God Names from Myth and Legend

Percival

French

"one who pierces the valley"

There are several Percivals scattered through the Harry Potter series, which might help transform the old-fangled, fussy image it has accrued. Actually, the original Percival was the one perfectly…

Thor

Norse and Scandinavian

"thunder"

Thor, the powerful name of the Norse god of thunder, strength and rain, would make a bold statement. Long a comic book staple, Thor has now invaded the big screen, and could land on birth…

Osiris

Egyptian

"with strong eyesight"

Osiris is the name of Egyptian mythology god-king who died and was reborn every year. Emerging from centuries of obscurity, Osiris has several ingredients for success in the modern world: Roots in…

Leander

Greek

"lion-man"

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,…

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.…

Neptune

Roman god of the sea, freshwater springs, and horses.

This Roman mythology (and planet) name would be very hard to handle. It derives from a root meaning cloud.

Oceanus

Mythological name

"ocean"

Oceanus was the Titan in ancient Greek mythology who rules what they thought was the body of water that surrounded the Earth. Oceanus was, appropriately enough, the name of the baby born on the…

Perseus

Greek mythology name

"to destroy"

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.

Feargus

Feargus is a masculine name of Irish Gaelic origin, derived from 'fear' meaning 'man' and 'gus' meaning 'vigor' or 'strength,' combining to mean 'strong man' or 'man of vigor.' This powerful name was…

Diarmaid

Irish

"free man"

This authentic form of the name of an Irish mythological hero with the power to make women fall instantly in love with him would work far better here as the Anglicized Dermot.

Odysseus

Greek mythology name

"wrathful"

The name of the brave, resourceful hero of Homer's epic saga has almost always been considered too weighty for a child to bear, but at this point, some brave, resourceful parents out there might be…

Vishnu

Hindi

"protector"

Name of one of the three main Hindu gods.

Poseidon

Greek mythology name

This version of the sea god's name may be more ready for prime time than the Roman version, Neptune -- slightly.

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…

Magni

Nordic

"great"

Magni is a powerful name from Norse mythology: he’s the son of Thor and the giant Járnsaxa. A more modern variant is Magne, which is currently climbing fast in Denmark.

Perkūnas

Lithuanian

"oak tree, fir tree"

Perkūnas was the Baltic god of thunder, one of the most important deities of Baltic mythology. His name is derived from a Proto-Indo-European word meaning "oak tree" or "fir tree", which he also…

Parthenios

Greek mythology name

Parthenios, the name of a Greek river god, is draped in a toga.

Orpheus

Greek mythology name

"the darkness of the night"

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.

Olimpio

Greek

"pertaining to the Mount Olympus of Greek mythology"

One way to reference mythology without naming your son after a god.

Oisin

Irish

"little deer"

Oisin is one of the most popular Irish baby names in its native land, though largely unknown in the US. The original Oisin was the mythological son of Finn McCool and Sadb, the goddess who was…