Greek names: our top 20 for girls and boys

20 Greek Names For Girls

The beautiful and historic Greece arouses romantic associations, which is why the sonorous Greek first names are also popular in Germany.

1. Helena derives from “helene” or “helios” and is translated as “sun”, “light” or “shine”, so a girl with this name can be described as radiant or beautiful. This meaning is reinforced by the myth of the beautiful Helena, whose attractiveness is considered the trigger for the Trojan War.
2. Kassandra is known from Greek mythology as an oracle, who not only mistrusted the wooden horse of Troy, but was also able to predict the downfall of the city. However, due to a curse by Apollo, no one believed her prophecies. In addition, the name is interpreted as a “bringer of truth”, but more often as a “seductress”.
3. Ariadne can also be linked to the mythical world of Greece, since the character gave the hero Theseus a ball of wool, with the thread of which he found his way out of the Minotaur’s labyrinth. The ancient Greek word root is based on the words “ari” and “hagnos”, which together can be interpreted as “very pure” or “extremely holy”.
4. Cyana can be associated as a name with green-blue color, because the ancient Greek word is closely related to the artistic term “cyan”. By the way, as the namesake, you have the choice of whether you prefer to pronounce the “C” as a “K” or as an “S/Z” – both correspond to Greek ideas.
5. As a name, Xenia is a sign of hospitality, because the ancient Greek word “xenios” is equivalent to the German term. In complete contrast to this is the word “Xeni”, which is still used today for strangers.
6. Elara was a nature goddess and lover of Zeus in Greek mythology. Appropriately, the name is used for one of Jupiter’s moons, with the god Jupiter being the Roman equivalent of the Greek main god Zeus.
7. Dorea reminds with her name that a birth is a gift for the parents and for the world, because “doreo” is translated as “gift” or “gift”.
8. Libra was taken from the Latin by the Greeks and means something like “scales”. If your daughter is born between September 24th and October 23rd, the date even corresponds to the zodiac sign Libra.
9. Although Odyssa can be traced back to the ancient Greek word root “odyssethai”, which means “to hate”, the connection with the legendary figure of Odysseus, who became particularly famous through his heroic journeys in Homer’s “Odyssey”, is better known. Thus, preferred meanings tend to be cleverness, success, and cunning.
10. Phoibe is an epithet of the moon goddess Artemis, whose name was also popular in ancient Rome. In ancient Greek, “phoibos” is synonymous with the adjectives “bright,” “brilliant,” “brilliant,” and “pure.”
11. Myrrha is similar to the biblical name “Mary”, with which it is probably also linked. Myrrha also appears in Greek sagas as the divine mother of Adonis, who in some variants of the story was transformed into a myrrh tree.
12. Nemea can be associated either with an ancient Greek sanctuary of Zeus or with the Nemean lion defeated by the demigod Hercules.
13. Diona has two divine namesakes, because the name can be derived from the word “dios”, which is related to Zeus. The female first name Diona is connected to the wine god Dionysus, to whom she would be dedicated in this case.
14. In ancient Greece, Pythia referred to a priestess in the oracle of Delphi, who announced various prophecies and prophecies. Incidentally, this included a dragon who oversaw the oracle and was eventually defeated by Apollon.
15. Kyra is also available for boys and is then called Kyros. Kurus titled Persian kings and the ancient Greek “kyrios” is translated as “lord” or “lord”. Girls with the name Kyra are therefore rooted in the word meaning “ruler”, sometimes even “divine”.
16. Morea stands for the mulberry and is therefore associated with a dark violet. The Peloponnese has also gotten this nickname over time – supposedly because the peninsula has the shape of a mulberry leaf.
17. Hestia is one of the twelve Olympian deities and is more than just the symbol for the hearth or oven fire. She keeps the flames in the hearths of the home and the sacred fires in the temples. Her focus is on family and home. She is characterized as the most benevolent and calm goddess.
18. Hemera , as part of Greek mythology, is the divine personification of day as opposed to Nyx, the night.
19. Athene is also called Athena and as the Olympian goddess of wisdom, war and strategy, art and crafts, she is a role model for many stages of life. Her symbol is the owl, which she also shares as the patron saint with the Greek capital Athens. In a competition with Poseidon, she gave Athens the olive tree, the branch of which stood for fertility, happiness and immortality in ancient times and today symbolizes peace.
20. Rhea was the name of a titan believed to be the mother of six of the Olympian deities. More generally, she is sometimes interpreted as a personified mother goddess or even, like her own mother Gaia, as personified earth. One of Saturn’s moons is also named Rhea, Saturn being a Roman god who can be equated with the husband of Rhea (Cronos).

20 Greek First Names For Boys

There are also beautiful first names for boys from Greek legends or the ancient Greek language.

1. Alexios is the name of a protector. The word “alexis” is translated as “defense” or “help”. The name was popular with numerous Byzantine emperors and nobles.
2. In Greek mythology, Ikaros or Icarus referred to a high-spirited character who flew too close to the sun with the wings designed by his inventor father Daedalus. This melted the wax on his wings and he fell back toward the ground. According to legend, the Greek island of Ikaria was named after the boy.
3. Jannis is, among other things, the Greek short form of the Hebrew name John and means something like “God is gracious”. The first name is becoming more and more popular in Germany.
4. Markos corresponds to a Greek name with Latin roots . Markos could be derived from the Roman god of war Mars, who corresponds to the Olympian god Ares in Greek mythology. If your son is born in March, you are following an ancient tradition when your boy is christened Markos.
5. Elion derives from “helios,” a term used for the sun. The extended name “Heliodoros” goes one step further and means “gift of the sun” in Greece. As a name for Illyrian princes, the first name also spread over time in Albanian-speaking countries.
6. Midas was a name for Phrygian kings. One of the rulers is an important mythical figure known for being able to turn anything he touched into gold.
7. Perseus is a male given name from Greek mythology. The son of Zeus is known, among other things, for beating off the head of the snake-headed Medusa through a ruse. The word meaning could be “destroyer”. But something positive also emerged from the encounter: the winged horse Pegasus springs from the head of the woman.
8. Zelos personifies zeal and striving in ancient mythology and is the origin of the equivalent English word zeal.
9. Nereos corresponds to the name of a Greek sea deity. His gifts included wisdom and prophecy, so he was considered a clever legendary figure. He also revealed to Hercules the way to the Gardens of the Hesperides.
10. Silenos is considered the tutor and companion of the wine god Dionysus. The demigod is said to have taken the form of a satyr and, according to some ancient authors, granted Midas a wish to turn anything he touched into gold.
11. Crito was a friend and student of the philosopher Socrates, who made a name for himself through his unbroken and loyal friendship with the thinker. His main areas of interest were aesthetics and ethics.
12. Deimos means “fear”, “dread” or “fear”. The ancient Greek god of terror, who caused a sensation together with his twin brother Phobos, bore the same name. In parallel, a moon of the planet Mars also bears the name Deimos, with Mars corresponding to the Greek god of war Ares in Roman mythology.
13. Leonidas is the name of a real warrior and general, the king of Sparta, also known from the movie “300” or the game “Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey”. The name derives from the Greek term “leon” which means “lion”. The ending -idas identifies Leonidas as “son of a lion” or “son of Leon”. The lion, on the other hand, is associated with strength, pride and courage.
14. Eros can also be referred to as Cupid or in Rome as Amor, because as the Greek god of love and attraction he has many names. As the son of the goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite, it is not surprising that Eros translates to “love”.
15. Chiron refers to a centaur who had medical and musical talents. It was generally considered wise and more peaceful than its peers. Among other things, he taught Achilles. Chiron sacrificed his immortality for the life of Prometheus and after his death was elevated by Zeus to the constellation visible especially in spring.
16. Dimitrios derives from Demeter, the name of the Greek goddess of fertility, the seasons and agriculture. The root of the word “de” means “earth” in ancient Greek, while “meter” means mother. The name is quite popular in the south-eastern latitudes, in part because of Demetrios of Thessaloniki, a Christian saint of soldiers and patron saint of Thessaloniki, Venice and Constantinople.
17. Fenix ​​is ​​related to the Greek word “phoinix” and means “dark red”. The phoenix is ​​also a widespread mythical figure that first appeared in Egypt and later also reached Greece, partly through an interpretation of the creature by the historian Herodotus. There the phoenix became a symbol of immortality in late antiquity and a symbol of resurrection in Christianity.
18. Iason leads the Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece. The ancient Greek root of the name “iasthai” means “to heal”. The character is given leadership and healing qualities.
19. Hesiod wrote about Greek mythology as a historical figure and authored the important work Theogony. The name derives from the terms “hesi”, meaning “to throw” and “oides”, meaning “song” or “ode”. So Hesiod can certainly be credited with poetic or musical competence.
20. Kosmo derives from the Greek word “kosmos”, which means “order”, “ornament”, “honor” or “world”. The term is also used for outer space, so perfect when your son becomes your universe.