Alexandra Ἀλεξάνδρα f English, German, Dutch, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Greek, Portuguese, Romanian, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Catalan, Russian, Ukrainian, Ancient Greek, Greek MythologyFeminine form of
Alexander. In Greek mythology this was a Mycenaean epithet of the goddess
Hera, and an alternate name of
Cassandra. It was borne by several early Christian saints, and also by the wife of Nicholas II, the last tsar of Russia. She was from Germany and had the birth name
Alix, but was renamed
Александра (Aleksandra) upon joining the Russian Church.
Amphitrite Ἀμφιτρίτη f Greek MythologyPossibly means
"the surrounding sea" or
"the surrounding third", from Greek
ἀμφίς (amphis) meaning "surrounding, around, between" and the same root found in the name of
Triton. In Greek mythology she was a goddess of the sea and salt water, the wife of
Poseidon and the mother of Triton.
Aphrodite Ἀφροδίτη f Greek MythologyMeaning unknown, possibly of Phoenician origin. Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love and beauty, identified with the Roman goddess
Venus. She was the wife of
Hephaestus and the mother of
Eros, and she was often associated with the myrtle tree and doves. The Greeks connected her name with
ἀφρός (aphros) meaning
"foam", resulting in the story that she was born from the foam of the sea. Many of her characteristics are based on the goddess known as
Ashtoreth to the Phoenicians and
Ishtar to the Mesopotamian Semitic peoples, and on the Sumerian goddess
Inanna.
Arke 1 Ἄρκη f Greek MythologyFrom Greek
ἀρκής (arkes) meaning
"swift". Arke was the twin sister of the rainbow goddess
Iris in Greek mythology. Because she sided with the Titans, Zeus had her imprisoned with them in Tartarus.
Artemis Ἄρτεμις f Greek Mythology, GreekMeaning unknown, possibly related either to Greek
ἀρτεμής (artemes) meaning
"safe" or
ἄρταμος (artamos) meaning
"a butcher". Artemis was the Greek goddess of the moon and hunting, the twin of
Apollo and the daughter of
Zeus and
Leto. She was known as
Diana to the Romans.
Astraea Ἀστραία f Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek
Ἀστραία (Astraia), derived from Greek
ἀστήρ (aster) meaning
"star". Astraea was a Greek goddess of justice and innocence. After wickedness took root in the world she left the earth and became the constellation Virgo.
Astrape Ἀστραπή f Greek MythologyMeans
"lightning" in Greek. This was the name of a Greek goddess of lightning, an attendant of
Zeus.
Athena Ἀθηνᾶ f Greek Mythology, EnglishMeaning unknown. Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare and the patron goddess of the city of Athens in Greece. It is likely that her name is derived from that of the city, not vice versa. The earliest mention of her seems to be a 15th-century BC Mycenaean Greek inscription from Knossos on Crete.
... [more] Chloris Χλωρίς f Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
χλωρός (chloros) meaning
"pale green". Chloris, in Greek mythology, was a minor goddess of vegetation.
Chthonia Χθωνία f Greek MythologyMeans
"of the earth, underground" in Greek, a derivative of
χθών (chthon) meaning "earth, ground, soil". This was an epithet of the Greek goddess
Demeter.
Cynthia Κυνθία f English, French, Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Κυνθία (Kynthia), which means
"woman from Cynthus". This was an epithet of the Greek moon goddess
Artemis, given because Cynthus was the mountain on Delos on which she and her twin brother
Apollo were born. It was not used as a given name until the Renaissance, and it did not become common in the English-speaking world until the 19th century. It reached a peak of popularity in the United States in 1957 and has declined steadily since then.
Delia 1 Δηλία f English, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Greek MythologyMeans
"of Delos" in Greek. This was an epithet of the Greek goddess
Artemis, given because she and her twin brother
Apollo were born on the island of Delos. The name appeared in several poems of the 16th and 17th centuries, and it has occasionally been used as a given name since that time.
Demeter 1 Δημήτηρ f Greek MythologyPossibly means
"earth mother", derived from Greek
δᾶ (da) meaning "earth" and
μήτηρ (meter) meaning "mother". In Greek mythology Demeter was the goddess of agriculture, the daughter of
Cronus, the sister of
Zeus, and the mother of
Persephone. She was an important figure in the Eleusinian Mysteries, which were secret rites performed at Eleusis near Athens.
Dike Δίκη f Greek MythologyMeans
"justice, custom, order" in Greek. In Greek mythology Dike was the goddess of justice, one of the
Ὥραι (Horai).
Dione 1 Διώνη f Greek MythologyFrom Greek
Διός (Dios) meaning
"of Zeus". By extension, it means
"goddess". This was the name of a Greek goddess who, according to some legends, was the mother of
Aphrodite. A moon of Saturn is named after her.
Eos Ἠώς f Greek MythologyMeans
"dawn" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess of the dawn.
Eris Ἔρις f Greek MythologyMeans
"strife, discord" in Greek. In Greek mythology Eris was the goddess of discord. She was the sister and companion of
Ares.
Eunomia Εὐνομία f Greek MythologyMeans
"good order" in Greek, ultimately from
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and
νόμος (nomos) meaning "law, custom". Eunomia was a Greek goddess, one of the
Ὥραι (Horai), presiding over law.
Gaia Γαῖα f Greek Mythology, ItalianFrom the Greek word
γαῖα (gaia), a parallel form of
γῆ (ge) meaning
"earth". In Greek mythology Gaia was the mother goddess who presided over the earth. She was the mate of
Uranus and the mother of the Titans and the Cyclopes.
Hebe Ἥβη f Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
ἥβη (hebe) meaning
"youth". In Greek mythology Hebe was the daughter of
Zeus and
Hera. She was a goddess of youth who acted as the cupbearer to the gods.
Hecate Ἑκάτη f Greek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek
Ἑκάτη (Hekate), possibly derived from
ἑκάς (hekas) meaning
"far off". In Greek mythology Hecate was a goddess associated with witchcraft, crossroads, tombs, demons and the underworld.
Hemera Ἡμέρα f Greek MythologyMeans
"day" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess who personified the daytime. According to Hesiod she was the daughter of
Nyx, the personification of the night.
Hestia Ἑστία f Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
ἑστία (hestia) meaning
"hearth, fireside". In Greek mythology Hestia was the goddess of the hearth and domestic activity.
Iphigeneia Ἰφιγένεια f Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
ἴφιος (iphios) meaning "strong, stout" and
γενής (genes) meaning "born". In Greek myth Iphigenia was the daughter of King
Agamemnon. When her father offended
Artemis it was divined that the only way to appease the goddess was to sacrifice Iphigenia. Just as Agamemnon was about to sacrifice his daughter she was magically transported to the city of Taurus.
... [more] Irene Εἰρήνη f English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, German, Dutch, Ancient Greek (Latinized), Greek Mythology (Latinized)From Greek
Εἰρήνη (Eirene), derived from a word meaning
"peace". This was the name of the Greek goddess who personified peace, one of the
Ὥραι (Horai). It was also borne by several early Christian saints. The name was common in the Byzantine Empire, notably being borne by an 8th-century empress, who was the first woman to lead the empire. She originally served as regent for her son, but later had him killed and ruled alone.
... [more] Iris Ἶρις f Greek Mythology, English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, French, Spanish, Catalan, Italian, Slovene, Croatian, GreekMeans
"rainbow" in Greek. Iris was the name of the Greek goddess of the rainbow, also serving as a messenger to the gods. This name can also be given in reference to the word (which derives from the same Greek source) for the iris flower or the coloured part of the eye.
Kalliope Καλλιόπη f Greek MythologyMeans
"beautiful voice" from Greek
κάλλος (kallos) meaning "beauty" and
ὄψ (ops) meaning "voice". In Greek mythology she was a goddess of epic poetry and eloquence, one of the nine Muses.
Kleio Κλειώ f Greek Mythology, GreekDerived from Greek
κλέος (kleos) meaning
"glory". In Greek mythology she was the goddess of history and heroic poetry, one of the nine Muses. She was said to have introduced the alphabet to Greece.
Kore Κόρη f Greek MythologyMeans
"maiden" in Greek. This was another name for the Greek goddess Persephone.
Lysithea Λυσιθέα f Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
λύσις (lysis) meaning "a release, loosening" and
θεά (thea) meaning "goddess". This was the name of a lover of
Zeus in Greek mythology. A small moon of Jupiter is named after her.
Lyssa 2 Λύσσα f Greek MythologyMeans
"rage, fury, anger" in Greek. In Greek mythology Lyssa is a goddess associated with uncontrolled rage.
Melinoe Μηλινόη f Greek MythologyPossibly from Greek
μήλινος (melinos) meaning "quince-coloured, yellow", a derivative of
μῆλον (melon) meaning "fruit, apple". According to Greek mythology she was a chthonic nymph or goddess, often described as a daughter of
Persephone and
Zeus.
Mnemosyne Μνημοσύνη f Greek MythologyMeans
"remembrance" in Greek. In Greek mythology Mnemosyne was a Titan goddess of memory. She was the mother by
Zeus of the nine Muses.
Nikephoros Νικηφόρος m & f Ancient Greek, Greek MythologyMeans
"carrying victory" from Greek
νίκη (nike) meaning "victory" and
φέρω (phero) meaning "to carry, to bear". This name was borne by several Byzantine emperors, including the 10th-century Nikephoros II Phokas. Besides being a masculine personal name, it was also a title borne by the goddess
Athena.
Nyx Νύξ f Greek MythologyMeans
"night" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess of the night, the daughter of Khaos and the wife of Erebos.
Ourania Οὐρανία f Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
οὐράνιος (ouranios) meaning
"heavenly". In Greek mythology she was the goddess of astronomy and astrology, one of the nine Muses.
Pallas 1 Παλλάς f Greek MythologyProbably derived from a Greek word meaning
"maiden, young woman". This was an epithet of the Greek goddess
Athena. According to some legends it was originally the name of a friend of the goddess. Athena accidentally killed her while sparring, so she took the name in honour of her friend.
Phoebe Φοίβη f English, Greek Mythology (Latinized), Biblical, Biblical LatinLatinized form of the Greek name
Φοίβη (Phoibe), which meant
"bright, pure" from Greek
φοῖβος (phoibos). In Greek mythology Phoibe was a Titan associated with the moon. This was also an epithet of her granddaughter, the moon goddess
Artemis. The name appears in
Paul's epistle to the Romans in the New Testament, where it belongs to a female minister in the church at Cenchreae.
... [more] Polymnia Πολύμνια, Πολυύμνια f Greek MythologyMeans
"abounding in song", derived from Greek
πολύς (polys) meaning "much" and
ὕμνος (hymnos) meaning "song, hymn". In Greek mythology she was the goddess of dance and sacred songs, one of the nine Muses.
Praxidike Πραξιδίκη f Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
πρᾶξις (praxis) meaning "action, exercise" and
δίκη (dike) meaning "justice, custom, order". In Greek mythology she was the goddess of lawful punishment. This is also the name of a small moon of
Jupiter.
Selene Σελήνη f Greek MythologyMeans
"moon" in Greek. This was the name of a Greek goddess of the moon, a Titan. She was sometimes identified with the goddess
Artemis.
Theia Θεία f Greek MythologyPossibly derived from Greek
θεά (thea) meaning
"goddess". In Greek myth this was the name of a Titan goddess of light, glittering and glory. She was the wife of
Hyperion and the mother of the sun god
Helios, the moon goddess
Selene, and the dawn goddess
Eos.
Tyche Τύχη f Greek MythologyMeans
"chance, luck, fortune" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess of fortune, luck and fate.