Cleïs

KLEHS

Greek

"glory"

Cleïs Origin and Meaning

The name Cleïs is a girl's name meaning "glory".

Cleïs, also spelled as Cleis, is an Ancient Greek name, likely derived from Kleio, either as a diminutive form, or to more closely resemble the word from which it comes, kleos. A relative of Cleo, Cleis means "glory".

The name is associated with the poet Sappho, whose daughter, and possibly her mother, might have been called Cleïs. This is based on interpretation, however, as some scholars suggest Cleïs was in fact a lover of Sappho, owing to the fact the word pais may be translated as "child" or "young lover".

In one translation of Sappho's work, Cleis is described as "like a golden flower" with "hair...yellower than torchlight".