Mythological Names

Diva

Latin

"goddess"

Once unique to the Zappa family, now you can have your own little prima donna.

Doris

Greek

"gift of the ocean"

Doris had long been on our so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out-for-babies list, and seemed to be written there in indelible ink. But there are signs of a sea change, that Doris could profit from the…

Drosera

Greek

"dewdrops"

An obscure name from Greek mythology — Drosera was a nymph — with a quirky, ethereal meaning.

Eachna

Irish

"horse"

Eachna is the name of an Irish goddess renowned for her beauty, brains and stylishness; in early legend, a Connacht princess named Eachna was deemed to be one of the loveliest and cleverest women int…

Easter

English, from German

Easter has been used as a name for several hundred years, as part of the day-naming tradition; now, this rarely heard holiday celebration name would make a novel choice for a springtime baby.…

Ece

Turkish

"queen, mother"

Ece is another name for Umay, the Turkish goddess of the Earth and fertility. It is derived from the Old Turkic word eçe , meaning "mother."

Echo

Greek mythology name

"echo or sound"

Echo, the pretty, resonant name of a legendary nymph, was the heroine of Joss Whedon's sci-fi series Dollhouse . Nick Hexum, of the band 311, named his daughter Echo Love. In the Greek myth, Echo was…

Eirene

Greek

"peace"

Eirene, modernized to Irene, was the Greek goddess of peace. Eirene or Irene was also the name of an early empress and several saints.

Eithne

Gaelic

"nut kernel"

Pretty and soulful name of a goddess from Irish mythology and several Irish saints. Singer Enya, born Eithne Ní Bhraonáin, has made the Anglicized spelling familiar. Eithne comes from the vocabulary…

Electra

Greek

"amber, shining, bright"

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.…

Enid

Welsh

"life, spirit"

This Celtic goddess and Arthurian name may sound terminally old-ladyish to many ears--but so did names like Ella and Etta not so long ago. So Enid is yet another forgotten four-letter E-possibility:…

Enyo

Greek

Enyo is the Greek goddess of war, the female counterpart to the god Ares. Enyo's Roman equivalent in Bellona.

Eos

Greek; Welsh

"dawn; nightingale"

Eos -- that's pronounced with a short e like eros without the r -- is the Greek Titan of the dawn. Any ancient name with a sleek modern feel has definite revival possibilities. Eos could be an…

Epona

Celtic

"horse"

In Celtic mythology (later borrowed into the Roman empire), Epona is the goddess of horses and fertility. Link's horse in The Legend of Zelda is fittingly named Epona.

Eris

Greek

"strife, discord"

Eris was the goddess of strife and discord, turned fairy tale and then popular culture figure Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty. Ironic, as her name sounds so much like that of Eros, the god of love.…

Ersa

Greek

"dew"

Ersa, daughter of Zeus and the moon goddess Selene, is goddess of the morning dew, which may make this an excellent name for a child born in the early hours of the day.