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Nameberry's Favorite Mythological Names

Sophie Kihm
By Sophie Kihm
Updated Thu Jun 20 2024
Nameberry's Favorite Mythological Names

If you're hoping to see names like Freya and Apollo on this list of Nameberry's favorite mythological names, keep moving. It's not that we don't love those names — we do! — but here we're isolating names that rank inside the Nameberry Top 1000, yet outside the US Top 1000.

For those of you searching for under-the-radar mythology names, you're in the right place. While names like Athena and Atlas are now mainstream, names like Aeneas and Astraea, Ragnar and Ravi are ripe for discovery.

Here you'll find god and goddess names from Greek and Roman mythology, along with Irish, Welsh, Hindu, and Norse legends.

Our favorite mythological names listed here are ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.

RELATED:

Mythological Names

Nameberry's Favorite Names

Popular Names on Nameberry

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Artemis

    • Origin:

      Greek, diminutive of Artemios

    • Meaning:

      "safe; butcher"

    • Description:

      Best known as the the Greek Goddess of the hunt and the moon, Artemis could now be considered one of the few traditionally feminine names that are currently being used for boys. Alternatively though, when pronounced ahr-TEH-mis, it is a valid Greek masculine name – a diminutive of Artemios.
  4. Ione

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "violet flower"

    • Description:

      This unusual Greek flower and color name has gained considerable recent attention via actress Ione Skye, who is the daughter of sixties folksinger Donovan.
  5. Guinevere

    • Origin:

      Welsh

    • Meaning:

      "white shadow, white wave"

    • Description:

      Guinevere was the name of the beautiful but ill-fated queen of Camelot, for so many years eclipsed by its modern Cornish form Jennifer. Today, Guinevere could be a cool possibility for adventurous parents intrigued by this richly evocative and romantic choice.
  6. Gaia

    • Origin:

      Greek and Latin

    • Meaning:

      "earth mother; rejoicing"

    • Description:

      Floral, bright, and subtly powerful, Gaia is a name with two separate origins. In Greek mythology, it is the name of the earth goddess and the universal mother, who takes her epithet from the Ancient Greek word for land or ground. It was this ecological element that led actress Emma Thompson to choose it for her daughter back in 1999, and it could hold similar appeal to green minded parents today.
  7. Niamh

    • Origin:

      Irish Gaelic

    • Meaning:

      "bright"

    • Description:

      Niamh, derived from the Old Irish Niam, is an ancient Irish name that was originally a term for a goddess. In Irish myth, one who bore it was Niamh of the Golden Hair, daughter of the sea god, who falls in love with Finn's son Oisin and takes him to the Land of Promise, where they stayed for three hundred years. Niamh can be Anglicized as Neve, Nieve, or Neave.
  8. Dion

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Dionysius, Greek

    • Meaning:

      "child of heaven and earth; of Zeus"

    • Description:

      A variation of Greek Dionysius, itself derived from the name of the god of wine, revelry, and dance, Dion gives a nod to mythology while also having historical ties to a student of Plato, to a Greek mathematician and to 1st century writer and historian.

      As a contemporary name, it came into popular use in the late 1950s and remained in the Top 1000 until 2006. It has dipped in and out of the charts since then, and is still given to a not insignificant 200 boys each year.
  9. Ariadne

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "most holy"

    • Description:

      This name of the Cretan goddess of fertility is most popular now as the more melodic Ariana, but Ariadne has possibilities of its own. It first entered the US Top 1000 in 2014. The renewed interest in the name falls in line with the revival of other mythological names like Apollo and Athena. The trendy nickname Ari doesn't hurt either.
  10. Orpheus

    • Origin:

      Greek mythology name

    • Meaning:

      "the darkness of the night"

    • Description:

      Name of the legendary ancient Greek poet and musician — whose music was so beautiful it made trees dance and rivers stop to listen — would provide a child with a challenging but indelible identity.
  11. Perseus

    • Origin:

      Greek mythology name

    • Meaning:

      "to destroy"

    • Description:

      Perseus is a godly Greek hero (he was a son of Zeus) whose ancient name just might have modern possibilities along with other so-old-they're-new-again names such as Atticus and Orion.
  12. Remus

    • Origin:

      Latin, meaning unknown

    • Description:

      Remus is one of the legendary twins who, with brother Romulus, founded Rome. An unusual yet classic name for the extremely adventurous who can put aside the stereotyped image of Uncle Remus. Though because of that "ream" first syllable, we prefer Romulus.
  13. Calista

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "most beautiful"

    • Description:

      Spelled with either one 'l' or two, Calista came to the fore in 1997 when Calista Flockhart hit it big as Ally McBeal. Flockhart, who bears her mother's middle name, didn't just introduce a name, she introduced a whole sensibility. Pretty and delicate, Calista is definitely worthy of consideration, especially for parents with Greek roots.
  14. Circe

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "bird"

    • Description:

      In Greek myth, Circe, daughter of Helios, the sun, was a sorceress living on the island of Aeaea, who could turn men into animals with her magic wand, which is just what she did to Odysseus's crew in Homer's Odyssey, transforming them into swine. All was forgiven, however, as Circe and Odysseus later had a child together—Telegonus.
  15. Pandora

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "all gifted"

    • Description:

      Pandora has occasionally been used by the British gentry (for girls with brothers who might be called Peregrine) and is now starting to be heard in the US too: It was given to 34 baby girls last year.
  16. Abraxas

    • Origin:

      Persian mythology name

    • Description:

      Abraxas is a sci-fi-sounding name with earthly possibilities, but some playground challenges.
  17. Romulus

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "citizen of Rome"

    • Description:

      He was the original Roman, Remus's twin and a founder of Rome. But parents attracted to this name are advised to read the legend first. Romulus does have some less than savory characteristics, including killing his twin brother and making Rome in his own image, and is later deified as Quinnius. Romy and Quinn might make good twin names.
  18. Minerva

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "of the mind, intellect"

    • Description:

      Minerva is the long-neglected name of the Roman goddess of wisdom and invention, the arts and martial strength, one of the mythology names for girls that might appeal to adventurous feminist parents. With Juno and Jupiter, she made the Capitoline triad, whose worship was at the very center of Roman religion.
  19. Andromeda

    • Origin:

      Greek mythology name

    • Meaning:

      "advising like a man"

    • Description:

      One of the stellar unique baby names from mythology, Andromeda was the beautiful daughter of Cassiopeia who, like her mother, literally became a star--the constellation that bears her name.The Bohemian Andromeda makes a dramatic and adventurous choice in a time when four-syllable mythological names are gradually making their way into the mainstream.
  20. Nixie

    • Origin:

      German

    • Meaning:

      "water nymph"

    • Description:

      If you love Dixie, Trixie and Pixie, this name of a mermaid-like sprite in German folklore may be for you. It might also make an update for Nicki.