Names That Mean Goddess

Also spelled Selqet, Serket and Serqet, Selket was the Ancient Egyptian goddess of the scorpions and of magic. She was a helpful goddess and protected souls on their journey to the afterlife. She is also associated with childbirth (potentially making her a great choice for the daughter of a midwife or obstetrician). Her connection to scorpions is a symbol of her power and makes her a good namesake for a child born under the zodiac sign of Scorpio.

Andarta was a warrior goddess thought to have been associated with victory.

A goddess worshipped in Roman times by Celtic peoples on the British isles, only recently rediscovered by historians. Though little is understood about her -- most of what we know comes from a single archeological finding -- she seems to have been a virgin goddess, analogous to the Greek Athena, Roman Minerva and, distantly, the Virgin Mary. Her name was initially thought to be Senua; both are intriguing, highly unusual possibilities for a little girl today.

Nuha is an Arabic name meaning wise, and also a name from Semitic mythology of unknown origin, belonging to an ancient sun goddess.

In the Old Testament, Asenath was the wife of Joseph and mother of Manesseh and Ephraim.

Given her connection to the scorpion, Ishhara could be an interesting namesake for the little goddess born under the Scorpio zodiac.

Katyayini is one of the nine forms of the Hindu goddess Parvati, and is associated with victory.

A fast-rising name in Iceland and the name of a minor goddess in Norse mythology.

Lovers of elaborate ancient names like Pandora and Dorothea might appreciate this unusual name from Greek mythology. Pasithea is an obscure goddess of rest and relaxation, one of the Charites or Graces, and wife of Hypnos, god of sleep and dreams.

An ancient Roman forename never (yet) used in the modern world.

Þórdís is an ancient name that's currently seeing a resurgence in Iceland. It was derived from Þórr, the original form of the mythological Thor, and the Old Norse element dis, meaning "goddess." The first letter is called a thorn and is pronounced like a TH. The proper Anglicization is Thordis or Tordis.

The modern form of Þórdís.

Tordis left Norway's popularity charts in 1948, placing it among the old lady name that could soon be up for revival.