Girl Names From Classical Mythology

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…

Penelope

Greek

"weaver"

As elegant and refined as it is sweet and energized., Penelope has been well and truly revived in the 21st-century. Off the Top 1000 for 25 years, Penelope jumped back on in 2001 and has been heading…

Iris

Flower name; Greek

"rainbow"

Iris has so much going for it. It's a fashionable flower name. It's a mythological name, from the Greek goddess of the rainbow. And it's a classic name, always ranking in the girls' Top 1000 but now…

Athena

Greek

"from Athens"

Magical and distinctive but grounded and familiar too, it's no surprise that Athena has become one of the most widely used ancient goddess names in the contemporary Western world. Derived from the…

Daphne

Greek

"laurel tree, bay tree"

In Greek mythology, Daphne was the nymph daughter of Peneus, a river god. Peneus saved Daphne from Apollo’s romantic obsessions by transforming her into a laurel tree. It is from this myth that 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…

Helen

Greek

"torch, shining light"

Helen is a name that has connoted beauty since ancient times – Helen of Troy was the the mythological "face that launched a thousand ships," over whom the ten-year Trojan War was fought. These days,…

Cassandra

Greek

"shining or excelling man"

The name of the tragic mythological Trojan princess who was given the gift of prophecy by Apollo, but was condemned never to be believed, Cassandra has been used for striking characters in movies and…

Rhea

Greek mythology name

"a flowing stream"

Rhea is an old-style creative name of the Greek mythological earth mother of all the gods. A lot better than the Roman equivalent: Ops. Rhea reentered the US Top 1000 in 2015 and has been heading…

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…

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…

Arachne

Greek

"spider"

In Greek mythology, Arachne was a woman who bested Athena in a weaving competition. She later killed herself from the shame, but Athena reincarnated Arachne as a spider.

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…

Callisto

Greek mythology

"most beautiful"

Best known as one of the moons of Jupiter, Callisto was a nymph coveted by Zeus who was turned into a bear by Hera, becoming the Great Bear (Ursa Major) constellation.

Calypso

Greek

"she who hides"

Melodic, rhythmic, and poetic in sound, Calypso is a name with connections to music, mythology, space, and pop culture. A distinctive was to nickname Callie or even Pip, it has that charming -o…

Ceres

Roman

"nourishment"

Little known name of the goddess of the harvest — her name literally means nourishment, and is the origin of the word cereal. A possibility for the parent seeking something original, but with the…

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…

Demeter

Greek

"earth mother"

Demeter, the Greek goddess of grain, agriculture, and the harvest, growth and nourishment, was Zeus's sister and Persephone's mother. Variation Demetria is the full name of actress Demi Moore. Though…

Dido

Greek, meaning obscure

Dido was the heroine of Virgil's Aeneid and of the opera "Dido and Aeneas," and in Roman mythology the founder of Carthage. A strong ancient name in the Juno mode, but it could have some awkward…