Greek Names for Girls and Their Meanings
Greek names for girls have charmed us for centuries. Greek culture is undeniably the cradle of Western civilization.
Its arts, politics, philosophy, literature and mythology spread throughout all of Europe and parts of Africa and Asia. Its comedies and tragedies are still read and studied around the world, and the names of the characters that stole our hearts are still used to this day.
So if you’re a lover of classic literature and mythology, or if you simply want to name your daughter after a goddess, this article is perfect for you.
We’ll provide a comprehensive list of the most traditional and beautiful Greek names for girls.
Greek names for girls
Greek names throughout literature
Nearly 800 years before the birth of Christ, Greek literature began its development. The poems of Homer and Hesiod, and the fables of Aesop exemplified the beautiful narratives that would give birth to Western literature.
Since then, names like Cressida, Briseis, Helen, Athena, Andromache, and many others have been reused and popularized. Hundreds of years later, well into the 21st century, they’re still commonly used.
But Greek girls’ names also spread throughout the West thanks to the religion of ancient Greece and its gods of Olympus. Artemis, Aphrodite, Hera, and many others have been adopted in order to give girls names with a strong presence and a rich cultural history.
Now we’ll present a list of names for girls popularized by Greek culture, as well as their meanings.
List of names
- Hestia: a goddess linked to love, the home, food, and architecture. Girls with this name will often embody some of the best qualities associated with the home.
- Helen: there is no more widely-adopted name than that of the beautiful Helen of Troy, or Helen of Sparta. The name means “a light that shines in the darkness.”
- Nereid: this name comes from the 50 beautiful daughters born to Doris and Nereus.
- Briseis: one of the most famous characters in Homer’s Iliad.
- Athena: the goddess of peace, wisdom, science, and justice. These qualities make it one of the most popular names from mythology.
- Isaura: this name was given to the women who inhabited the Greek region of Isuaria, near Cyprus.
- Cassandra: she was a famous prophet who, along with Laocoon, predicted the famously deceptive Trojan Horse.
- Talia: one of the muses of the theater, etymologically her name means abundance.
- Clio: this name also belongs to one of the nine muses. Clio represents history and poetry.
- Chloe: this name owes some of its popularity to the Greek novel Daphnis and Chloe.
- Andromeda: her name means “governor of men.” She was the daughter of royalty and the wife of Perseus.
More names to choose from
- Ariadne: known in Greek mythology as a Cretan princess. Etymologically speaking, her name means “the purest.”
- Artemis: best known as the goddess of the hunt, Artemis is also the protector of nature.
- Megara: best known as Hercules’ wife.
- Nymph: nymphs are important figures in Greek mythology and literature. Furthermore, they live in forests, enchanted places, and rivers.
- Eurydice: this nymph was a protagonist of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, widely represented in lyric operas.
- Phaedra: a Cretan princess who fell in love with her stepson, Hippolytus. The popularity of her name is due to the literary work based on her story, written by Euripides.
- Hippolyta: famed for her strength and for confronting Hercules, she possessed a magic fire belt given to her by her father, Ares. In modern comic books, Hippolyta and the Amazons are an important part of the mythology surrounding Wonder Woman.
- Antigone: the daughter of Jocasta and Oedipus. She was a key figure in Sophocles’ legendary story Oedipus Rex.
- Parthenope: one of the most beautiful sirens, her name means “maiden’s voice.” This name also belonged to an old settlement that is now home to Naples.
- Caryatid: this name refers to the beautiful female figures sculpted from stone that serve as pillars and columns.
We’re confident this selection of Greek names for girls will make it tough to pick just one.
The most interesting part of choosing one of these names for your daughter is the historical and literary significance that will set it apart from the rest.
