeline was introduced to the English-speaking world by Longfellow in his hugely popular eponymous narrative poem, and can also be found in Uncle Tom's Cabin (it was Little Eva's full name), as well as two novels by Evelyn Waugh. More recently, there were Evangelines in the films Nanny McPhee and Disney's The Princess and the Frog.

 There are several different possible pronunciations of Evangeline, all correct. The first syllable can be pronounced like a long e -- Ee -- or the short e as in Eh. And the final syllable might rhyme with wean, wine, or win.

Evangeline

Bubbly, bright, and versatile, Phoebe is a name with mythological, biblical, and literary ties. Used since the 17th century, it fell out of fashion in the US during the '60s, only to be revived after it appeared in the 90's TV favorites, Friends and Charm>.
 
 Since then, it's been on the rise, with a recent year seeing it sit comfortably in the US Top 200, the England and Wales Top 20, and the Top 100 in Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, Ireland, and Northern Ireland.
 
The Latinized form of the Greek Phoibe, ultimately derived from phoibos, the name has the gorgeous and fitting meaning of "bright." In classical mythology, Phoebe is the by-name of Artemis, goddess of the moon and of hunting, while in the New Testament, Phoebe is a church deaconess.
 
In literature, Shakespeare used the name (spelled Phebe) for a rustic denizen of the forest in As You Like It and in Hawthorne's The House of Seven Gables, Phoebe Pynchon was a cheerful young girl. There's also a Phoebe in Catcher in the Rye: Holden Caulfield's sympathetic, precocious ten-year-old sister. In real life, famous Phoebes include musician Phoebe Bridgers and actress and writer Phoebe Wallers-Bridge.
 
The masculine form is the rarely used Phoebus, while the Spanish, Portuguese, and Dutch form is Febe.

Phoebe

Greek girl names with meanings and popularity, including top Greek names for girls and unique girls names from Greece and of Greek origin. (Page 2)

Greek Girl Names