God Names from Myth and Legend

God of cattle, earth, and the underworld worshipped in Slavic areas. He is considered the opponent of the thunder god Perun, and is imagined as a dragon-like figure — resembling a cross between a bear and a snake that devours lifestock.

Fans of writer Paul Auster might consider this a worthy alternative to the trendy Austin.

Cador is said to be one of the ancient rulers of Cornwall who, according to Arthurian legend, was the guardian of Guinevere. The name Cadbury is said to come from his four hill-forts.

God of sky, thunder, lightning, rain and war; the highest-ranking god in Slavic mythology. His name can also be spelled Peryn, which feels very wearable in the Western world as well.

Though the name of his great tragic love Thisbe remains in modern use, that of her paramour Pyramus, a young Babylonian, has all but disappeared.

A god of fire in Slovenian mythology. Kresnik is also associated with the summer solstice and storms. He is said to reside on a sacred mountain at the top of the world — representing axis mundi, or the axis of Earth between the celestial poles.

Occasionally found in the Anglicized Benga spelling, this strong Yoruba name is a popular choice in Nigeria. American actor Gbenga Akinnagbe was born Olugbenga, which is a longer form of the name, meaning "God lifted me".

God of the underworld in Lithuanian mythology, known as "the phantom of the dead". He is a one-eyed, prophetic trickster capable of raising whirlwinds and leading the host of the dead through the skies.

Quirinus is the Roman god of thunder and lightning, believed by some to be the Sabine god of war. While this is an intriguing and distinctive classic name, it also might provoke some middle school teasing.

God of the sky, weather, thunder, and the harvest in Estonian mythology. His names in Finnish mythology include Ukko, Äijä, and Äijö.

Oengus is the old Irish form of the name most commonly found in the modern world as Angus, typically Scottish.
In Irish mythology, Oengus is the god of youth, love, and poetry.

God of rebirth worshipped in Central and Eastern Europe. Yarilo represented the sacred youthful life-force and was associated with spring and agricultural fertility.

God of fertility in Latvian mythology. Jumis is responsible for ensuring a good harvest — he lives in the fields and the last of the crop would be left for him to live in.

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

A god of war worshipped in Slavic areas, depicted with a golden shield.

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 ruled over.

In Estonian mythology, Ilmarine is a blacksmith who forges the celestial beings. He is immortal and capable of creating practically anything, but is portrayed as being unlucky in love.

A Ukrainian spirit of mining — usually good, but occasionally wicked. Legends have different stories of the origin of Shubin, some citing him as the ghost of a dead miner, others a mining master from the 19th century who had a gift for predicting collapses.

In Bosnian mythology, Tur is a bull that holds the world on his back. According to legend, whenever he moves his horns, an earthquake happens. It is said that should Tur one day move his whole body, this would cause the end of the world.