Otherworldly Names

Europa

Greek

"wide face"

The continent of Europe gets its name from Europa, queen of Crete and lover of Zeus. It is also, notably, the name of one of Jupiter's moons.

Galatea

Greek

"she who is milk-white"

This name's meaning derives from the material from which the mythical sculptor Pygmalion chiselled his ideal woman - she was carved from ivory. Pygmalion fell in love with his creation and Aphrodite,…

Haumea

Hawaiian

"red ruler"

Haumea is the Hawaiian goddess of childbirth, said to have created a potion to allow humans to be able to give birth naturally. The meaning of the name is likely related to the blood shed in…

Helene

French variation of Helen

"bright, shining one"

Whether it's pronounced with an "een" or an "aine" or an "enn" sound at the end, Helene doesn't feel as current the more forthright Helen or the airier Helena. Helene reached a high of Number 228 in…

Hermione

Feminine version of Hermes, Greek

"messenger, earthly"

Hermione's costarring role in Harry Potter has made this previously ignored, once stodgy name suddenly viable. Hermione could really take off once today's children start having kids of their own. In…

Hydra

Greek

"water serpent"

Hydra is the largest of the 88 constellations, whose name was inspired by Hydra of Lerna, a serpentine, multi-headed monster of Greek mythology who resided in Lake Lerna.

Ida

German

"industrious one"

Many vowel names stylish a century ago are coming back, and Ida seems like a possible, logical successor to Ada and Ava. A century ago, Ida was considered "sweet as apple cider," and was Number 10 on…

Io

Greek mythology name

Io may be one of the slightest names in the book, but there aren't many two-letter names with as much substance as this Greek mythological example. Io, a name used for the largest moon of Jupiter,…

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…

Jupiter

Latin

"godfather"

Jupiter may be known as the father of all the gods, but it's baby girls who have claimed his name for their own. Mythological and celestial baby names are hot across the board, so Jupiter was bound…

Kalliope

Greek

"beautiful voice"

Original form of the more familiar Calliope, the muse of epic poetry. A calliope is a musical instrument sometimes called the steam organ, frequently found on carousels. With its rhythmic sound, this…

Kari

Norwegian diminutive of Katarina or variation of Carrie, English

"pure; free man"

Kari and all her many sisters, from Carrie to Carey to Kerry and onward, originated for the most part as short forms of either Catherine Katherine or one of the Charles feminizations such as Carol or…

Larissa

English, German, and Portuguese variation of Larisa, Greek and Russian

"citadel"

Daintily pretty without being frilly, Larissa is familiar but more quietly used than its sound-alikes Melissa and Alyssa. Though this is the more common variation in the Western World, the original…

Leda

Greek

"woman, wife"

Succinct and simple in spelling, Leda is a currently rare choice from Greek mythology with that appealing four-letter, ending in -a format of Lyra, Maia, Vada, Veda, and Nora. Borne by a Spartan…

Lysithea

Greek

"delivered or freed by the gods"

The was the name of a minor character in Greek mythology, or another name for Semele, the mother of Dionysus by Zeus. A moon of Jupiter bears this name, as does a character in the video game Fire…