95+ Best Greek Mythology Baby Names (Gods, Goddesses & Heroes)

If you have ever read a Greek myth and thought that would make the most extraordinary name you are not alone. Greek mythology is filled with names that carry thunderbolts and ocean tides, golden fleeces and moonlit forests, love stories and epic battles all wrapped up in a few syllables that somehow still sound completely wearable today.

What makes this list different from every other Greek mythology name list is that it covers all three worlds — the gods on Mount Olympus, the goddesses who ruled the earth and sea and sky, and the mortal heroes and heroines whose stories have never stopped being told. Every name comes with its mythological story, so you know exactly who you are naming your child after.

Whether you want something bold and powerful, soft and celestial, or short and striking Greek mythology has a name for every kind of child. Popularity rankings are based on the most recent Social Security Administration (SSA) data.

🔍 Names ranked >1000 on the SSA database are considered truly rare and unique. Names closer to #1 are among the most popular in the United States today.

Greek Goddess Names

Athena

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Goddess of wisdom and war
• Popularity: #115

The patron goddess of Athens and the embodiment of wisdom, strategy, and craftsmanship — Athena is powerful without being heavy and wearable without being trendy.

Artemis

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Goddess of the hunt and moon
• Popularity: #382

The twin sister of Apollo who ruled the wilderness and the silver moon — Artemis is fierce, independent, and one of the most compelling goddess names available today.

Persephone

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Goddess of spring and the underworld
• Popularity: #491

Queen of the underworld for half the year and goddess of spring for the other — Persephone carries a duality that makes her one of mythology’s most fascinating figures.

Aphrodite

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Goddess of love and beauty
• Popularity: >1000

Born from sea foam and synonymous with beauty itself, Aphrodite is bold and dramatic — the name for a daughter whose presence will always be felt in any room.

Hera

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Queen of the gods, protector of marriage
• Popularity: >1000

The queen of Mount Olympus herself — Hera is short, powerful, and carrying a regal authority that makes it feel both ancient and surprisingly modern at the same time.

Demeter

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Earth mother, goddess of harvest
• Popularity: >1000

The goddess who stopped the earth from growing when her daughter was taken — Demeter carries both maternal fierceness and a deep connection to the natural world.

Hestia

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Goddess of the hearth and home
• Popularity: >1000

The most peaceful of all the Olympian goddesses, Hestia tended the sacred flame and kept the home — warm, grounded, and carrying a quiet domestic strength.

Hecate

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Goddess of magic, crossroads, and the moon
• Popularity: >1000

The mysterious goddess of witchcraft and the night — Hecate is dark and beautiful in equal measure, carrying an otherworldly power that few names can match.

Nike

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Goddess of victory
• Popularity: >1000

The winged goddess of victory who flew alongside Zeus and Athena in battle — Nike carries a triumphant energy that goes far deeper than any sportswear brand.

Iris

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Goddess of the rainbow, messenger
• Popularity: #105

The rainbow goddess who carried messages between the gods and mortals — Iris is colorful, bright, and one of the most perfectly formed short goddess names available.

Selene

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Goddess of the moon
• Popularity: #358

The Titan goddess who drove her silver chariot across the night sky — Selene is luminous, romantic, and carries a moonlit beauty that feels completely timeless.

Tyche

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Goddess of fortune and luck
• Popularity: >1000

The goddess of chance and fate who held the rudder of destiny in her hands — Tyche is short, striking, and carrying a meaning that every parent might wish for their child.

Greek God Names for Boys

Apollo

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: God of sun, music, poetry, and prophecy
• Popularity: #276

The most beautiful of all the Olympian gods, Apollo ruled light and art and truth — a name that carries golden energy and an artistic spirit in every single syllable.

Orion

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Hunter constellation, son of Poseidon
• Popularity: #83

The giant huntsman placed among the stars by Zeus after his death — Orion is strong, celestial, and one of the most perfectly wearable mythology names for boys today.

Atlas

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: To carry, endure
• Popularity: #163

The Titan condemned to hold up the heavens on his shoulders — Atlas carries extraordinary strength of meaning and has become one of the most compelling myth names for boys.

Hermes

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Messenger of the gods
• Popularity: >1000

The fleet-footed messenger who wore winged sandals and guided souls to the underworld — Hermes is divine, quick-witted, and carrying a clever energy unlike any other.

Ares

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: God of war
• Popularity: >1000

Raw, powerful, and impossible to ignore — Ares is the god of war in its purest form, a name for a son whose strength will never be in question.

Hades

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: God of the underworld
• Popularity: >1000

The ruler of the realm of the dead who was actually fair and just in his governance — Hades is dark and dramatic but carrying a deeper nobility than its reputation suggests.

Helios

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: God of the sun
• Popularity: >1000

The Titan who drove the golden chariot of the sun across the sky each day — Helios is warm, radiant, and carries a solar energy that makes it feel genuinely luminous.

Poseidon

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: God of the sea and earthquakes
• Popularity: >1000

The god who ruled the oceans with his trident and could shake the earth itself — Poseidon is bold and grand, carrying the full power of the sea in every syllable.

Dionysus

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: God of wine, festivity, and theater
• Popularity: >1000

The god of celebration and creative madness who inspired artists and revelers alike — Dionysus carries a joyful, theatrical energy that makes it one of mythology’s most vivid names.

Morpheus

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: God of dreams
• Popularity: >1000

The god who shaped the dreams of sleeping mortals and could take any human form — Morpheus is mysterious, poetic, and carrying a dreamy quality that feels genuinely unique.

Erebus

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: God of darkness, deep shadow
• Popularity: >1000

One of the first beings to emerge at the dawn of creation, Erebus ruled the deep darkness between earth and the underworld — dark, primal, and extraordinarily rare.

Aeolus

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: God of winds
• Popularity: >1000

The keeper of the winds who stored them in a great bag and released them at the request of the gods — Aeolus is flowing, airy, and carrying a breezy freedom of spirit.

Hero & Heroine Names from Greek Mythology

Achilles

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Pain, warrior hero of Troy
• Popularity: #455

The greatest warrior of the Trojan War whose only weakness was his heel — Achilles is powerful, legendary, and carries a heroic energy that no other name quite replicates.

Odysseus

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Wrathful, the great wanderer
• Popularity: >1000

The cleverest hero in all of Greek mythology who spent ten years trying to get home after the Trojan War — Odysseus carries intelligence and resilience in equal measure.

Perseus

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Destroyer, son of Zeus
• Popularity: >1000

The hero who slew Medusa and rode the winged horse Pegasus — Perseus is bold, mythological, and carries the kind of legendary heroism that most names can only dream of.

Theseus

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: To set, institution
• Popularity: >1000

The founder-king of Athens who slew the Minotaur in the labyrinth — Theseus is strong, noble, and carrying the weight of an entire civilization’s founding story.

Hector

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: To hold, to restrain
• Popularity: #264

The greatest Trojan warrior and the most noble figure on either side of the entire war — Hector is brave, dignified, and has never stopped feeling like a hero’s name.

Jason

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Healer, leader of the Argonauts
• Popularity: #103

The leader of the Argonauts who sailed in search of the Golden Fleece — Jason carries a classic heroic energy while remaining one of the most timeless and wearable myth names.

Heracles

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Glory of Hera
• Popularity: >1000

The greatest hero of all Greek mythology who completed twelve impossible labors — Heracles is the original strongman name and carries a legendary power in every letter.

Andromeda

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Ruler of men, chained princess
• Popularity: >1000

The Ethiopian princess chained to a rock as a sacrifice who was rescued by Perseus — Andromeda is dramatic, celestial, and one of mythology’s most strikingly beautiful names.

Cassandra

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: She who entangles men, prophetess
• Popularity: #492

The Trojan princess cursed to always tell the truth and never be believed — Cassandra carries a fascinating tragic beauty and the nickname Cassie makes it perfectly wearable.

Penelope

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Weaver, faithful wife of Odysseus
• Popularity: #23

The most faithful figure in all of the Odyssey who wove and unwove her tapestry waiting for her husband — Penelope is beloved, classic, and completely deserving of its popularity.

Ariadne

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Most holy, very sacred
• Popularity: #536

The Cretan princess who gave Theseus the thread to navigate the labyrinth — Ariadne is elegant, mythological, and carries a romantic tragedy that makes it genuinely unforgettable.

Atalanta

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Equal in weight, the huntress
• Popularity: >1000

The legendary huntress who could outrun any man and refused to marry anyone she could not defeat in a race — Atalanta is fierce, athletic, and carrying a fiercely independent spirit.

Titan Names from Greek Mythology

Prometheus

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Forethought, he who stole fire
• Popularity: >1000

The Titan who stole fire from the gods and gave it to humanity, suffering eternal punishment for his generosity — a name carrying the most profound act of sacrifice in all mythology.

Hyperion

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: The high one, Titan of light
• Popularity: >1000

The Titan of heavenly light who fathered the sun, moon, and dawn — Hyperion is grand, luminous, and carries a celestial magnitude that makes it feel genuinely extraordinary.

Cronus

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Titan of time and harvest
• Popularity: >1000

The ruler of the Titans who swallowed his children to prevent being overthrown — Cronus carries a dark mythological power and a connection to time that makes it deeply resonant.

Oceanus

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Titan of the world-ocean
• Popularity: >1000

The great Titan river that encircled the entire world in Greek cosmology — Oceanus is vast, ancient, and carrying a connection to water that feels both elemental and poetic.

Epimetheus

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Afterthought, brother of Prometheus
• Popularity: >1000

The Titan whose name means afterthought — he accepted Pandora’s jar that released all the world’s evils, keeping only hope inside — a rare name with a profoundly meaningful story.

Themis

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Titaness of law and order
• Popularity: >1000

The Titaness who personified divine law and custom, sitting beside Zeus and advising him on justice — Themis is short, strong, and carrying a meaning of extraordinary moral weight.

Phoebe

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Radiant, bright, Titaness of the moon
• Popularity: #77

The Titaness of the bright intellect and the moon who later gave her name to Apollo — Phoebe is warm, radiant, and one of the most beautifully wearable mythology names for girls.

Mnemosyne

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Memory, mother of the Muses
• Popularity: >1000

The Titaness of memory who slept with Zeus for nine nights and gave birth to all nine Muses — extraordinary in meaning, audacious as a name choice, and utterly impossible to forget.

Muse & Nymph Names

Calliope

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Beautiful voice, Muse of epic poetry
• Popularity: >1000

The chief of all nine Muses who inspired Homer’s great epics — Calliope is bold, musical, and carries a creative energy that makes it one of mythology’s most inspiring name choices.

Thalia

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: To blossom, Muse of comedy
• Popularity: #258

The Muse of comedy and idyllic poetry who brought joy and laughter to the world — Thalia is warm, bright, and carries a joyful energy that makes it feel completely irresistible.

Erato

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Lovely, Muse of love poetry
• Popularity: >1000

The Muse who inspired love poetry and lyric verse — Erato is short, romantic, and carrying a poetic sweetness that makes it feel like a name written in verse itself.

Euterpe

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Delight, Muse of music
• Popularity: >1000

The Muse of music and lyric poetry who played the double flute — Euterpe is unusual, musical, and carries a joyful meaning that matches its melodic sound perfectly.

Terpsichore

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Delight in dancing, Muse of dance
• Popularity: >1000

The Muse of dance and chorus whose name is the root of the word terpsichorean — audacious, rhythmic, and one of the most dramatically beautiful long names in all of mythology.

Naiad

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Fresh water nymph
• Popularity: >1000

The name given to all the fresh water nymphs who inhabited rivers, springs, and fountains — Naiad is rare, watery, and carries a natural flowing beauty that feels genuinely poetic.

Dryad

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Tree nymph, oak spirit
• Popularity: >1000

The name of the nymphs who lived in and protected the trees — Dryad is wild, wooded, and one of those extraordinarily rare nature names that feels both ancient and completely fresh.

Nereid

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Sea nymph, daughter of Nereus
• Popularity: >1000

The fifty daughters of the sea god Nereus who accompanied Poseidon and aided sailors — Nereid is flowing, oceanic, and carrying a maritime beauty that is virtually unmatched.

Short & Punchy Greek Mythology Names

Echo

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Reflected sound, nymph
• Popularity: >1000

The mountain nymph cursed to only repeat the last words spoken to her — Echo is hauntingly beautiful and one of the most evocative short mythology names available today.

Eros

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: God of love and desire
• Popularity: >1000

The winged god of love whose golden arrows made mortals fall helplessly in love — Eros is bold, short, and carrying a meaning that is both ancient and completely universal.

Nyx

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Goddess of night
• Popularity: >1000

The primordial goddess of night whose power was so great that even Zeus feared her — Nyx is dark, striking, and one of the most dramatic short mythology names in existence.

Rhea

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Flowing, Titaness, mother of gods
• Popularity: #166

The mother of the Olympian gods who saved Zeus from being swallowed by his father — Rhea is warm, flowing, and one of the most beautifully wearable mythology names today.

Pan

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: God of nature and wild things
• Popularity: >1000

The goat-footed god of the wild who played his pipes in the forests — Pan is short, wild, and carrying a natural energy that feels both ancient and completely alive.

Dion

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Of Zeus, divine
• Popularity: >1000

Short and deeply connected to the divine realm of Zeus himself — Dion carries a regal mythological energy in just four letters that feels both classic and completely cool.

Leda

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Happy, woman loved by Zeus
• Popularity: >1000

The mortal woman whose union with Zeus produced Helen of Troy and the divine twins — Leda is short, elegant, and carries one of mythology’s most extraordinary stories inside it.

Clio

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Glory, Muse of history
• Popularity: >1000

The Muse of history who recorded the deeds of gods and heroes for eternity — Clio is crisp, confident, and carries a scholarly elegance that feels both ancient and completely modern.

Eos

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Goddess of dawn
• Popularity: >1000

The rosy-fingered goddess who opened the gates of heaven each morning for the sun — Eos is simple, luminous, and one of the most beautifully minimal mythology names available.

Troy

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Ancient city, place of legend
• Popularity: #425

The legendary city whose ten-year siege launched a thousand ships and gave the world its greatest stories — Troy carries mythological weight inside one of the most familiar short names.

Rare & Forgotten Greek Mythology Names

Iphigenia

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Born strong, sacrificed daughter of Agamemnon
• Popularity: >1000

Sacrificed by her own father to secure favorable winds for the Greek fleet at Troy — Iphigenia carries one of mythology’s most tragic and powerful stories in every syllable.

Alcyone

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Kingfisher bird, daughter of Aeolus
• Popularity: >1000

The daughter of the wind god who was transformed into a kingfisher and gave us the phrase halcyon days — Alcyone is rare, poetic, and carrying a meaning of beautiful calm.

Bellerophon

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Killer of Bellero, hero who tamed Pegasus
• Popularity: >1000

The hero who tamed the winged horse Pegasus and slew the Chimera — Bellerophon is grand, legendary, and carrying a heroic story that ranks among mythology’s greatest adventures.

Chryseis

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Golden, daughter of Chryses
• Popularity: >1000

The golden-haired daughter of a priest of Apollo whose capture by Agamemnon sparked a plague across the Greek army at Troy — rare, golden, and carrying a story of divine consequence.

Daedalus

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Skillful craftsman, builder of the labyrinth
• Popularity: >1000

The master craftsman who built the labyrinth for King Minos and fashioned wings of feathers and wax to escape Crete — Daedalus is rare, inventive, and carrying a legacy of extraordinary creativity.

Elpenor

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Hopeful, youngest of Odysseus’s crew
• Popularity: >1000

The youngest and least distinguished member of Odysseus’s crew who died falling from a roof — Elpenor is rare and carries a quietly poignant story that makes it unexpectedly moving.

Ganymede

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Gladdening prince, cupbearer of the gods
• Popularity: >1000

The most beautiful of all mortals, carried to Olympus by Zeus to serve as cupbearer to the gods — Ganymede is rare, beautiful, and carrying one of mythology’s most extraordinary elevation stories.

Philomela

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Lover of song, transformed into a nightingale
• Popularity: >1000

The princess transformed into a nightingale whose song has mourned through literature from Ovid to T.S. Eliot — Philomela is rare, literary, and carrying a profound poetic legacy.

Gender Neutral Greek Mythology Names

Phoenix

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Dark red, the immortal firebird
• Popularity: #252 boys / #523 girls

The immortal bird that rose from its own ashes — Phoenix carries a meaning of rebirth and resilience that makes it one of the most powerful gender-neutral mythology names available.

Zephyr

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: West wind, god of spring breezes
• Popularity: #387 boys / rising for girls

The god of the gentle west wind who brought spring across the land — Zephyr is breezy, distinctive, and one of the most naturally gender-neutral mythology names in existence.

Clio

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Glory, Muse of history
• Popularity: >1000

The Muse who preserved the stories of gods and heroes for all time — Clio is crisp and confident and carries its scholarly elegance equally well for any child.

Evander

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Good man, Arcadian hero
• Popularity: #236

The Arcadian hero who founded a city on the site of future Rome and welcomed Aeneas — Evander is strong, noble, and carries a founding energy that feels both classical and completely modern.

Lyric

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Of the lyre, musical
• Popularity: #393 girls / rising for boys

Rooted in the Greek word for the lyre played by Apollo and Orpheus — Lyric is musical, modern, and carries a creative mythology connection while feeling completely fresh and contemporary.

Orion

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Hunter constellation
• Popularity: #83 boys / rising for girls

The great hunter placed among the stars is increasingly being used for girls as well as boys — strong, celestial, and carrying a mythological legacy that belongs to no single gender.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Are Greek mythology names suitable for modern children? A: Absolutely. Many Greek mythology names are already in the mainstream — Penelope, Phoebe, Jason, and Atlas are all top-500 names in the United States today. The mythology connection gives them depth and story without making them difficult or unusual to live with.

Q: Which Greek mythology name is the most popular right now? A: Penelope ranks highest in the US at #23, followed by Phoebe, Iris, Atlas, and Orion. On the boys side, Jason, Hector, and Apollo are all firmly in the top 300 and continue to rise in popularity each year.

Q: Are there Greek mythology names that work in any culture? A: Yes — names like Iris, Rhea, Phoebe, Thalia, Atlas, and Jason work beautifully across different cultures and languages. They carry their mythological meaning without being difficult to pronounce or spell in most parts of the world.

Q: What is the rarest Greek mythology name on this list? A: Names like Mnemosyne, Terpsichore, Iphigenia, Philomela, and Becfhola rank above >1000 on the SSA database — extraordinary choices for parents who want genuine mythology depth with virtually no chance of meeting another child with the same name.

Q: Is it okay to name a child after a villain or dark figure in Greek mythology? A: Many of mythology’s most complex figures — Hades, Hecate, Ares, Cronus — were not truly villains but powerful forces with their own domains and stories. The meaning and sound of a name matter far more than its mythology’s moral complexity, and parents have been choosing these names for centuries.

Conclusion

Greek mythology is not just a collection of old stories — it is the original human attempt to name everything that matters. Love and war, wisdom and folly, the sea and the sky and the space between the stars. Every name on this list carries a piece of that ancient conversation about what it means to be alive, to be brave, to be remembered.

Whether you choose a goddess, a god, a hero, or a forgotten nymph — you are giving your child a name that has already survived thousands of years. That kind of staying power is rare. That kind of story is a gift.