God Names from Myth and Legend

Only if you're hoping for your son to become a wine-besotted poet. To the ancient Romans, Bacchus was the god of agriculture, wine and fertility.

Lugh is the Irish god of the harvest, who also rules over truth, the law, and the arts. His magic includes a fiery spear and a boat that sails itself (dubbed the "wave sweeper") and his inventions include horse racing.

Hesperos or Hesperus is the personification of the evening star in Greek mythology; in Roman myth, that role is held by Venus. There's a Longfellow poem called "The Wreck of the Hesperus" about a tragic ship voyage.

Fans of writer Paul Auster might consider this a worthy alternative to the trendy Austin.

Kirin is a mythical Chinese figure that is a flying horse with elements of a dragon. The creature combines elements of the male -- Ki -- and the female -- Rin -- to make a gender neutral name that would work well in the Western World.

Dagur, one of the top boys' names in Iceland, is the personification of day. His mother is Nott, or night, and together they are thought to ride in a chariot around the earth every 24 hours.

Hippolyte is the name of an Amazonian princess AND her son, both unfortunate mythical figures. The name Hippolyte, later borne by several saints, is a not an uncommon boys' name in France, but has barely set foot on American soil and is unlikely to do so. It was the middle name of famed French playwright Jean Giraudoux.

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.

God of war in Lithuanian mythology. According to legend, worshippers of Kovas would sacrifice black horses to him.

The name of two figures in Norse mythology: one the father of Nótt, the personification of the night; the other a son of Loki and Sigyn, who is transformed into a wolf (or killed by one, depending on your source). The name may mean "narrow", or possibly "demon of the dead".

Though the name of his great tragic love Thisbe remains in modern use, that of her paramour Pyramus, a young Babylonian, has all but disappeared.

Ragnarök is a great future battle foretold in Norse mythology, which will lead to the ultimate destruction of many key deities and the rebirth of the Earth and mankind. The word is newly familiar to many thanks to the 2017 Marvel Comics film "Thor: Ragnarok".

God of cattle, earth, and the underworld worshipped in Slavic areas. He is considered the opponent of the thunder god Perun, and is imagined as a dragon-like figure — resembling a cross between a bear and a snake that devours lifestock.

Sounds like a name from an old science fiction movie -- but this god of letters invented writing, and so might interest parents who are writers or professors.

Oengus is the old Irish form of the name most commonly found in the modern world as Angus, typically Scottish.
In Irish mythology, Oengus is the god of youth, love, and poetry.

Son of Zeus known for musical abilities, an edgy choice for music-minded families.

Cador is said to be one of the ancient rulers of Cornwall who, according to Arthurian legend, was the guardian of Guinevere. The name Cadbury is said to come from his four hill-forts.

Taranis was the Celtic god of thunder, the equivalent of the Norse god Thor. With Thor along with a legion of mythological choices back in use as baby names, Taranis just may have a chance to rise from the recesses of history to make the modern baby name rosters.

God of the underworld in Lithuanian mythology, known as "the phantom of the dead". He is a one-eyed, prophetic trickster capable of raising whirlwinds and leading the host of the dead through the skies.