Greek Names (with Meanings & Popularity)

The Roman god of the underworld, the former ninth planet, a cartoon dog...but not a baby.

Rare and distinctive name with intimations of antiquity, also a Shakespearean character.

Rare but attractive female form of Basil.

Tim is a boyish short form very rarely given on its own.

A seriously classic name meaning love, Adelpha is also the name for a genus of butterflies.

Khloe's a variation of the popular Chloe, thanks to reality star Karshadian of the K-named family. Khloe jumped a whopping 101 places into 2009's Top 100 and peaked at 42 in 2010 but has declined in popularity in recent years.

Kassia is the k-styled spelling variation of rising star name Cassia, an obscure but attractive botanical choice drawn from the cassia tree, which produces a cinnamon-like spice. The biblical Keziah is related.

A figure in Greek drama who murdered his mother makes for an unconventional choice for a baby name, but it has appeared on the US extended list several dozen times since records began.

Remember, the Muse is passive: someone else's inspiration.

This form and its German variant Augusten are moving up fast as the preferred long forms of the trendy Gus.

Alexandrina is the most elaborate and unusual of the Alex- girls's names.The real first name of Queen Victoria, who was given it in honor of her godfather, Alexander I of Russia (her childhood nickname was Drina), it would make a distinctive pick, even though some might find five syllables a bit much. It was particularly popular in Scotland in the 1930s.

Agathe is a hugely popular name in contemporary France, even if it's English-speaking counterparts have not yet warmed to the usual English version, Agatha. The French pronunciation is sure to trip up non-French speakers.

Too tightly tied to the acronym for the activist group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Meg, perennially one of the Little Women, is a Margaret short form that manages to be neither quite in nor quite out of style. Meg is sleeker and more sophisticated than Maggie, more contemporary than Peg, more stylish than Megan, and still one of the best diminutives of Margaret.

Meg Ryan was born Margaret Mary Emily Anne.

Epiphany is based on the ancient Greek word for a feeling or realization that comes upon you suddenly. It often relates to the divine, as in the realization that Christ is the son of God. The Feast of the Epiphany, which commemorates the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus, takes place on January 6, ranking Epiphany among the unique January baby names. As word names and spiritual names become more popular, the attractive Epiphany becomes a more viable choice.

Though Collins makes the Top 1000 for girls, it sounds strong and handsome for boys too, kind of like the newly-stylish Brooks. The final s updates it from the 80s-ish Colin or the Twilightish Cullen. Might make an innovative honorific for a grandpa Nick.

Spelling variation of Philip. Exactly as many baby boys were named with the single 'l' spelling in 2017.

The Biblical Erastus was an assistant of Paul's in the New Testament. A name used in the 19th century that has fall off the scope, but may be revived as parents dig deeper for undiscovered Biblical choices.