Greek Girl Names

This adorable name of the young daughter on "Big Love" might be thought of as a variation of Tansy, an obscure flower name whose star may rise on the heels of such current favorites as Lily and Daisy.

Has an arty, creative image.

This name was used by Shakespeare (who got it from Plutarch) in Antony and Cleopatra for one of the attendants of the Egyptian queen. An interesting possibility, it is heard occasionally in the UK, even less frequently in the US.

Also relating to the sea and the islands, this name is a bit more melodic than its cousins.

Queen Hecuba was the legendary queen of King Priam of Troy, mother of Hector, Paris, Cassandra and others. Euripedes' tragedy Hecuba depicts Hecuba's grief over the death of her daughter Polyxena, and the revenge she takes for the murder of her youngest son Polydorus.

Another light new twist in the Nicole family.

Soft and gentle, but feels like a less meaningful contraction of Theodora.

Arcangela is a heavenly possibility if Angel or Angela isn't elevated enough for you.

If you can't have an Alpha male, how about a Beta girl.

Philomela, the name of a mythological Athenian princess who was transformed into a nightingale, is rarely heard outside the Greek community. The mellifluous Philomela might make a more distinctive and prettier update for Pamela or Phyllis. Philomela may also be a good choice for a music-lover's daughter. Try Pippa or Millie for short.

Margalo could make an intriguing spin on Margaret, with Margo as a nickname. The name appears in E. B. White's Stuart Little — as a bird. Margalo Gilmore (born Margaret) was a well-known British-born Broadway actress.

In the Zulu and Xhosa languages of Southern Africa, Phila is a unisex name pronounced "PEE-la" and means "to live of life" It's also the feminine version of the ancient Greek name Philo, pronounced "FEE-la", meaning friend or lover and present in several contemporary names and words used throughout the Western World. The name Philip, for instance, means lover of horses, while the city name Philadelphia means "brotherly love" and philosophy means "love of wisdom".

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

The name of a famous valley in ancient Greece, with ties to the historic Nemean Games.

This is the clumsiest and least popular version of the classic Greek name Zoe. Little wonder this variation has fallen nearly 200 places in the US popularity rankings in just 2 years. We recommend you stick with the beautiful and elegant Zoe (which, for those of you looking to avoid overly-used names, is less popular than the American spelling 'Zoey').

See SELENA.

Omega is a perfect choice for a youngest child.