Athena

uh-THEE-nuh; A-TEH-NA

Greek

"from Athens"

Athena Origin and Meaning

The name Athena is a girl's name of Greek origin meaning "from Athens".

Magical and distinctive but grounded and familiar too, it's no surprise that Athena has become one of the most widely used ancient goddess names in the contemporary Western world. Derived from the city name Athens, it is current a Top 100 choice in the US.

In Greek mythology, Athena is a daughter of Zeus and the goddess of wisdom, warfare, handicrafts, mathematics, and courage. She was the great patron-goddess of the city of Athens and in Homer's Odyssey, she is described as 'sparkling-eyed Athena.' Her Roman counterpart is Minerva.

Associated with owls and olive trees, Athena is a name which might appeal to parents who value wisdom and intelligence — or those who like the sounds of Amelia, Thea, and Anabella. Alternative forms of the name include the Greek Athene and Athenais, along with the Spanish Atenea.

One of those names that is probably more popular than you might think, Athena has been in the US Top 1000 since the 1960s but in the Top 100 since 2021. It also ranks highly in England and Wales, Iceland, Canada, Italy, and France.

Appearing in Disney's The Little Mermaid as the name of Ariel's mother, Athena was also chosen in 2011 by actress and comedian Tina Fey for her second daughter's middle name, Penelope Athena. This prompted more interest in the name which rose rapidly during the 2010s.

More recently in 2024, singer and internet personality Sophia Grace (as in Sophia Grace and Rosie) chose Athena Rose for her daughter, while in 2025, Princes Beatrice selected Athena Elizabeth Rose for her second baby.

Athena Rank in US Top 1000

# 76 in the US

Athena Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 96 on Nameberry

Popularity of the name Athena

• 76 US 2023
• 96 Nameberry 2025
• 78 Canada 2023
• 80 Future 2028
• 104 England 2023
• 99 Australia 2023
• 93 New Zealand 2020
• 32 Iceland 2014
• 37 Dogs 2023
• 39 Cats 2023

20 Names Similar to Athena

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Athena.

• Lilith
• Celeste
• Seraphina
• Artemis
• Persephone
• Tropez
• Anastasia
• Sondos
• Calliope
• Valentina
• Klio
• Dahlia
• Roselina
• Marillyn
• Andromeda
• Gwynne
• Arabella
• Selene
• Celestia
• Janik

Famous People Named Athena

• Athena Sophia Rhossa Alejandro Tibi Filipina singer
• Athena Lee (born Athena Michelle Bass) American musician and reality TV personality ("Ex,Wives of Rock")
• Athena Marguerite Francoise Marie Princess of Denmark
• Athena Andreadis Anglo,Greek singer
• Athena ring name of Adrienne Reese, American pro wrestler
• Athena Dawnelle aka Athena Lundberg American model and TV personality
• Athena Bautista (b. 1992) daughter of wrestler Dave Bautista
• Athena Christie Hart (b. 1997) daughter of wrestler Owen Hart
• Athena Olivia Francis (b. 2014) daughter of Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis & Abbey Wilson; twin of sister Alexandria Claire
• Athena Belle Eisner (b. 2015) daughter of designer Stacey Bendet and Eric Eisner
• Countess Athena Marguerite Françoise Marieof Monzepat (b. 2012) Daughter of Prince Joaquim and Princess Marie of Denmark, formerly Princess Athena, Countess of Monzepat

The name Athena in Pop Culture

• Athena daughter of Zeus, goddess of wisdom, craft, strategic war, mathematics and inventors. Patroness of Athens
• Athena Mulvain character in 1954 film "Athena"
• Athena Cassadine character on American soap "General Hospital"
• Athena character on TV's "Battlestar Galactica"
• Athena character on TV's "Xena: Warrior Princess"
• Athena character in "Stargate: SG1"
• Athena Ariel's mom in Disney's "The Little Mermaid"
• Athena Cykes character in the video game Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies
• Athena character in "Tomorrowland"
• Athena Marvel Comics character and member of the Olympian Gods
• Athena character based on the goddess in the manga/anime Saint Seiya
• Tennousu Athena character in the manga/anime Hayate the Combat Butler
• Princess Athena main character in arcade game "Athena"
• Athena Asamiya character in the video game "Psycho Soldier"
• Athena character in video game "God of War"
• "Athena " song by The Who
• Athena Grant character in FOX's 9,1,1

International Variations of the name Athena

• Athene French