Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Other Scripts: Ἀχαιός(Ancient Greek)
Personal remark: "grief, pain, woe"
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The meaning of this name is a little uncertain; it may have been derived from Greek αχος
(achos) meaning "grief, pain, woe" (also see
Achilles). It is also interesting to note that there is the Greek word
achaia, which was an epithet of the Greek goddess
Demeter. The etymology of this epithet is similarly uncertain, but sources speculate that it is also derived from
achos. Given that the male name Achaios (better known by its latinized form
Achaeus) was first the name of two characters from Greek mythology before it became borne by real living men, it seems unlikely that both characters were named in honour of the goddess Demeter, so at least in their case a direct derivation from
achos would be more likely than a direct derivation from
achaia. Where living men were concerned, however, they could have been named in honour of the two characters of Greek mythology or directly after the goddess Demeter. It is also possible that they were named after the ancient region Achaia (better known by its latinized form
Achaea), but this region was probably named in honour of Demeter. As such, in all cases and scenarios, everything can eventually be traced back to Greek
achos, assuming that is the correct root.