Historic and Vintage Names · Unusual, Rare, and Unique Baby Names · Popular Names and Name Trends
Odyssey Names
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Laertes
Ancient Greek
"gatherer of the people"
An Ancient Greek name with a huge dose of literary credibility. Laertes was the father of Odysseus in Greek mythology, who therefore pops up in Homer's The Odyssey . Laertes is even more familiar to…
Anticlea
Greek
"against fame, like glory, compared to fame"
Borne by the mother of Odysseus in Greek mythology, Anticlea (also spelled as Anticleia or Antikleia) could be an interesting alternative to Cleo, Antigone, and Anthea. Meaning "against fame" or…
Euryclea
Greek
"wide glory"
In Greek mythology, Euryclea (or Eurycleia) is the dedicated nurse of both Odysseus and his son Telemachus. When Odysseus returns from his long journey in disguise, she recognizes him, but keeps his…
Zeus
Greek mythology name
The supreme Olympian god represents a mighty image for a little fella to live up to, but more and more parents are beginning to consider it seriously. The Roman equivalent Jupiter has also come down…
Poseidon
Greek mythology
"lord of the earth, husband of the earth"
In Greek mythology, Poseidon is the wild God of seas, storms, earthquakes and horses — which he could tame with a strike of his trident. He is notable for helping the Greeks against the Trojans…
Perseus
Greek
"to destroy"
Perseus is an up-and-coming name with a plenty going for it, so it's no wonder it's almost tripled in usage since the 2010s. Given to nearly 170 boys in the US in a recent year, Perseus ticks the…
Circe
Greek
"bird, hawk"
In Greek myth, Circe, daughter of Helios, the sun, was a sorceress living on the island of Aeaea (or Aiaia) who could turn men into animals with her magic wand, which is just what she did to…
Hebe
Greek
"youth"
The name of the Greek goddess of youth, daughter of Zeus and Hera, is rarely used today but may be ripe for revival considering the popularity of rhyming Phoebe. Sweet as Bebe but with the…
Sirena
Greek
"entangler"
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.
Lotus
Greek
"lotus flower"
A flower name containing both beauty and power, Lotus has significance in both Buddhism and Hinduism, symbolizing purity, grace and spiritual growth — not to mention a familiar yoga position. In…
Aiaia
Greek, place name
"island belonging to Circe; belonging to the bird"
Also spelled as Aeaea or Ææa, this is the name of a mythological Greek island, home to the goddess and sorceress Circe. It appears in Homer's The Odyssey , with Odysseus staying there for a year on…
Nausicaa
Greek
"burner of ships"
In Homer's Odyssey Nausicaa (or Nausicaä) is a daughter of Alcinous who helps Odysseus on his journey home. In pop culture, it is the name of the eponymous heroine in the 1984 Japanese anime movie…
Nestor
Greek
"traveler, voyager"
A wise ruler of legend--his sage advice helped the Greeks win the Trojan War--whose name is a possibility for the adventurous, though related in sound to the dated Lester-Hester family.
Achilles
Greek, meaning unknown
The name of the great Homeric hero with the vulnerable heel, Achilles is more popular in its international form, Achille, which is popular in France, Italy, and Belgium. This variation did however…
Honor
English word and virtue name
"honor"
Honor is a somewhat more straight-laced virtue name than Hope or Grace, placing a high standard on any girl carrying it, but it's a goal worth setting. By choosing Honor for her daughter, Jessica…
Glory
Word name
Glory sounds fresh and uplifting and a lot more modern than Gloria (which is definitely feeling the stirrings of a revival, though some might still view it as a terminal Old Lady name). Glory, as in…
Memory
English word name
"recollection"
There's no reason why Memory shouldn't be a name — it sounds like Melody and Mallory, is a pleasant word, and has great nickname options (Rory! Mimi!). Plus, there's that earworm song from Cats .
Weaver
Occupational name
Weaver, which made an appearance as a first name on the U.S. Top 1000 in the late 19th century and then vanished, may rise again along with its occupational brethren, from already-popular choices…
Loyalty
Word name
Loyalty is one of the Modern Virtue Names on the rise for both genders, but in this case mainly girls. About 85 percent of the babies named Loyalty are female and 15 percent male, but there's no…
Xenia
Greek
"hospitable, welcoming, guest"
The name of a Christian saint and a city in Ohio, Xenia is one of the more accessible and intriguing x names. It is the name of one of the Bond Girls--played by Famke Janssen in the film "GoldenEye."…