Alternatives To Penelope

Polyxena

Greek

"very hospitable"

Polyxena was a minor figure in Greek mythology - a daughter of King Priam and a love interest of the famed warrior Achilles. The name is a bit clunky but could be pulled off by the right woman.

Primarosa

Italian variation of Primrose, flower name

"first rose"

Primarosa somehow makes the meaning of this pretty delicate flower name more apparent to English speakers. This might make a good honor name for Grandma Rose.

Circe

Greek

"bird, hawk"

In Greek myth, Circe, daughter of Helios, the sun, was a sorceress living on the island of Aeaea (or Aiaia) who could turn men into animals with her magic wand, which is just what she did to…

Pandora

Greek

"all gifted"

Pandora has occasionally been used by the British gentry (for girls with brothers who might be called Peregrine) and is now starting to be heard in the US too: It was given to 34 baby girls last…

Xanthe

Greek

"golden, yellow"

X marks the spot in names these days, usually at the middles or ends of names, but here is one that puts it squarely up front. This extravagant name, which, like many Greek names beginning with X, is…

Anemone

Flower name; Greek

"daughter of the wind"

Anemone is a floral name that relates to the ancient Greek myth of the famous love story of Aphrodite and Adonis, in which Aphrodite transforms her wounded lover's blood into a flower, the crimson…

Aphrodite

Greek mythology name

"foam or born from the sea"

The name of the Greek goddess of love has rarely descended to mortal use, though the Roman equivalent Venus, thanks to tennis star Williams, now seems completely possible. But with the new fashion…

Cybele

Greek

"the mother of all gods"

The Anatolian mother goddess Cybele had a place in Greek, Roman, Trojan, and Anatolian mythology. Today, she has special meaning as a symbol of gender nonconformity. In ancient Rome, Cybele's cult…

Eurydice

Greek

"wide justice"

Flowing and intriguing, Eurydice is a name from Greek mythology, borne by the wife of musician Orpheus. After she is poisoned by a snake and condemned to the underworld, Orpheus attempts to rescue…

Veronike

Veronike represents a variant spelling of Veronica, a name with classical roots. The traditional Veronica derives from the Latin 'vera icon' meaning 'true image,' associated with Saint Veronica in…

Zephyrine

Feminine variation of Zephyr, Greek

"west wind"

Zephyr may not be a name often heard in the U.S., but its variations are used throughout Europe. Zephyrine, a cousin in sound and feel if not in fact to such lovely names as Severine and Seraphina,…

Ione

Greek

"violet flower"

This unusual Greek flower and color name has gained considerable recent attention via actress Ione Skye, who is the daughter of sixties folksinger Donovan. Ione was one of the fifty sea nymphs —…

Iolanthe

Greek

"violet flower"

Iolanthe is known primarily through the 1882 Gilbert & Sullivan operetta of that name, in which the title character is a fairy. Iolanthe is a softer version of Yolanda, and is the kind of…

Olympia

Greek

"from Mount Olympus"

With its relation to Mount Olympus, home of the Greek gods, and to the Olympic games, this name has an athletic, goddess-like aura, making it the perfect Olivia substitute. A well-known art reference…

Obelia

Greek

"needle"

Victorian feel.

Reveka

Reveka is a feminine name representing a variant spelling or cultural adaptation of Rebecca. Rebecca originated from Hebrew רִבְקָה (Rivkah), meaning 'to tie' or 'to bind', and appears in the Bible…

Thessaly

Greek, place name, meaning unknown

The name of an area in northern Greece, known in the era of Homer's Odyssey as Aeolia, Thessaly makes a spirited and pretty place name. Reminiscent of Tessa, Rosalie, and Thea, the name likely…