Names › Origins & themes › Mythology Baby Names: Greek, Roman, Norse & Celtic Gods, Goddesses & Heroes
Mythology Baby Names: Greek, Roman, Norse & Celtic Gods, Goddesses & Heroes
Names of gods, goddesses, Titans, nymphs, muses and heroes from Greek, Roman, Norse and Celtic myth that parents actually use today. Each note says who the figure is in the myth; for some names (Athena, Arthur) the original word meaning is unknown, and the name page says so rather than guess.
Greek goddesses, Titans, nymphs & muses (11)
- Athena — “name of the Greek goddess of wisdom” (Greek) · goddess of wisdom and craft, patron of Athens
- Phoebe — “bright, pure” (Greek) · Titan linked with the moon
- Selena — “moon” (Greek) · from Selene, goddess of the moon
- Iris — “rainbow” (Greek) · messenger goddess of the rainbow
- Daphne — “laurel tree” (Greek) · nymph turned into a laurel tree to escape Apollo
- Cora — “maiden” (Greek) · Kore, “the maiden”, title of Persephone
- Harmony — “harmony, agreement” (Greek) · Harmonia, goddess of harmony
- Talia — “dew of God (Hebrew); to blossom (Greek Thalia)” (Hebrew / Greek) · Thalia, muse of comedy
- Chloe — “green shoot” (Greek) · epithet of the harvest goddess Demeter
- Thea — “goddess; short for Dorothea or Theodora” (Greek) · Greek “goddess”; Theia is a Titaness
- Maya — “'illusion' in Sanskrit; also from the Greek Maia” (several origins) · Maia, mother of Hermes
Greek gods, Titans & heroes (3)
- Atlas — “possibly 'to bear, endure'” (Greek) · Titan who holds up the sky
- Orion — “the mythical hunter” (Greek) · giant hunter set among the stars
- Phoenix — “the mythical firebird; dark red” (Greek) · the firebird reborn from its ashes
Roman gods & goddesses (7)
- Luna — “moon” (Latin) · goddess of the moon
- Aurora — “dawn” (Latin) · goddess of the dawn
- Diana — “probably 'divine, heavenly'” (Latin) · goddess of the moon and the hunt
- Victoria — “victory” (Latin) · goddess of victory
- June — “the month of June (from Juno)” (Latin) · from Juno, queen of the gods
- Marcus — “probably from Mars, god of war” (Latin) · probably from Mars, god of war
- Silas — “of the forest (from Silvanus)” (Latin (via Greek)) · from Silvanus, god of the woods
Norse & Germanic (2)
- Freya — “lady” (Norse) · Freyja, goddess of love
- Waylon — “from Wayland, the legendary smith” (English (from Germanic)) · Wayland, the legendary smith
Celtic myth & legend (9)
- Maeve — “she who intoxicates” (Irish) · Medb, warrior queen of Connacht
- Dylan — “son of the sea; great tide” (Welsh) · Dylan ail Don, linked with the sea in Welsh myth
- Kian — “ancient, enduring” (Irish) · Cian, father of the hero Lugh
- Oscar — “deer friend (traditional)” (Irish) · grandson of Fionn mac Cumhaill
- Connor — “lover of hounds” (Irish) · Conchobar, king of Ulster
- Arthur — “uncertain; perhaps 'bear'” (Celtic (uncertain)) · legendary king of Camelot
- Vivian — “alive, lively” (Latin) · the Lady of the Lake
- Elaine — “bright light (form of Helen)” (French (from Greek)) · Elaine of Astolat in Arthurian legend
- Tristan — “uncertain; linked to Latin tristis ('sad')” (Celtic) · hero of Tristan and Isolde
More lists: Names meaning love, grace & hope · Biblical names · Royal names · Irish, Scottish & Welsh names · Mythology names · Names meaning light · Nature names · Names meaning strength · names by origin
Sources: the Bible (book and chapter given where useful), standard royal histories, and name references such as Behind the Name and the Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Only names with full pages on this site are listed.