Greek Names (with Meanings & Popularity)

Though the mythological Hero was female, this name might prove too big a responsibility for a little guy to shoulder.

May be the most modern, stylish Catherine nickname: more unusual than Kate or Cate, with an animal and word name edge. Cat Power is a trendy folksinger.

Only if you're hoping for your son to become a wine-besotted poet. To the ancient Romans, Bacchus was the god of agriculture, wine and fertility.

The Vale of Tempe is an important place in Greek mythology as well as a real place in Greece. The ancient poets wrote of it as the halcyon dwelling of Apollo and the Muses. The modern cities in Arizona and Australia are named for the Greek Tempe, which is pronounced tem-pee.

Themis was the Titan -- one of the Elder Gods (or in this case Goddesses) -- of Justice and Order, usually depicted blindfolded and holding the scales of justice. Themis was the mother of the Fates and the seasons. While her name has fallen from mortal use, Themis might rise again along with such rediscovered goddess names as Aurora and Juno.

A coffee filter.

Mythological shepherd in love with Chloe, whose name, though the s is pronounced, is related to the feminine name Daphne - making it a lovely choice for honoring a relative of that name.

A Greek name more familiar in English speaking countries in its feminine form, Anastasia, this masculine version bears further consideration. The traditional nickname is Sakis, as used by notable bearer, Anastasios "Sakis" Rouvas, a Greek film and television artist and former pole vaulter.

Derived from the Latin Constantinus, this is the Greek form of Constantine or Constans. Conjuring up ideas of endurance and steadiness, Konstantinos has been borne by numerous Greek prime ministers and by film maker Konstantinos Gavras. Kostis, Kostas, and Dino are sometimes used as nicknames.

The mythological queen whose perpetual weeping for her slain children turned her into a stone has always cast a pall over this name. Still, when other names with less-than-savory associations -- Delilah, Ophelia, Persephone -- are becoming popular, parents might want to consider this one of the more unusual mythology names for girls.

Overly ambitious choice, recently borne by the hapless hero of cult movie hit Napoleon Dynamite.

Well used in Russia, this is a distinctive and undiscovered choice here. Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov is the fictional protagonist of Crime and Punishment by Feodor Dostoyevsky.

Kids would be more likely to associate this name with the hyperactive meercat in "The Lion King" than with the ancient Greek philosopher or Shakespearean character, which could cause playground problems.

A male name occasionally borrowed by the girls, as in Dorian Cramer, a long-running female character on the soap One Life to Live and famous midcentury model Dorian Leigh.

A unique relative of Zoe via the Ancient Greek name Zoilos, borne by a 4th century BC cynic philosopher.

Alcina is an operatic name, best-known as the name of the beautiful sorceress of the eponymous Handel opera drawn from the Orlando poems. Alcina and her sister Morgana live on an island where Alcina seduces every passing sailor but once their novelty wears off, changes them into plants, rocks, or animals. Alcina comes with modern-sounding short forms Alcie or Alsie, which feel more baby-ready now that names such as Elsie, Elsa, and Isla are becoming popular again.

The only version that works for boys anymore is the Latinate Hilario or Ilario. Better to look to Felix for a happy-meaning name.

Annis and Anice are both antique variations of Agnes that have fallen out of use, perhaps because of pronunciation problems (ANN-is, or an-EES?)