Greek Names for Girls

The name of a Greek island and a prestigious scholarship, Rhodes has an upper-crusty vibe and an uber-stylish S ending. Blending a floral, rosy meaning with a strong, unfrilly sound, Rhodes was chosen for 41 girls in a recent year, however, it may be worth considering that it is used about ten times more often for boys.



Rhodes

Katheryn

Sounds like Serena, but refers to the mythological sirens -- half woman, half bird -- who virtually sang men to death. Not a great role model for your little girl. 

Sirena

If you're a lover of the beach and sea, and want a name that relates to the largest body of water, there are several variations you could consider.
 Oceana is the female form of Oceanus, the god of the sea (Oceanus was the name of the only child born during the Mayflower's historic voyage) and is the most feminine of the group.
 Oceane (oh-she-ANN) has been one of the chicest name in France for several years and is now rated Number 31.
 Word name Ocean takes it unisex; actor Forest Whitaker has a son called Ocean Alexander.

Oceana

Sapphira is a lovely name which unfortunately has an unsavory Biblical history. The New Testament Sapphira was killed by God for lying about a tax payment.
 There's a Willa Cather novel called Sapphira and the Slave Girl, and in the book Eragon, it's the name of a dragon (spelt Saphira).

Sapphira

A powerful name with an intriguing air of antiquity, Zenaida has the freshness of Zephyr and Azalea too. Meaning "life of Zeus" or "dedicated to Zeus", it was notably borne by the first-century saint, Zenaida of Tarsus. She and her sister Philonella, were physicians, particularly interested in experimental medicine, pediatrics, and psychiatric disorders.
 
Appearing as Zinaida in Russia, Lithuania, the Ukraine and Belarus and as Zénaïde in French, this form is used predominantly among Spanish and English speakers. The pronunciation of the name may also vary depending on where it's used, and it may be heard as zeh-NAY-duh, zeh-NYE-duh, zeh-naa-EE-duh, and sen-EYE-da.
 
A second meaning of the name is "white winged dove", owing to its connection to Zenaida doves, names by French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte for his wife, Zénaïde Laetitia Julie Bonaparte.

Zenaida

Calista Flockhart spotlighted this lovely Greek name that has a long future in the English-speaking world.  Kallista is another spelling; Calixta and Calixto are related.

Callista

A royal name in ancient Egypt that's never quite made it to the modern world, though nickname Cleo is widely used.  Other now-extinct Cleopatra diminutives, including Cleora and Cleola, achieved some popularity in the early 20th century when there was a crazy for all things Egypt-related as the ancient tombs were opened and artifacts displayed.  In the US, Cleopatra became a popular silent film in 1917 starring Theda Bara.

Cleopatra

It's a futuristic name in Solaris, but it is also related to Rhea, the name of Zeus's mother and wife of Cronus.

Rheya

A spelling variant of Corinne, which ranked a little behind its sister spelling until the 1990s when it fell out of favor. 

Corrine

Celena is a feminine name with multiple potential origins, primarily considered a variant spelling of Selena or Celina. The name ultimately derives from Greek origins related to 'selene,' meaning 'moon,' giving it associations with luminosity, mystery, and celestial beauty. The spelling variation with 'C' instead of 'S' gives the name a slightly different visual appeal while maintaining the same melodic pronunciation. Celena gained modest popularity in the United States during the 1980s and 1990s but remains relatively uncommon. The name has a romantic, flowing quality with its soft consonants and open vowel sounds. Parents might choose Celena for its elegant sound, celestial connections, and the balance it strikes between being recognizable yet not overly common.

Celena

Classic name used by the Romans, the Puritans, and the Bard, but pretty much taboo today due to the objectionable connotations of both its front and back ends. 

Dorcas

Justina was the pre-Justine feminization of Justin, now a possible alternative to Christina. Oddly, while Justine feels like a name unto itself, Justina feels like a pinned-together feminization in the mold of Richarda or Benjamina. Still, it may appeal as one of the unusual-yet-familiar <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/j">girl names starting with J</a>.

Justina

A name with a weather-related meaning, a tie to mythology, and an airy, bright sound, Aella is a quietly rising choice, with 51 American babies receiving the name in a recent year. 
 
In Greek mythology, Aella was one of the Amazons, killed by Heracles in his quest for Hyppolita's magic girdle; her name comes a Greek word meaning "storm-swift", sometimes interpretated as "whirlwind". 
 
The name may also be considered an Anglo-Saxon name, appearing as Aella or Aelle (or Ælla or Ælle). It was borne by several kings of various regions that now make up present-day England. Pronounced AL-uh, it means "all, complete".
 
Associated with the writer Aella (also known as Aella_girl), there is also the possibility that Aella is being used as an alternative spelling to Ayla, a short form of Raffaella, or modern creation, inspired by Ariella and similar.

Aella

Rarely heard today-- it fell off the list around 1980--Bernice is a biblical name of Greek origin. In the Bible, she is a sister of King Agrippa. Bernice was a Top 100 name in the US for more than three decades--from 1900 to 1936--hitting a high of Number 39 in 1921. Last year in the US, fewer than 50 baby girls were named Bernice.
 The original spelling of the name was Berenice, the name of the wife of Ptolemy I of Egypt, and it's also the name of a fourth century saint. Berenice Abbott was an important twentieth century photographer, and Bernice was the birth name of Bea Arthur. One of F. Scott Fitzgerald's best remembered short stories is "Bernice Bobs her Hair."
 Bernice has a plethora of nicknames--you can take your pick of Berry, Benny, Bernie, Binnie and Bunny.

Bernice

Kassia is the k-styled spelling variation of rising star name Cassia, an obscure but attractive botanical choice drawn from the cassia tree, which produces a cinnamon-like spice.  The biblical Keziah is related.

Kassia

This feminine form of Theodosius has long been buried deep in the attic, but might be a good discovery for the parent who wants to move beyond Theodora. Vice President Aaron Burr named a daughter Theodosia ("Dear Theodosia" is a song in the smash musical Hamilton), and it was the birth name of silent screen vamp Theda Bara. Theodosia actually appeared on the US popularity lists in the 1880s and 90s.

Theodosia

Christy was one of the coolest girls in the class of '73, still cute but not quite as youthful.

Christy

Delicate and gentle old-fashioned name, the kind found in early English poetry. While Corinna and the original Green Korinna are technically diminutives of the ancient Kore, now the popular Cora, this name will often be mistaken for other similar-sounding though unrelated names, such as Karenna. But it's pretty and is backed by more tradition than you'd guess.

Corinna

Katherin

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 9)

Greek Girl Names