Mythological Names for Boys

Icarus

Greek mythology name

Icarus, the mythological figure famous for flying too close to the sun, has a couple of negatives: his rash reputation, and those "icky" nicknames.

Triton

Greek mythology name

The Greek god Triton was the messenger of the sea and the son of sea god Neptune. He is usually represented as a merman, the the head and upper body of a human and the lower body of a sea creature.…

Astraeus

Greek

"star"

The Titan of the dusk in Greek mythology, husband of Eos (Dawn) and father of the four Anemoi (Winds), as well as the goddess Astraea. The name is derived from Greek "aster", meaning "star".

Hercules

Greek

"glory of Hera"

Any boy with this name, a synonym for power via the Greek mythology figure, better be strong of body, and of psyche.

Conall

Irish

"strong as a wolf"

Too many Connors in your neighborhood? This name--spelled with one 'l' or two--is equally authentic and much more unusual.

Theseus

Greek mythology name

The name of the Greek mythological hero famous for slaying the Minotaur is also heard in Chaucer and Shakespeare. While Theseus might have sounded pretentious for an American baby a decade ago, today…

Zephyrus

Zephyrus comes from ancient Greek mythology, where Zephyrus was the god of the west wind, considered the gentlest of the wind deities. The name literally means 'west wind' or 'western one' in Greek.…

Vishnu

Hindi

"protector"

Name of one of the three main Hindu gods.

Eryx

Greek mythology name

"to keep in, to curb"

Eryx has a sci-fi sound and deep roots. In Greek mythology, Eryx was the son of Poseidon and Aphrodite and a king in Sicily. He was a great boxer, but was eventually beaten by Heracles. He probably…

Kalev

Hebrew or Estonian

"dog, or ancestor of the Finns"

Biblical Hebrew form of Caleb, which means "dog", or possibly "whole heart". Kalev is also the Estonian form of the Finnish name Kaleva, from an ancient demonym of unknown derivation.

Remus

Latin, meaning unknown

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…

Alvis

Norse mythology name

Alvis, sometimes spelled Alviss, is a dwarf in Norse mythology who claims to know everything and names all the features of the natural world to show off to Thor, whose daughter Alvis wants to marry.…

Elysian

Latin from Greek

"of Elysium; blissful"

The Elysian Fields of Greek mythology was the home of the afterlife for the blessed. As spiritual names and mythological names continue to rise, Elysian is a name to watch.

Priam

Greek mythology name

In ancient Greek mythology, a Trojan king with fifty children; in the modern world it sounds more like a computer language or environmentally correct car.

Zagreus

Greek

"great hunter"

In Greek mythology, Zagreus was a god of the underworld and the son of Persephone and either Hades or Zeus. The word zagreus refers to a hunter who catches (and dismembers) live animals — the…

Fintan

Irish

"white fire or white bull"

Fintan is an ancient Irish saints' name that in legend is also the name of the only person to survive The Flood. Popular in modern Ireland, Fintan is ripe for export to the US where it is rarely used…

Isander

Greek

"like a man"

An unusual but very accessible name from Greek mythology, with the same strong ending sound as stylish picks like Alexander and Evander. Isandro is the equally attractive Spanish version.

Pluto

Greek

"rich"

The Roman god of the underworld, the former ninth planet, a cartoon dog...but not a baby.

Abraxas

Persian mythology name

Abraxas is a sci-fi-sounding name with earthly possibilities, but some playground challenges. Abraxas has a long and convoluted history, dating back to ancient Egyptian mythology and the Gnostics who…

Ara

Armenian

"king"

Ara is a unique boys' name that one of the most melodious in the Armenian name pool, familiarized by Notre Dame football coach Ara Parseghian. In Armenian mythology, Ara was a king so handsome that a…