The Obscure Goddesses

Aurora

Latin

"dawn"

The goddess name Aurora has consistently been on the US popularity list since the nineteenth century, but has really taken off in the past 30 years. Aurora also enjoys remarkable international…

Luna

Latin

"moon"

The name of the Roman goddess of the moon, Luna is derived straight from the Latin word for moon, luna. Luna may be the name most likely to surprise someone from an older generation by its Top 10…

Diana

Latin

"divine"

Diana, the tragic British princess, inspired many fashions, but strangely, not one for her name. For us, Diana is a gorgeous and still-underused choice. Diana is the Latin name for the Roman goddess…

Kali

Sanskrit, English

"black one; free man; beauty"

Kali is a number of different things: a playful, contemporary twist on the name Callie; the Hindu goddess of destruction; an alternative spelling for Kaylee; a short form of the Arablic Kalila, the…

Maia

Greek

"mother"

Maia was derived from the Greek word maia , meaning "mother." In Greek legend, she was the fair-haired daughter of Atlas who mothered Zeus's favorite illegitimate son, Hermes. To the Romans, Maia was…

Flora

Latin

"flower"

Flora, the name of the Roman goddess of flowers and spring, who enjoyed eternal youth, is one of the gently old-fashioned girls' flower names that's making a big comeback. Short and sweet, it joins…

Jana

International feminine variation of Jan

A sweet name with many cross-cultural ties: it's an equivalent of Jane in languages including Czech, Slovak, Dutch, German, Slovene, Catalan, Estonian, and Latvian.

Juno

Latin

"queen of the heavens; young"

Juno is an ancient name that feels as fresh as if it had been minted, well, not yesterday, but in 2007. Since the release of the popular indie film Juno , this lively but strong Roman goddess name…

Patricia

Latin

"noble, patrician"

Patricia still sounds patrician, though its scores of nicknames definitely don't. Wildly popular from the forties (alternately Number 3 and 4 throughout the decade) to the sixties, Patricia has been…

Elissa

Variation of Alice or Elizabeth

The Elissa version of a long-popular name is fading in favor of Alyssa, Eliza and other variants. The legion of other forms and spellings includes Alissa, Allissa, Allyssa, Alyssa, Elissah, Ellisa,…

Lua

Galician and Catalan form of Luna, Portuguese, Latin

"moon; to set free"

Properly spelled Luã, this is a light and bright alternative to mega-popular Luna, with the same celestial meaning. Lua is also an attractive choice for tech-heads, with Lua being a popular…

Caia

Latin, feminine variation of Caius

"to rejoice"

Caia Caecilia was the Roman Goddess of fire and women. The name Caia would make a truly fresh alternative to the flagging Maya, with which it rhymes.

Evan

Welsh variation of John

"God is gracious"

Evan is a boys' favorite that has been given the feminine touch by talented actress Evan Rachel Wood. If you want to move beyond Eva and Evelyn and like unisex names, this may be a good bet for you…

Lucina

Roman

"grove or light"

Lucina, deriving from Latin lucus "grove" and also associated with lux "light", is an epithet given in Roman mythology to the goddess Juno (and sometimes also Diana) in her role as goddess of…

Lakshmi

Sanskrit

"a lucky omen"

Often heard in India, this is the name of the Hindu goddess of abundance, beauty, and prosperity, the embodiment of grace and charm --lucky omens indeed. The goddess Lakshmi is worshiped daily in…

Mera

Mera is a concise feminine name with diverse cultural origins. In Sanskrit, it means 'ocean' or 'sea,' connecting the name to water and vastness. In Arabic contexts, it can relate to words meaning…

Lala

Slavic

"laurel"

If it's possible for a name to be too musical, this one is.

Nona

Latin

"ninth"

Nona is a name sometimes given to the ninth child -- but unlikely to serve that purpose today. Musical cred: the name of a song by Motley Crue. In Roman mythology, Nona was also a goddess of…

Fauna

Roman, English word name, from Latin

"young deer; all the animals that live in a particular area"

Fauna is the Roman goddess of the earth as well as one of the fairies who protected Disney's "Sleeping Beauty". It can also be considered a word name with a scientific, nature focused feel. Used to…

Kerri

Kerri is a feminine name of Irish Gaelic origin, typically considered a variation of Kerry, which means 'dark-haired' or 'dark one.' It can also be seen as a diminutive form of Katherine or a variant…