Connecting with Mythology

Ala

Igbo, Polish, diminutive of Alicja

"nobility"

Ala is the Igbo earth goddess whose symbol is the crescent moon. In a very different vein, Ala can be a diminutive for Alicja or Alexandra or really any other name with an A at both ends and an L in…

Althea

Greek

"with healing power"

Althea is a poetic, almost ethereal name found in Greek myth and pastoral poetry, associated in modern times with the great tennis player Althea Gibson, the first African-American to win at…

Amma

Tamil, Akan

"mother, or born on a Saturday"

An anagram of Mama, in tune with its Tamil meaning. Amma is also a Ghanaian name. The Akan people of Ghana and the Ivory Coast frequently name their children after the day of the week they were born…

Andromeda

Greek mythology name

"advising like a man"

One of the stellar unique baby names from mythology, Andromeda was the beautiful daughter of Cassiopeia who, like her mother, literally became a star--the constellation that bears her name.The…

Angharad

Welsh

"much loved"

This name dates back to Arthurian legend, in which Angharad was the lover of Percival, one of the Knights of the Round Table, and was used more recently for the name of the favorite wife of the…

Anona

Latin

"corn, grain"

Name of the Roman goddess of harvest and grain, appropriate for a fall baby. And a palindrome too!

Anta

Anta is a succinct feminine name with multiple cultural origins. In African traditions, particularly in Senegal, it serves as a feminine name meaning 'grace' or appears as a shortened form of names…

Anthea

Greek

"flowery"

This unjustly neglected floral name is smart and crisp, with a touch of Athena, Anna, and Cynthia about it. It also has that stylish Greek mythological heritage: Anthea is an epithet of Hera, the…

Antheia

Antheia derives from ancient Greek origins, where it was the name of the goddess of flowers, gardens, and flowery wreaths. She was one of the Charites (Graces) associated with vegetation, blossoms,…

Aoife

Irish Gaelic

"beautiful, radiant"

Aoife, pronounced EE-fa, is derived from the Irish word aoibh , meaning "beauty." Aoife was borne by several different heroines of ancient Irish legend. In one tale, she was the fiercest woman…

Ariadne

Greek

"most holy"

This name of the Cretan goddess of fertility is most popular now as the more melodic Ariana, but Ariadne has possibilities of its own. It first entered the US Top 1000 in 2014. The renewed interest…

Artemis

Greek mythology

"safe; butcher"

Artemis, one of the key figures of the female Greek pantheon, is the ancient virgin goddess of the hunt, wilderness, animals, childbirth, and a protector of young girls, later associated with the…

Asherah

Sumerian

"she who treads on the sea"

Asherah is probably one of the most ancient of mother goddess symbols, recorded in the pantheons of several civilisations from the tenth century BCE. As the mother to innumerable gods and goddesses,…

Astraea

Greek

"of the stars"

Astraea —also found as Astraia — is the Greek goddess of justice and innocence who left earth to become the constellation Virgo after she grew unhappy with the state of humanity. She was prophesised…

Avalon

Celtic

"island of apples"

Avalon, an island paradise of Celtic myth and Arthurian legend--it was where King Arthur was taken to recover from his wounds-- and also the colorful capital of the California island of Catalina--…