Greek Mythology Baby Names: Gods, Heroes & Goddesses

Greek mythology has given the world some of its most beautiful, resonant, and enduring names. From the timeless grace of Sophia (wisdom) to the heroic power of Alexander (defender of men), from the celestial beauty of Selene (moon) to the fierce independence of Artemis (huntress), Greek mythological names carry stories within them, thousands of years of meaning packed into a few syllables.

Many of the most popular names in the Western world today have Greek mythological origins. Helena, Penelope, Chloe, Iris, Phoebe, Jason, Troy, Orion, these names live in everyday use while carrying echoes of ancient epics and divine dramas. Others, Persephone, Calliope, Leander, Daphne, are rarer but gaining popularity as parents seek names with depth and distinction.

This guide covers the best Greek mythology baby names for girls and boys, organized by theme and character type, with each name's meaning, pronunciation, and mythological background. Whether you are drawn to the names of Olympian gods, great heroes, nymphs and nature spirits, or the heroines of epic poetry, you will find options here that carry genuine mythological weight.

The goddesses of Greek mythology offer some of the most beautiful and meaningful names for girls:

• Athena (uh-THEE-nuh), Goddess of wisdom, strategy, and crafts. A name of uncertain pre-Greek origin, associated with intelligence and civic virtue. One of the most popular Greek mythology names today.
• Artemis (AR-teh-miss), Goddess of the hunt, moon, and wilderness. A name of unknown origin meaning perhaps “safe” or “butcher.” Strong, independent, and increasingly popular for girls.
• Aphrodite (af-roh-DY-tee), Goddess of love and beauty. The name may derive from aphros (foam), linking to her birth from sea foam. Striking and distinctive.
• Persephone (per-SEF-oh-nee), Queen of the underworld and goddess of spring. The name may mean “bringer of death” or “destroyer.” Unusual and deeply mythological.
• Demeter (deh-MEE-ter), Goddess of the harvest. The name means “earth mother.” Earthy, strong, and rich with meaning.
• Hera (HEE-ruh or HEH-ruh), Queen of the gods. The name may mean “protector” or “lady.” Regal and powerful.
• Hestia (HES-tee-uh), Goddess of the hearth and home. The name means “hearth.” Warm, grounded, and quietly dignified.
• Hecate (HEK-uh-tee), Goddess of magic, crossroads, and the night. The name means “far-reaching.” Mysterious and striking.

Beyond the Olympians, Greek mythology's heroines, nymphs, and nature figures offer equally beautiful names:

• Penelope (peh-NEL-oh-pee), The faithful wife of Odysseus in the Odyssey. The name may derive from “duck” (penelops) or “thread.” Currently one of the most popular names in many Western countries.
• Helena / Helen (HEL-en-uh / HEL-en), Helen of Troy, whose beauty launched a thousand ships. The name means “bright, shining.” Timeless and classical.
• Cassandra (kuh-SAN-druh), The Trojan prophetess cursed to speak true prophecies that no one believed. The name may mean “shining upon men.” Poignant and striking.
• Daphne (DAF-nee), The nymph transformed into a laurel tree by her father to escape Apollo's pursuit. The name means “laurel.” Beautiful and increasingly popular.
• Selene (seh-LEE-nee), Goddess and personification of the moon. The name means “moon” or “brightness.” Celestial and elegant.
• Iris (EYE-ris), Goddess of the rainbow and divine messenger. The name means “rainbow.” Simple, beautiful, and currently very fashionable.
• Calliope (kuh-LY-oh-pee), Muse of epic poetry. The name means “beautiful voice.” Unusual and musical.
• Chloe (KLOH-ee), An epithet of Demeter meaning “blooming” or “green shoot.” One of the most popular names in the Western world, carrying mythological roots most parents don't know about.
• Phoebe (FEE-bee), Titaness of the moon and grandmother of Apollo and Artemis. The name means “bright, shining.” Elegant and timeless.
• Andromeda (an-DROM-eh-duh), The Ethiopian princess chained to a rock and rescued by Perseus. The name means “ruler of men.” Dramatic and striking.

The gods of Olympus and the wider Greek pantheon offer powerful, resonant names for boys:

• Apollo (uh-POL-oh), God of the sun, music, and prophecy. A name of uncertain origin, perhaps from pre-Greek roots. Beautiful, sophisticated, and increasingly used as a given name.
• Hermes (HER-meez), Messenger god, patron of travelers and trade. The name may derive from herma (stone heap, boundary marker). Stylish and mythologically rich.
• Ares (AIR-eez), God of war. The name means “ruin” or “battle strife.” Powerful and bold.
• Hephaestus (heh-FES-tus), God of the forge and craftsmen. The name is of uncertain origin. Unusual and distinctive.
• Dionysus (dy-oh-NY-sus), God of wine, theatre, and ecstasy. The name means “Zeus of Nysa.” Vibrant and unconventional.
• Poseidon (poh-SY-don), God of the sea. The name means “husband of Da” (possibly an earth goddess). Bold and oceanic.
• Helios (HEE-lee-os), Personification of the sun. The name means “sun.” Bright and radiant.
• Orion (oh-RY-on), The great hunter placed among the stars. The name means “rising in the sky” or possibly “boundary, limit.” One of the most popular mythology-derived names for boys today.

The heroes of Greek mythology, great warriors, quest-seekers, and demigods, offer some of the most powerful names for boys:

• Perseus (PER-see-us), The slayer of Medusa and rescuer of Andromeda. The name means “destroyer.” Classical, heroic, and relatively unusual in modern use.
• Jason (JAY-son), Leader of the Argonauts and seeker of the Golden Fleece. The name means “healer.” Among the most popular Greek mythology names in everyday use.
• Achilles (uh-KIL-eez), The greatest warrior of the Trojan War. The name may mean “he who has the people distressed.” Powerful and epic.
• Hector (HEK-tor), Troy's greatest defender in the Iliad. The name means “holding fast” or “restraining.” Strong and noble.
• Leander (lee-AN-der), The young man who swam the Hellespont each night to visit his love Hero. The name means “lion man.” Romantic and distinctive.
• Theseus (THEE-see-us), Slayer of the Minotaur and king of Athens. The name means “to set, to place” or possibly “institution.” Strong and classical.
• Leonidas (lee-ON-ih-das), The Spartan king who led the 300 at Thermopylae. The name means “son of the lion.” Bold and historically resonant.
• Alexander (al-ex-AN-der), Not a mythological character himself, but a Greek name meaning “defender of men” that became legendary through Alexander the Great. One of the most enduringly popular names in the Western world.

For parents seeking less common names with deep mythological roots, Greek mythology offers a wealth of beautiful and distinctive options:

For girls:

• Eirene / Irene (eye-REE-nee), Goddess of peace. The name means “peace.” Gentle and meaningful.
• Aletheia (ah-leh-THAY-uh), Spirit of truth and sincerity. The name means “truth.” Philosophical and unusual.
• Nyx (niks), Goddess and personification of the night. The name means “night.” Short, striking, and very unusual.
• Thalia (THAY-lee-uh), Muse of comedy and pastoral poetry. The name means “to flourish, to bloom.” Joyful and increasingly popular.
• Calypso (kuh-LIP-soh), The sea nymph who kept Odysseus on her island for seven years. The name means “she who conceals.” Musical and evocative.

For boys:

• Zephyr (ZEF-er), Personification of the west wind. The name means “west wind.” Airy, unusual, and increasingly fashionable.
• Atlas (AT-las), The Titan condemned to hold up the sky. The name means “to carry” or “enduring.” Strong and striking, increasingly popular.
• Castor (KAS-tor), One of the Dioscuri twins, immortalized as the constellation Gemini. The name means “beaver” (an ancient totemic reference). Unusual and classical.
• Evander (eh-VAN-der). The Arcadian hero who founded a settlement on the Palatine Hill before the founding of Rome. The name means “good man.” Handsome and underused.

When choosing a name from Greek mythology, a few things are worth considering:

The story behind the name: Greek mythology names carry stories. Before choosing Cassandra, it is worth knowing she was a prophetess cursed never to be believed, beautiful but tragic. Before choosing Achilles, it is worth knowing he was the greatest warrior of his age but died young by a fatal weakness. These stories do not have to determine your choice, but they are part of the name's meaning.

Pronunciation and everyday use: Some Greek mythology names translate easily into modern languages (Iris, Jason, Helen), while others require patience (Persephone, Iphigenia, Hephaestus). Consider how the name will work in daily life, at school, in professional settings, when introducing yourself.

Nickname potential: Longer Greek mythology names often have natural short forms: Penelope becomes Penny or Nell; Calliope becomes Calli; Persephone becomes Persi or Seph; Alexander becomes Alex or Xander.

Meaning and aspiration: Many Greek mythology names carry meanings parents might find aspirational, Sophia (wisdom), Athena (wisdom and craft), Eirene (peace), Thalia (flourishing), Phoebe (bright). The name can carry a wish for the child as much as a mythological reference.

The richest Greek mythology names are those where the bearer can grow into the story, where the name becomes a conversation, a question, an invitation to discover where it came from and what it has meant across thousands of years of human storytelling.

Many names from Greek mythology are so widely used that most people do not realize their mythological origins:

• Chloe, An epithet of Demeter; now one of the most popular girls' names worldwide.
• Jason, Leader of the Argonauts; a top-ten boys' name for decades.
• Iris, Goddess of the rainbow; rapidly rising in popularity.
• Phoebe, A Titaness; extremely popular in English-speaking countries.
• Penelope, Wife of Odysseus; currently one of the most fashionable names for girls.
• Troy, From the city of Troy in the Iliad; a familiar boys' name.
• Orion, The great hunter-constellation; increasingly popular for boys.
• Thalia, A Muse and Grace; rising steadily in popularity.

These names offer the best of both worlds: genuine mythological roots and depth, combined with pronunciation and recognition that make them easy to carry through modern life. If you want a name with Greek mythology in its bones but without the weight of explaining how to pronounce Persephone at every introduction, these are your starting point.