Greek Girl Names

Penthia might not be the most charming flower name, but as the lovely Penelope ascends, and the lovely Cynthia fades away, a compromise may be in order.

Lexis is a condensation of Alexis, or the expression of a wish to drive a Lexus. Go with the longer form.

Alternative (rarer) spelling of Roxanne.

Kosma sounds like a name from a 1950s science fiction movie. Better contemporary choice: Cosima.

Cassiane, also spelled Kassiani or Kasiani, is an ancient Greek name best known as the name of a saint famous as a hymnographer. The Hymn of Cassiane, traditionally sung on Tuesday of Easter Week in the Greek Orthodox Church, is associated with fallen women. The 9th century saint Cassiane was supposed to be in love with the Emperor Theophilos, who rejected her when she proved to be more intelligent than he.

Peg is a nostalgic turn-of-the-last-century nickname, sociable but slight. Like near-identical twin Peggy, Peg is in mothballs.

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.

Nickelle is an unusual feminine form of Nicholas, a name with many variations both male and female around the world. Nickelle is a twist on the more common Nicole with the feminine -elle ending, as in Michelle. The addition of the k helps clarify pronunciation. Unlike the 5 cent coin, the emphasis is on the second syllable.

Fedora is occasionally heard among the British Mayfair and Belgravia set, but we're afraid that in this country there would be too strong an association with the man's felt hat.

Tassia is an obscure short form used mostly in Russia and Eastern Europe, where the name Anastasia as in the executed Russian princess is common. Rarely found in the English-speaking world, Tassia could make a distinctive and attractive nickname for this elegant royal name and can easily stand on its own.

Ilena-style variants have all been considered more stylish than Helen for many years.

The ethereal name of a Greek mythology sea nymph.

A creative spelling variation of the Top 100 name Melanie.

This spin on the "Alex" prefix was the 88th most popular girl name in Scotland in 1900.

Slavic twist on a classic.