Ancient Names: Beyond Jupiter and Mars
We’re all familiar with the ancient Greek and Roman pantheons of mythological deities, from Adonis and Athena to Zeus, but there a number of other ancient names from other cultures with their own pantheons of intriguing god and goddesses. We’ve delved into the some of the most intriguing mythologies—Egyptian, Phoenician, Norse, Celtic, Indian, African, et al– and discovered some striking mythological names for the intrepid baby namer.
GIRLS
ÁINE (AWN-ya)– Irish Celtic goddess of love, summer, wealth and fertility
AINO (EYE-no) — A Finnish mythological water sprite
ALA—African (Nigerian) creator goddess and earth mother
ANAHITA — A Persian mythological goddess of river and water
ANCASTA – A Celtic goddess worshipped in Roman Britain
ANNIKKI (accent on the first syllable) — A forest goddess in Finnish mythology
ANU – Irish Celtic goddess of fertility, magic, moon, air and prosperity
ASTARTE — Ancient Phoenician goddess of love, fertility, motherhood and war (morphed into Greek mythology as Aphrodite)
ASTRILD – Norse goddess of love
ATLA—Norse water goddess
BELISAMA – A Celtic goddess of light and fire
BRANWEN –Irish Celtic goddess of love, beauty, sexuality and the sea
BRIGHID (pronounced breed) — Irish goddess of fertility and creativity, martial arts and healing
DAMARA – Celtic fertility goddess worshipped in Britain, associated with the month of May
DANU — Irish Celtic mother of the deities , goddess of rivers, water, magic, prosperity and wisdom
ELAINE – A Welsh Celtic maiden moon goddess
ELLI—Norse goddess of old age who managed to defeat Thor in wrestling
FREYA – Norse goddess of love, beauty, war, magic and wisdom; the most beautiful of the goddesses
INANNA — A Sumerian goddess of the earth, sky and love—and also war
ISIS – an Egyptian goddess, known as mistress of charms or enchantments
KALMA – Finnish goddess of death and decay (maybe skip this one)
KALI – Hindu goddess of power (and—oops—destruction)
LAKSHMI—Hindu goddess of beauty and prosperity, purity, chastity and generosity
LEZA — African goddess of protection and divination
LISSA — In African mythology, goddess of the sun, the moon, and the supreme god of all things
MACHA (MOK-ah) — one of three Irish Celtic war goddesses
MAEVE — Celtic goddess of earth, fertility and war
MORRIGAN – Celtic Queen of fairies and witches, goddess of war and revenge
NEITH — An Egyptian goddess of the hunt and of war
NIAHM (neev) – Irish Celtic goddess of beauty and brightness
OLWEN — Welsh Celtic goddess of flowers and springtime
PARVATI—Hindu goddess of fertility, love and devotion
RAKA – Indian goddess of the full moon
RANA/RANIA—Norse goddess of the sea
RHIANNON – Welsh goddess of the moon and inspiration
SEQUANA — Goddess of the source of the River Seine
SESHETA — Egyptian goddess of learning and writing
SIDDHI—Hindu goddess of success
SULLA/SULIS – Celtic goddess of hot springs, healing (also the name of a Roman emperor)
TAMESIS – Anglo-Celtic river goddess who gave her name to the River Thames.
TANIT/TANITH—Phoenician goddess of love, fertility and the heavens, including the stars and moon
TAMRA – Ancient Cornish river goddess
TARA – Important and compassionate Hindu goddess of peace and protection; probably the oldest goddess still worshipped in modern times
TOZI — Aztec goddess of healing and sweet water
UMA – Hindu goddess of self-sacrifice and love
XILONEN (zil-o-nen) –A beautiful goddess in Aztec mythology
ZARYA – In Slavic mythology, a goddess and protectors of warriors
BOYS
ABELLIO –Celtic god of the apple tree
ADAD – the Mesopotamian god of thundery weather
ANGUS Og – Irish Celtic god of youth, love and beauty
ARAWN—Welsh Celtic god of the hunt and the underworld
AGANJU — An African (Yoruba) deity, ruling volcanoes, the wilderness and the river
ASHUR — The supreme deity of the Assyrian Empire, creator of all things
BRAN — Irish Celtic god of health
BRAHMA – The Hindu supreme deity, creator of the universe
EBISHU — In Japanese mythology, the god of luck and labor, fishermen and fortune
GANESHA – Indian elephant deity of knowledge, education, wisdom and wealth
GWYDION—Welsh Celtic god of enchantment, illusion and magic
KRISHNA — Part of the Hindu Trinity, considered by some the Supreme Being
LLEW Llaw Gyffes — Celtic god of healing, poets, sorcerers and waters
LOKI — Norse god of fire, trickster god
LUGH/LLEW – (loo) — Celtic sun god, god of war, magic and good harvest
MANU – The Indian mythological progenitor of mankind
MUNGO — African (Kenyan) rain god
ODIN — Norse god of all men, father of all gods
OSIRIS — African god of the dead, ruler of the underworld
RAIDEN – In Japanese myth, the god of thunder and lightening
RAMA — Indian hero god, preserver of families, destroyer of evil
SETH — African god of chaos
TALIESIN — Welsh Celtic god of song and poetry
TANE (tah-neh) — Maori protector of birds and forests
THOR –Norse god of thunder and battle
TIKI – God of stone in Norse mythology
VIDAR –– A silent Norse god known for his great strength
VISHNU — God of courage, knowledge and power