Greek Names (with Meanings & Popularity)

Oceanus was the Titan in ancient Greek mythology who rules what they thought was the body of water that surrounded the Earth. Oceanus was, appropriately enough, the name of the baby born on the Mayflower. Modern variations include Ocean, Oceana, and Oceane, a popular French name for girls.

Patrick Lafcadio Hearn was born on the Greek Island of Lefkada, the origin of the name he used as a first. But as a writer, he was known as Koizumi Yakumo, a collector of Japanese folk tales and ghost stories. Truly an international choice.

Poetic though thorny.

The lovely Sybella is being nudged into the spotlight by two influences: the original Sybil (the most popular spelling) or Sibyl, name of the beauteous youngest sister of television's period megahit Downton Abbey, and Top Ten name Isabella. Biggest downside: There are an awful lot of girls with names that are variations of Bella around these days. But Sybella at least makes a distinctive member of the genre.

Justina was the pre-Justine feminization of Justin, now a possible alternative to Christina. Oddly, while Justine feels like a name unto itself, Justina feels like a pinned-together feminization in the mold of Richarda or Benjamina. Still, it may appeal as one of the unusual-yet-familiar girl names starting with J.

Mythological princess who killed her kids. Eternal no-no.

A Latinized form of Kleanthes, this name is best associated with literary and poetry critic, Cleanth Brooks.

As long as nobody connects it with xenophobia -- the fear of strangers and the unknown.

Thảo is a unisex, though primarily feminine, name in Vietnam.

One of the most severely punished characters in Greek mythology, and the first two syllables don't help.

Cleora is a now-extinct name (there were no babies named Cleora recorded in the U.S. in 2012) that achieved some standing in the early 20th century thanks to the craze for all things Egypt-related. A range of Cleopatra diminutives, including Cleo, Cleora, Cleona, and Cleola, made the Top 1000 then as the ancient tombs were opened in Egypt.

The name of several early saints, including one, Pelagia the Penitent, a beautiful and licentious dancing girl who repented, then, disguised as a man, spent the rest of her life living alone in a cave on the Mount of Olives. Because of her early vocation, she is the patron saint of actresses.

Like others in this vein, problematic due to the feminine Hailey connection.

This is a straightforward choice for parents looking to honor their Greek ancestry.

A solid, if somewhat serious Greek name. Theoni and Theona are variants. This might be a possibility if you're looking for an unusual route to Thea.

Ancient Athenian statesman whose name was once used in the US mostly for enslaved people, following a trend for names of ancient figures.

This unique one-syllable name was added to the mix by Mariel Hemingway for her now grown model/actress daughter; it could make a distinctive middle name or Bree substitute.