God Names from Myth and Legend
- Cador
Origin:
Cornish mythological nameDescription:
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.
- Audros
Origin:
Lithuanian deityDescription:
The god of storms in Lithuanian mythology. With (unrelated) Audrey at the top of the girl name charts, Audros feels like a handsome masculine successor.
- Peko
Origin:
Latvian deityDescription:
The Latvian god of crops — especially barley and brewing. Today the Seto people — an ethnic group in Estonia — revere Peko as a national hero and king, the name and figure used widely as a national symbol.
- Parthenios
Origin:
Greek mythology nameDescription:
Parthenios, the name of a Greek river god, is draped in a toga.
- Rangi
Origin:
MaoriMeaning:
"sky"Description:
In Maori and other Polynesian mythology Rangi or Ranginui was a god of the sky, husband of the earth goddess Papa or Papatuanuku. This strong and simple Māori name would make for a fresh celestial choice.
- Oengus
Origin:
Irish mythology name, variation of AngusMeaning:
"one choice"Description:
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.
- Yarilo
Origin:
Serbian, Croatian, and Russian deityDescription:
God of rebirth worshipped in Central and Eastern Europe. Yarilo represented the sacred youthful life-force and was associated with spring and agricultural fertility.
- Gbenga
Origin:
YorubaMeaning:
"lift up, elevate"Description:
Occasionally found in the Anglicized Benga spelling, this strong Yoruba name is a popular choice in Nigeria. American actor Gbenga Akinnagbe was born Olugbenga, which is a longer form of the name, meaning "God lifted me".
- Feargus
- Tur
Origin:
Bosnian mythological nameDescription:
In Bosnian mythology, Tur is a bull that holds the world on his back. According to legend, whenever he moves his horns, an earthquake happens. It is said that should Tur one day move his whole body, this would cause the end of the world.
- Olimpio
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"pertaining to the Mount Olympus of Greek mythology"Description:
One way to reference mythology without naming your son after a god.
- Quirinus
Origin:
Roman mythology nameDescription:
Quirinus is the Roman god of thunder and lightning, believed by some to be the Sabine god of war. While this is an intriguing and distinctive classic name, it also might provoke some middle school teasing.
- Kresnik
Origin:
Slovenian deityDescription:
A god of fire in Slovenian mythology. Kresnik is also associated with the summer solstice and storms. He is said to reside on a sacred mountain at the top of the world — representing axis mundi, or the axis of Earth between the celestial poles.
- Uku
Origin:
Estonian deityDescription:
God of the sky, weather, thunder, and the harvest in Estonian mythology. His names in Finnish mythology include Ukko, Äijä, and Äijö.
- Ilmarine
Origin:
Estonian deityDescription:
In Estonian mythology, Ilmarine is a blacksmith who forges the celestial beings. He is immortal and capable of creating practically anything, but is portrayed as being unlucky in love.
- Perkūnas
Origin:
LithuanianMeaning:
"oak tree, fir tree"Description:
Perkūnas was the Baltic god of thunder, one of the most important deities of Baltic mythology. His name is derived from a Proto-Indo-European word meaning "oak tree" or "fir tree", which he also ruled over.
- Perun
Origin:
Proto-Slavic mythology nameDescription:
God of sky, thunder, lightning, rain and war; the highest-ranking god in Slavic mythology. His name can also be spelled Peryn, which feels very wearable in the Western world as well.
- Hennil
Origin:
Proto-Slavic deityDescription:
The god of agriculture and fertility worshipped in Slavic areas. Hennil was depicted by a staff crowned by a hand holding a ring.
- Yarovit
Origin:
Proto-Slavic deityDescription:
A god of war worshipped in Slavic areas, depicted with a golden shield.
- Shubin
Origin:
Ukrainian deityDescription:
A Ukrainian spirit of mining — usually good, but occasionally wicked. Legends have different stories of the origin of Shubin, some citing him as the ghost of a dead miner, others a mining master from the 19th century who had a gift for predicting collapses.