100 Ancient Greek Names and Meanings

Ancient Greece is a wonderful and magical place full of mythology, philosophers, kings, and queens. Greek stories and poems like The Illiad have influenced generations for thousands of years. Many of us today are familiar with Greek myths such as Hercules, Medusa, and Icarus who flew too close to sun and melted his wings.

But even if you’re not well versed in Greek mythology chances are you’re familiar with some names and tales in passing.Popular ancient Greek names still used today include Jason, Phoebe, Zoe, Theo, Alexander. Ancient Greek names also include some unique and funky choices like Elysium, Phoenix, Zale, or Xander.

Related: 100 Greek Mythology Boy Names

Greek baby names are full of meaning, significance, and history and are a wonderful choice for a strong name. If you’re seeking baby name of mythic proportions than look no further than our list of 100 ancient Greek names.

Ancient Greek Girl Names that Start with A to E

These baby girl names are inspired by the real and mythical women of Ancient Greece and their stories.

1. Agatha - Greek. Good.
2. Agnes - Greek. A chaste woman.
3. Agnola - Greek. Pure. Heavenly messenger.
4. Alexandra - Greek. Defender of man. The feminine form of Alexander.
5. Alexis - Greek. A diminutive version of Alexandra.
6. Anastasia - Greek. Resurrection. Anastasia was the youngest daughter of the Greek descended Tsar Nicholas II who’s entire family was murdered in the Bolshevik revolution.
7. Aniela - Greek. Heavenly messenger
8. Angela - Greek/Italian. Heavenly messenger.
9. Angelette - Greek/French. Heavenly messenger.
10. Angelica - Greek. Heavenly messenger.
11. Angelina - Greek. Heavenly messenger. This name became popular thanks to the movie star Angelina Jolie.
12. Athena - Greek. Someone from Athens, the capital city of Ancient Greece. Athena was also the Greek goddess of war.
13. Calliope - Greek. Beautiful voice.
14. Cassandra - The Greek prophetess and doomed lover of Apollo.
15. Charmeine - Greek/English. Charm. The angel of harmony.
16. Chloe - Greek. Blooming. Fertility.
17. Cleopatra - Greek. Her father’s glory. The ancient Egyptian Queen was actually from a Greek line that took the Egyptian throne almost three hundre years before her reign.
18. Daphne - Greek. Laurel tree. Daphne is a niad nymph from Greek mythology. Nymphs were associated with water, springs, fountains and ther bodies of freshwater.
19. Demeter - Greek. Demeter was the Greek goddess of farming and fertility.
20. Elpis - Greek. Hope.
21. Elysium - Greek. In some Greek mythology tales, this lovely name is the word for the afterlife or paradise.
22. Evangeline - Latin/Greek. Good news.

Ancient Greek Girl Names that Start with H to Z

23. Hectate - Greek. Mythical goddess of witcraft.
24. Helen - Greek. Torch. Helen of Troy is one of the most famous characters from Greek mythology.
25. Hermione - Greek. Messenger god.
26. Irene - Greek. Peace.
27. Larysa - Greek. Citadel.
28. Mariangela - Greek. Angel of the sea and sorrow.
29. Melissa - this common name has several meanings, but in Greek it means honey bee.
30. Ourania- Greek. Heavenly.
31. Penelope - Greek. Weaver.
32. Phoebe - Greek. Brilliant or radiant. Phoebe was one of the original titans
33. Reya - Greek. Angel.
34. Selene - Greek. Moon.
35. Sophia - Greek. WIsdom.
36. Theodora - Greek. Gift of God. It is the feminine version of Theodore.
37. Urania - Greek. Goddess of the stars.
38. Zinadia - Greek/Russian. Life of Zeus.
39. Zoe - Greek. Life.

Ancient Greek Boy Names that Start with A to G

These baby boy names are inspired by the heroes of Ancient Greece, Greek Gods, and other historical figures.

40. Achilles - Greek. Pain. Achilles is one of the heroes of the Trojan War.
41. Adonis - Greek. Lord. Adonis was the human lover of the goddess of love and passion, Aphrodite. Adonis was supposed to have been supremely handsome.
42. Aesop - Greek. The meaning of this name is unclear, but Aesop’s fables are stories we still tell today. This storyteller’s work has stood the test of time.
43. Ajax - Greek. Eagle. Ajax was one of the heroes who fought in the mythical Battle of Troy.
44. Alexander - Greek.. Defender of man. Alexander the Great was the historical king of the Greecian kingdom of Macedon. He became king at the age of twenty and is well known for his military logic and skills. He died at the age of 32 in 323 B.C.E.
45. Alexandros - Greek/Slavic. A Russian variation of the common name Alexander.
46. Andreas - Greek. Valiant and courageous.
47. Andrew - Greek. Valiant and courageous.
48. Basil - Greek. Royal.
49. Castor - Greek. It comes from the Greek word for beaver kastor—one of Zeus’s sons and part of the Gemini twins with Pollux.
50. Cronus - Greek. The meaning of the name is unclear, but Cronos was the second god to rule the universe after he overthrew his father, Uranus. According to Greek mythology, Cronos was also the son of Gaia, the personification of the earth and the first deity ever to exist.
51. Damion - Greek. To conquer, master, or tame. An alternative spelling is Damon.
52. Darius - Persian. King. It also has a Greek meaning; wealthy.
53. Dionysus - Greek. The god of wine. Dionysus is also the god of fruitfulness and vegetation. Dion is a cute nickname for this ancient name!
54. Draco - Greek. Dragon. The Harry Potter series made this name famous because of Draco Malfoy, Harry’s number one nemesis at school.
55. Eros - Greek. Eros is the god of love, affection, and beauty. This character is more popularly known in Roman mythology as Cupid.
56. Eugene - Greek. Wellborn.
57. Georgios - Greek. Earth worker.

Ancient Greek Boy Names that Start with H to Z

58. Hector - Greek. Holding fast. Hector was a Trojan prince and a hero of the Trojan War.
59. Helios - Greek. Sun. Helios is the name of the Greek god of the sun.
60. Hermes - Greek. Hermes is the messenger god. He is also the protector of travelers and merchants.
61. Hercules - Greek/Roman.. Hera’s glory. Hercules was the son of Zeus and Hera. The traditional Greek spelling is Heracles.
62. Homer - Greek. Pledge. Homer is the famous Greek poet who wrote the timeless Iliad, the story of the Trojan War.
63. Janus - Greek. Gateway. Janus was actually a Roman god that represented transition and change.
64. Jason - Greek. Healer. Jason is a popular baby name and has ranked on the top 100 U.S. baby name list several times in recent decades. In Greek mythology, Jason was a Greek hero who was the leader of the Argonauts.
65. Leander - Greek. Lion man. He was the lover of the priestess Hero.
66. Linus - Greek. Flaxen or blind hair.
67. Luke - Greek. Light giving. A man from Lucania. A common Christian name.
68. Neo - Greek. This name means new; it comes from the Greek word for new neos.
69. Olympus - Greek. From Mount Olympus. If you’re a lover of athletics, this might be the name for you. However, that is a lot of potential to live up to!
70. Odysseus - Greek. Wrathful. Odysseus was the King of Ithaca and the hero from Homer’s poem The Odyssey.
71. Orion - Greek. Rising in the sky, dawning. In Greek mythology, Orion is a hunter and the son of the mighty Poseidon.
72. Pan - Greek. Shepherd. The god of flocks. He was known to be a trickster and mischievous. This name inspired Peter Pan’s last name since he was the boy who lured other children off to Never Never Land.
73. Perseus - Greek. To destroy. He was a famous Greek hero and the founder of Mycenae.
74. Phineus - Greek. Vulture. The king of Thrace.
75. Phillip - Greek. Friend of horses.
76. Plato - Greek.. Strong shoulders. Plato was an ancient Greek philosopher.
77. Pollux - Greek. Crown. One of the Gemini twins.
78. Poseidon - Greek. Poseidon was the god of the sea. His Roman equivalent is Neptune.
79. Sebastian - Latin. Revered one.
80. Theodore - A Greek name meaning Gift of God.
81. Theseus - Greek. To set or place—a king of Athens in Greek Mythology. Parents could use Theo as a nickname.
82. Triton - Greek. God of the sea. Triton is the son of Poseidon and was made famous to children everywhere with Disney’s classic The Little Mermaid. 
83. Troy - Greek. Troy is a trendy name today. So why not consider naming your son after the famed city of Greek mythology?
84. Xander - Geek. Defender of man. A shortened version of Alexander.
85. Zakai - Hebrew. Pure and innocent.
86. Zale - Greek. Sea of Strength.
87. Zeus - Greek. The god of sky and thunder who lived on Mount Olympus and the ultimate Greek god to rule them all!

Ancient Greek Names that Are Gender Neutral

88. Apollo - Greek. Destroyer. Apollo is the god of light, music, and poetry. Apollo is famous for the chariot he rides across the sky.
89. Artemis - Butcher. Artemis is the Greek goddess of the hunt. Traditionally this was a girl’s name, but it is now considered unisex.
90. Eos - Greek. Dawn. Traditionally a girl’s name, but parents can use it for boys too.
91. Hermie - Greek. Messenger. A form of Hermes or Hermione.
92. Hero - Greek. Demi-god. Hero was a female in Greek mythology, but you can definitely use the name for boys.
93. Jupiter - Latin. Jupiter is the Roman equivalent of Zeus.
94. Nike - Greek. Victory. Most people probably won’t choose this popular sports brand to name their baby. But the brand is aptly named; Nike was the Greek goddess of Victory!
95. Nyx - Greek. Night. Nyx was the goddess of the night.
96. Paris - Greek. Paris is the son of King Priam and was a prince of Troy. Paris is the warrior who eventually killed Achilles. The name is not related to Paris, France.
97. Phoenix- Greek. Dark red. A phoenix is a mythical bird that rises from the ashes. Fawkes is Dumbledore’s famous phoenix in Harry Potter.
98. Rhode - This name has many meanings across different cultures, but in ancient Greek it refers to a rose.
99. Xanthe - Greek. Golden or yellow. Traditionally a girl’s name, but we think this one has a hip vibe boys can get on board with.
100. Zephyr - Greek. Wind. Zephyr was the god of the west wind.

For more baby name inspiration check out these popular baby name lists:

• Top 1000 Most Popular Baby Girl Names in the U.S.
• Top 1000 Most Popular Baby Boy Names in the U.S.
• The 100 Coolest Baby Names in the World

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