God Names from Myth and Legend

Idiosyncratic Icelandic singer Bjork chose this name from Norse mythology for her son. It's also an Indian place name.

Lir is the Irish god of the sea, the equivalent of the Welsh Llyr which some equate with Shakespeare's King Lear. This is one of those rare names that is simple and has a deep history with an appealing meeting and yet is completely unused in the modern world -- no baby boys were recorded as receiving the name Lir in the US last year. Maybe because it sounds like the unappealing leer?

In ancient myth, Ashur was the supreme deity of the Assyrian Empire, the ruler of the gods, the god of war, and the creator of all things.

Mythological son of Odin, powerful and mute.

In ancient Greece, Aither was one of the primordial deities. Aither is the personification of the upper air. He embodies the pure upper air that the gods breathe, as opposed to the normal air breathed by mortals. His name may be the origin of the word ether. He was said to be the source of the Gods' power.

Kiwa, one of the most popular Maori names for boys in New Zealand, is the name of several ocean guardians in Maori mythology. It's part of a poetic name for the Pacific ocean.

A variant spelling of Narfi. The Narvi spelling also belongs to a moon of Saturn and a dwarf in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium.

The name of the father of the sea nymphs -- or one of its shorter forms such as Nereo or Nerio -- would be somewhat easier for a child to carry than Neptune. The name Nereus is largely forgotten but it certainly can rise again along with Atticus and Cassius and other ancient Greek brethren.

This authentic form of the name of an Irish mythological hero with the power to make women fall instantly in love with him would work far better here as the Anglicized Dermot.

Biblical Hebrew form of Caleb, which means "dog", or possibly "whole heart". Kalev is also the Estonian form of the Finnish name Kaleva, from an ancient demonym of unknown derivation.

The story of King Midas's Midas touch is a common cautionary tale, as he wished for everything he touched to turn to gold, only to regret it later. The associations with greed likely turn parents off of the name, but it combines two popular trends of mythological names and names that mean wealth. The nickname Mighty is a bonus.

Another name for Jupiter, king of the Roman gods, this jovial name is eminently ready for modern use. Feminine variations include Jovita and Jovie.

The Greek god Triton was the messenger of the sea and the son of sea god Neptune. He is usually represented as a merman, the the head and upper body of a human and the lower body of a sea creature. In The Little Mermaid he is the father of Ariel.

This Roman mythology (and planet) name would be very hard to handle. It derives from a root meaning cloud.

The name of the ferrymen of dead souls to the Greek underworld and the name of Pluto's desolate moon, Charon makes an interesting, if somewhat macabre, choice for a baby. There are two pronunciations of this name, depending on whether you're referring to the ferryman or the moon. While the Greek version is pronounced with a hard "k" sound, the astronomer who named the moon did not know about the Greek myth - he named the moon after his wife Charlene, so many astronomers pronounce it with a "sh" sound.

This version of the sea god's name may be more ready for prime time than the Roman version, Neptune -- slightly.

This version of the sea god's name may be more ready for prime time than the Roman version, Neptune -- slightly.

Alvis, sometimes spelled Alviss, is a dwarf in Norse mythology who claims to know everything and names all the features of the natural world to show off to Thor, whose daughter Alvis wants to marry. But he gets so caught up in showing off his knowledge that the sun comes up and turns him to stone.

In Finnish mythology, Ahti (also known as Ahto) was the sea god.

Name of one of the three main Hindu gods.