Okay can we just take a moment to appreciate how good Greek mythology names are?
Like genuinely, some of the most beautiful names in the world came out of ancient Greece. Gods, goddesses, heroes, nymphs, titans — the Greeks named every one of them with such intention and such beauty that we are still borrowing from them thousands of years later.
And honestly? If you are looking for a name with depth, with history, with a story behind it that will never get old — Greek mythology is where you start.
I put together 105 of the best Greek mythology baby names for girls, for boys, and a few that work beautifully for either. Some you already know and love. Some are going to be completely new to you. All of them are fascinating.
Greek Mythology Baby Girl Names
Greek goddesses, nymphs, muses, and heroines had some of the most extraordinary names ever given. Many of them are rare in modern naming which makes them feel incredibly fresh right now.
I love how these names manage to feel both ancient and completely wearable at the same time. That is the magic of Greek mythology — it never really goes out of style.
1. Acantha
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Thorn, prickly
A nymph beloved by Apollo. Acantha is sharp, unusual, and has a distinctive quality that very few names can match.
2. Alecto
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Unceasing anger, the unwearying one
One of the Erinyes — but in her role as the unstoppable force of justice rather than punishment. Alecto is bold and rare.
3. Aletheia
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Truth, disclosure
The spirit of truth and sincerity in Greek mythology. Aletheia is lyrical, philosophical, and carries a meaning that every parent hopes their child will embody.
4. Amalthea
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: To soften, tender goddess
The goat who nursed the infant Zeus. From her broken horn came the cornucopia — the horn of plenty. Amalthea is warm, nurturing, and wonderfully rare.
5. Andromeda
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Ruler of men
The Ethiopian princess chained to a rock and rescued by Perseus. Also a galaxy. Also a constellation. Andromeda is grand, rare, and carries one of mythology’s most dramatic rescue stories.
6. Anthea
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Flower, blossom
An epithet of Hera as goddess of flowers. Anthea is soft, old-world beautiful, and almost never heard in modern naming.
7. Aoide
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Song
One of the original three Muses before the number expanded to nine. Aoide is the muse of song itself and carries one of the most poetic meanings possible.
8. Arachne
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Spider
The weaver who challenged Athena and was transformed into a spider. Arachne is bold, dramatic, and carries one of mythology’s most compelling cautionary tales.
9. Arete
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Virtue, excellence
The Greek concept of moral excellence personified. Arete is short, powerful, and carries the most admired quality in ancient Greek culture.
10. Ariadne
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Most holy
The Cretan princess who gave Theseus the thread to escape the labyrinth. Ariadne is lyrical, rare, and has a depth that very few names can match.
11. Asteria
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Star, of the stars
The Titan goddess of falling stars and nocturnal oracles. Asteria is cosmic, beautiful, and carries a starlit mythology that is genuinely extraordinary.
12. Astraea
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Star maiden, goddess of justice
The last immortal to leave the earth at the end of the golden age, ascending to become the constellation Virgo. Rare, celestial, and deeply poetic.
13. Atalanta
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Equal in weight, balanced
The huntress who could outrun any man and vowed to marry only the one who could beat her. Atalanta is strong, rare, and carries a beautiful story of independence.
14. Aura
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Breeze, gentle wind
The Titan goddess of the breeze and the fresh, cool air of early morning. Aura is short, ethereal, and completely beautiful.
15. Calliope
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Beautiful voice
The muse of epic poetry — the greatest of all nine Muses. Calliope is long, lyrical, and carries the whole tradition of poetry in one name.
16. Callisto
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Most beautiful
A nymph transformed into a bear by Zeus and placed in the sky as Ursa Major. Callisto is rare, mythological, and breathtakingly beautiful.
17. Calypso
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: She who conceals
The nymph who kept Odysseus on her island for seven years, offering him immortality if he would stay. Calypso is mysterious, musical, and deeply poetic.
18. Cassandra
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: She who entangles men, prophetess
The Trojan prophetess cursed to tell the truth and never be believed. One of mythology’s most hauntingly beautiful and tragic figures.
19. Circe
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Bird, enchantress
The sorceress of the Odyssey who transformed men into animals. Madeline Miller’s novel brought Circe back to life as one of mythology’s most complex heroines.
20. Clio
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: To make famous, glory
The muse of history. Clio is short, striking, and carries a beautiful intellectual legacy.
21. Daphne
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Laurel tree
The nymph who was transformed into a laurel tree to escape Apollo. Daphne is classic, widely loved, and feels perfectly current right now.
22. Demeter
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Earth mother
The goddess of the harvest whose grief over her daughter Persephone created winter. Demeter is grand, powerful, and rarely used as a given name which makes it feel extraordinary.
23. Eris
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Strife, discord
The goddess of discord whose golden apple started the Trojan War. Eris is short, striking, and carries one of mythology’s most dramatic stories.
24. Euterpe
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Rejoicing well, delight
The muse of music and lyric poetry. Euterpe is unusual, melodic, and carries a beautiful musical connection.
25. Galatea
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: She who is milk-white
Both a sea nymph and the statue brought to life by love in the Pygmalion myth. Galatea is rare, mythological, and deeply beautiful.
26. Harmonia
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Harmony, concord
The daughter of Ares and Aphrodite — born from war and love combined. Harmonia is flowing, musical, and carries a deep mythological beauty.
27. Hecate
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Far-reaching, goddess of crossroads
The goddess of magic, crossroads, and the moon who guided Demeter in her search for Persephone. Hecate is powerful, rare, and deeply striking.
28. Hestia
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Hearth, fireside
The goddess of the hearth and home — the most gentle and peaceful of all the Olympians. Hestia is warm, rare, and carries a beautiful sense of home and belonging.
29. Hypatia
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Highest, supreme
The brilliant mathematician and philosopher of ancient Alexandria. Not strictly mythology but so deeply connected to the Greek intellectual world that she belongs on this list.
30. Io
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Moon, violet colored flower
A priestess of Hera transformed into a white heifer by Zeus. Io is one of the shortest and most striking names in all of Greek mythology.
Greek Mythology Baby Boy Names
Greek mythology gave us some of the strongest, most character-filled male names in history. Heroes, gods, kings, and warriors whose names carried real power in the ancient world and still carry that same energy today.
And honestly some of these names are so beautiful and so underused that I cannot believe more parents are not jumping on them.
31. Achilles
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Pain, lips
The greatest warrior of the Trojan War. Achilles is grand, dramatic, and carries the weight of one of history’s most epic stories.
32. Adonis
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Lord, extremely handsome
The most beautiful mortal in Greek mythology, beloved by both Aphrodite and Persephone. Adonis has been a symbol of male beauty for thousands of years.
33. Aeneas
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Praised
The Trojan hero who survived the fall of Troy and sailed to Italy. Aeneas carries one of the great heroic stories of the ancient world.
34. Ajax
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Eagle, of the earth
One of the greatest Greek warriors at Troy. Ajax is short, powerful, and carries a mythological strength that is genuinely impressive.
35. Alcides
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Strength, power
The birth name of Heracles before he was renamed. Alcides is rare, strong, and carries the most famous hero in all of Greek mythology.
36. Apollo
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: God of the sun, music, poetry, and prophecy
One of the greatest names in all of mythology. Apollo is radiant, powerful, and carries an extraordinary breadth of meaning.
37. Ares
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Ruin, bane
The god of war. Ares is short, bold, and carries an unmistakable mythological power in just four letters.
38. Argos
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Shining, bright
The hundred-eyed giant who never slept, and also the faithful dog of Odysseus who waited twenty years for his master. Argos carries two of mythology’s most touching stories.
39. Arion
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: The melodious one
A legendary poet and musician saved from drowning by dolphins enchanted by his music. Arion is rare, musical, and deeply beautiful.
40. Atlas
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: To carry, endure
The Titan condemned to hold up the sky for eternity. Atlas is powerful, philosophical, and has become one of the most beloved mythological names in modern naming.
41. Atticus
- Origin: Greek / Latin
- Meaning: Man of Attica
From the region of Athens. Atticus carries the intellectual beauty of ancient Greece and has become enormously popular through its literary associations.
42. Caelus
- Origin: Greek / Roman mythology
- Meaning: God of the sky, heaven
The primordial god of the heavens. Caelus is rare, cosmic, and carries an open, vast quality.
43. Castor
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Beaver, one of the twin stars
One of the divine twins — the mortal one given immortality by his brother Pollux out of pure love. Castor is short, strong, and carries a beautiful story of devotion.
44. Cepheus
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: He who laments
The king of Ethiopia and father of Andromeda. Cepheus is a constellation name that is completely rare as a given name and carries a beautiful mythological story.
45. Daedalus
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Cunningly wrought, skilled worker
The master craftsman who built the labyrinth and fashioned wings of feathers and wax. Daedalus is bold, rare, and carries one of mythology’s greatest stories of invention.
46. Endymion
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: To dive into
The shepherd so beautiful that the moon goddess cast him into eternal sleep to gaze at him forever. Keats wrote a great poem about him. Endymion is rare, romantic, and deeply beautiful.
47. Evander
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Good man, bow warrior
A hero who brought writing and culture to Italy before Aeneas arrived. Evander is noble, warm, and carries a beautiful sense of civilizing wisdom.
48. Hector
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: To hold, steadfast
The greatest Trojan warrior whose love for his wife and son is one of the most moving portraits in all of ancient literature. Hector is strong, warm, and enduringly beloved.
49. Helios
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Sun
The god who drove the chariot of the sun across the sky each day. Helios is radiant, bold, and carries a beautiful golden warmth.
50. Hermes
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Boundary marker, messenger
The messenger of the gods and patron of travelers, merchants, and thieves. Hermes is quick, clever, and carries one of mythology’s most versatile divine roles.
51. Hyperion
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: He who goes above, the high one
The Titan god of heavenly light and father of the sun, moon, and dawn. Hyperion is grand, cosmic, and carries an extraordinary celestial power.
52. Icarus
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Follower
The boy who flew too close to the sun on wings of feathers and wax. Icarus carries one of mythology’s most enduring and beautiful cautionary tales about ambition.
53. Idas
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: To know, to see
One of the Argonauts who sailed with Jason. Idas is short, rare, and carries a quiet mythological depth.
54. Jason
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Healer
The leader of the Argonauts who sailed for the Golden Fleece. Jason is one of the great adventure names of Greek mythology and has been widely beloved in modern naming for decades.
55. Leander
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Lion man
Famous for swimming across the Hellespont every night to be with his love Hero. Leander is one of the most romantic names in all of mythology.
56. Leonidas
- Origin: Greek mythology / history
- Meaning: Son of the lion
The Spartan king who led three hundred warriors at Thermopylae. Leonidas is grand, powerful, and carries one of history’s greatest stories of courage.
57. Linus
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Flax-colored hair, a lament
A legendary musician and teacher of Heracles. Linus is short, warm, and carries a beautiful musical mythology.
58. Lysander
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Liberator of man
A Spartan general and later a Shakespearean romantic hero. Lysander is lyrical, literary, and carries a beautiful quality of freedom.
59. Mentor
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Advisor, counselor
The wise advisor of Odysseus’s son Telemachus whose name gave us the word mentor. Mentor is short, meaningful, and carries an extraordinary legacy.
60. Morpheus
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: God of dreams
He who shaped the dreams of sleeping mortals. Morpheus is rare, lyrical, and carries a beautiful dreamlike quality.
Unisex Greek Mythology Names
Some of the most beautiful names in Greek mythology work across genders. These are names that belong to the whole world rather than one side of it.
61. Eos
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Dawn
The goddess of the dawn who opened the gates of heaven each morning for the sun to pass through. Short, radiant, and completely beautiful for any child.
62. Eryx
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: A mountain in Sicily, strength
A son of Aphrodite and Poseidon known for his great strength. Eryx is short, unusual, and carries a beautiful mythological quality for any baby.
63. Hesper
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Evening star
The personification of the evening star. Hesper is short, twilight-touched, and beautiful for any child.
64. Iris
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Rainbow, messenger goddess
The goddess who carried messages between the gods and mortals across a bridge of rainbow light. Iris is short, beautiful, and one of the most wearable mythology names in existence.
65. Lethe
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Oblivion, forgetfulness
One of the five rivers of the underworld — the river of forgetfulness that souls drank from before reincarnation. Lethe is rare, poetic, and carries a beautiful otherworldly quality.
66. Nyx
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Night
The primordial goddess of night — one of the first beings to exist at the very beginning of creation. Nyx is short, striking, and carries an extraordinary ancient power for any baby.
67. Orion
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Rising in the sky, great hunter
A constellation and a great hunter placed in the sky by Zeus. Orion is majestic, widely loved, and works beautifully for any child.
68. Pallas
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Wisdom, young warrior
A name carried by several figures in Greek mythology including an epithet of Athena herself. Pallas is rare, strong, and deeply mythological for any baby.
69. Phoenix
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Dark red, the bird that rises from ashes
The mythical bird that dies and is reborn from its own ashes. Phoenix is bold, powerful, and carries one of mythology’s most enduring symbols of renewal.
70. Theron
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Hunter
A name connected to the great tradition of hunting in Greek mythology. Theron is strong, clean, and carries a quiet mythological power.
71. Zephyr
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: West wind, a gentle breeze
The god of the west wind — the gentlest and most pleasant of the four wind gods. Zephyr is light, free, and carries a beautiful airy quality for any child.
Names From The Trojan War
The Trojan War gave Greek mythology some of its most extraordinary characters and names. This section covers the best names from both sides of that legendary conflict.
72. Achilles
Already in the boys section but deserves a mention here as the defining hero of the war.
73. Aeneas
Already in the boys section — the Trojan hero who carried his father from the burning city.
74. Briseis
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Daughter of Briseus
The woman at the center of the conflict between Achilles and Agamemnon. Briseis is rare, dramatic, and carries one of mythology’s most compelling stories.
75. Cassandra
Already in the girls section — the prophetess who warned Troy and was never believed.
76. Deiphobus
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: He who frightens the enemy
A Trojan prince who married Helen after Paris died. Deiphobus is long, unusual, and carries a deep Trojan mythology.
77. Diomedes
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Divine cunning
One of the greatest Greek warriors at Troy who wounded both Ares and Aphrodite in battle. Diomedes is rare, powerful, and carries extraordinary mythological depth.
78. Glaucus
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Bluish-green, gleaming
A Trojan hero who exchanged golden armor for bronze in one of mythology’s most famous moments of misplaced generosity. Glaucus is rare, unusual, and carries a beautiful color-connected meaning.
79. Hecuba
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Far-shooting
The queen of Troy and mother of Hector and Paris. Hecuba is grand, rare, and carries the weight of one of mythology’s greatest tragedies.
80. Laocoon
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: He who rules the people
The Trojan priest who warned against the wooden horse and was killed by sea serpents. Laocoon is rare, dramatic, and carries one of mythology’s most vivid and terrible stories.
81. Menelaus
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Withstanding the people
The king of Sparta whose wife Helen was taken to Troy. Menelaus is grand, unusual, and carries the whole weight of the Trojan War on his name.
82. Neoptolemus
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: New war
The son of Achilles who fought in the final stages of the Trojan War. Neoptolemus is long, bold, and carries a deep mythological richness.
83. Odysseus
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Wrathful, to be angry
The cleverest Greek hero whose ten-year journey home from Troy is one of the greatest adventure stories ever told. Odysseus is grand, rare, and carries an extraordinary story.
84. Paris
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Wallet, pouch
The Trojan prince whose love for Helen started the greatest war in mythology. Paris is beautiful, controversial, and carries an unmistakable romantic story.
85. Philoctetes
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Lover of possessions
The great archer who was abandoned on an island for ten years and whose bow was needed to end the Trojan War. A story of loyalty, betrayal, and ultimate redemption.
86. Priam
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Redeemed
The aged king of Troy who walked alone into the Greek camp to beg Achilles for his son’s body. One of mythology’s most moving scenes. Priam is rare, dignified, and deeply meaningful.
87. Sinon
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Harm, plunder
The Greek spy who convinced the Trojans to bring the wooden horse inside the walls. Sinon is short, unusual, and carries one of mythology’s most cunning stories.
88. Thersites
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Impudent, bold
The common soldier in the Iliad who dared to criticize Agamemnon and was beaten by Odysseus. A rare name that carries a bold, unconventional spirit.
Names From The Olympians And Titans
The gods themselves had the most powerful names in all of mythology. This section covers the most wearable divine names from the Greek pantheon.
89. Cronus
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Time, crow
The ruler of the Titans who swallowed his children to prevent being overthrown. Cronus is bold, unusual, and carries the weight of mythological power.
90. Dionysus
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: God of wine and ecstasy
The god of wine, theatre, and festivity. Dionysus is grand, dramatic, and carries a beautiful sense of celebration.
91. Eros
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Desire, love
The god of love himself. Short, striking, and carries the most elemental romantic meaning possible.
92. Gaia
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Earth, the earth goddess
The primordial mother goddess — the earth itself personified. Gaia is short, powerful, and carries the deepest possible natural meaning.
93. Hephaestus
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Fire
The divine blacksmith and craftsman of the gods. Hephaestus is grand, unusual, and carries a beautiful connection to creativity and making things.
94. Hera
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Protectress, queen
The queen of the gods. Hera is short, powerful, and carries the most regal feminine authority in all of Greek mythology.
95. Hermes
Already in the boys section but deserves mention here as one of the most versatile and beloved divine names.
96. Kronos
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Time
The alternate spelling of Cronus. Kronos is bold, cosmic, and carries the concept of time itself as a name.
97. Nike
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Victory
The winged goddess of victory. Nike is short, powerful, and carries the most triumphant meaning possible.
98. Persephone
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Bringer of destruction, she who destroys light
The goddess of spring who becomes queen of the underworld. Her name sounds far more beautiful than its literal meaning and carries one of mythology’s most compelling stories.
99. Poseidon
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Lord of the earth, husband of earth
The god of the sea, earthquakes, and storms. Poseidon is grand, powerful, and one of the boldest divine names possible.
100. Selene
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Moon, shining
The goddess who drove the silver chariot of the moon across the night sky. Selene is soft, luminous, and carries a beautiful nocturnal warmth.
101. Themis
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Law, divine order
The Titan goddess of divine law and order who sat beside Zeus as his counselor. Themis is short, powerful, and carries a beautiful sense of justice.
102. Tyche
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Luck, fortune
The goddess of fortune and chance. Tyche is short, rare, and carries a beautiful sense of possibility.
103. Zeus
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: Sky, shine
The king of the gods and ruler of Mount Olympus. Zeus is short, bold, and carries the most powerful divine authority in all of Greek mythology.
104. Amphitrite
- Origin: Greek mythology
- Meaning: The third one who encircles the sea
The queen of the sea and wife of Poseidon. Amphitrite is long, rare, and carries a beautiful oceanic depth.
105. Helios
Already in the boys section but belongs here too as one of the great divine names of the Greek world.
Wrapping Up
Greek mythology is honestly one of the greatest gifts the ancient world gave to modern parents.
Thousands of years of stories, thousands of years of extraordinary names, all sitting there ready to be borrowed and carried into a completely new life.
Every name on this list has a story behind it. And one day your child will look it up, read about who they were named after, and feel something. That is what the best names do.
Save this to your Pinterest board so you can come back whenever you need it. And share it with any mama who loves mythology as much as she loves beautiful names. She will be so grateful.