Byzantine Royalty names for girls

Hypatia

Greek

"highest, supreme"

Hypatia, an ancient Greek name, has a distinguished namesake: Hypatia of Alexandria was an early philosopher and scholar of mathematics and astronomy. Fittingly, the name derives from the Greek…

Ilaria

Italian variation of Hilary

"cheerful, happy"

Hilary may feel too connected to a single personality, but this version offers a fresh and interesting alternative. Alec and Hilaria Baldwin (born Hillary Lynn Hayward-Thomas) chose this variation of…

Ino

Greek; Japanese

"mythological name; wild boar"

Ino was one of the Queens of Thebes who, after her death, became an immortal. Ino raised her nephew, Dionysus (son of Semele and Zeus), provoking the wrath of Hera. In desperation Ino threw herself…

Ioanna

Greek variation of Joanna

Ioanna may be an original spin on the Joanna family, but American tongues may have trouble wrapping themselves around all its vowels. Ioanna is pronounced ee-oh-ah-nah.

Justa

Feminine form of Justus, Latin

"just"

Justa is an ancient saints' name. Saints Justa and Rufina were martyred sisters who are today the patron saints of Seville in Spain. While Justice and Justus have caught on as names, Justa remains…

Justina

Latin, feminine variation of Justin

Justina was the pre-Justine feminization of Justin, now a possible alternative to Christina. Oddly, while Justine feels like a name unto itself, Justina feels like a pinned-together feminization in…

Maddalena

Maddalena is the Italian form of Magdalene, a name with biblical significance referring to Mary Magdalene, one of Jesus's most devoted followers. The name derives from Magdala, a village on the Sea…

Marcia

Latin, feminine version of Marcius

"warlike"

Marcia is an ancient Roman name which derives from Mars, the god of war. It was used by Dante in the Inferno and later by Thomas Hardy and others. Marcia enjoyed a brief run of popularity in the…

Margarita

Spanish, Russian, Greek

"pearl, daisy"

Margarita is an international form of Margaret that shares its meaning of "pearl", but also directly translates to "daisy" in Spanish and Greek. Despite being widely associated with the alcoholic…