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Greek Mythology Names (with Meanings and Popularity)

Pamela Redmond
By Pamela Redmond
Updated Tue Feb 06 2024

Greek mythology names have become the unlikely stars of contemporary American baby naming. The names of ancient Greek gods, Greek goddesses and nymphs, and other figures from Greek myth and legend are becoming more widely used in the modern world.

Along with names from Roman mythology and other mythical cultures around the world, Greek mythology names give their namesakes an inspiring figure and story to live up to. With many Biblical names feeling old-fashioned, mythological names are taking their place.

The top Greek mythology names in the US are Iris and Penelope for girls, Atlas and Apollo for boys.

Along with Iris and Penelope, other popular Greek mythological names for girls include Daphne, Phoebe, and Chloe. Along with Atlas and Apollo for boys, other top male names from Greek mythology include Jason, Hector, and Orion.

Trending baby names with roots in Greek mythology include Linus and Zeus for boys, Nyx and Echo for girls, and Zephyr for both genders. Rare and unusual names from Greek myth abound, including notable choices Circe, Electra, Hermes, Oceanus, Pallas, and Hebe.

Here is our complete collection of Greek mythology names, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.

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Greek Names

Mythological Names

  1. Phoebe

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "radiant, shining one"

    • Description:

      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 favorite, Friends.
  2. Daphne

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "laurel tree, bay tree"

    • Description:

      In Greek mythology, Daphne was the nymph daughter of Peneus, a river god. Peneus saved Daphne from Apollo’s romantic obsessions by transforming her into a laurel tree. It is from this myth that the plant genus daphne, which contains the laurel species, gets its name.
  3. Iris

    • Origin:

      Flower name; Greek

    • Meaning:

      "rainbow"

    • Description:

      Iris has so much going for it. It's a fashionable flower name. It's a mythological name, from the Greek goddess of the rainbow. And it's a classic name, always ranking in the girls' Top 1000 but now at its highest point ever.
  4. Atlas

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "bearer of the heavens"

    • Description:

      Atlas is one of those names that was previously thought too powerful for a baby boy, who would have to be strong enough to carry the world on his shoulders. Now Atlas has joined the pantheon of Greek and Roman god and goddess names in the realm of possibility, along with Mars, Zeus and Apollo.
  5. Penelope

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "weaver"

    • Description:

      Penelope is an unlikely 21st century baby name success story. Off the Top 1000 for 25 years, Penelope jumped back on in 2001 and has been heading uphill ever since, propelled by the trend for mythological names, Spanish actress Penelope Cruz, and some high-profile celebrity babies.
  6. Orion

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "boundary, limit"

    • Description:

      Orion is a rising star, with both mythical and celestial overtones.
  7. Chloe

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "young green shoot"

    • Description:

      Chloe is a pretty springtime name symbolizing new growth. Though slightly off its peak in the Top 10 in 2010, Chloe still ranks in the Top 20 and is solidly a modern classic.
  8. Zephyr

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "west wind"

    • Description:

      If you're looking for a name that's light and breezy, this could be it. A name from mythology: Zephyrus/Zephyr was the Greek god of the west wind, and with its similarity in sound to the likes of Stefan or Seth, its zippy Z initial and cool Y, it is primed to rise up the US charts.
  9. Jason

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "to heal"

    • Description:

      Jason, the Number 3 name for the entire decade of the 1970s -- thus the title of our original baby-naming book, Beyond Jennifer & Jason -- is more likely to be dad's name now than baby's, but it's still a widely used name.
  10. Nyx

    • Origin:

      Greek mythology name

    • Meaning:

      "night"

    • Description:

      In Greek mythology, Nyx was a powerful goddess and the embodiment of the night, but when spoken, its negative meaning can't be ignored.
  11. Irene

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "peace"

    • Description:

      Serene Irene, the name of the Greek goddess of peace and one of the most familiar Greek goddess names, was hugely popular in ancient Rome and again in the United States a hundred years ago.
  12. Calliope

    • Origin:

      Greek mythology

    • Meaning:

      "beautiful voice"

    • Description:

      Melodic and beautiful but with a touch of sass, Calliope is the name of the muse of epic poetry — and perhaps less glamorously, the musical instrument on the merry-go-round. Bold and creative, it debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2016, and in more recent year, IT appeared in the Top 500.

      Also spelled as Kalliope — the more traditional Greek transliteration — Calliope means "beautiful voice", making this a musical and poetic choice. It was rarely heard in the US until the 2000s when Calliope "Callie" Torres from the show Grey's Anatomy helped introduce it to a wider audience.
  13. Leander

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "lion-man"

    • Description:

      Leander was once an almost unknown name, however, with the popularity of Leo and the rise of Leandro, it now feels like a perfectly accessible alternative to Leon or Alexander. In Greek legend, Leander was the powerful figure who swam across the Hellespont every night to visit his beloved Hero, a priestess of Venus.
  14. Cassandra

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "shining or excelling man"

    • Description:

      The name of the tragic mythological Trojan princess who was given the gift of prophecy by Apollo, but was condemned never to be believed, Cassandra has been used for striking characters in movies and soap operas. Ethereal and delicate, Cassandra was in the Top 70 throughout the 1990s but is now descending in popularity.
  15. Xanthe

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "golden, yellow"

    • Description:

      X marks the spot in names these days, usually at the middles or ends of names, but here is one that puts it squarely up front.
  16. Athena

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "from Athens"

    • Description:

      Magical and distinctive but grounded and familiar too, it's no surprise that Athena has become one of the most widely used ancient goddess names in the contemporary Western world. Derived from the city name Athens, it is current a Top 100 choice in the US.
  17. Persephone

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "bringer of destruction"

    • Description:

      Persephone is the esoteric name of the Greek mythological daughter of Zeus by Demeter, the queen of the harvest. After she was kidnapped by Hades to be Queen of the Underworld, it was decreed by Zeus that she would spend six months of the year with her mother, allowing crops to grow, and six in mourning, thus accounting for the seasons.
  18. Rhea

    • Origin:

      Greek mythology name

    • Meaning:

      "a flowing stream"

    • Description:

      Rhea is an old-style creative name of the Greek mythological earth mother of all the gods. A lot better than the Roman equivalent: Ops.
  19. Linus

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "flax"

    • Description:

      Can Linus lose its metaphorical security blanket and move from the Peanuts page onto the birth certificate? We think it has enough charm and other positive elements going for it for the answer to be yes.
  20. Bronte

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "thunder"

    • Description:

      This lovely surname of the three novel-writing sisters, now used as a baby name, makes a fitting tribute for lovers of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. While the original name took an umlaut over the e, modern English speakers may find that more trouble than it's worth.