Ancient Greek Names
- Cleon
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"glorious, renowned"Description:
Rare and distinctive name with intimations of antiquity, also a Shakespearean character.
- Paris
Origin:
French place-nameDescription:
Paris, a one-time mythical and Shakespearean boys' name, peaked in 2004 at Number 157 at least in part due to the highly publicized Paris Hilton. Michael Jackson used it for his daughter.
- Xanthos
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"golden-haired"Description:
This alternate name for Apollo has a noble sound and can always be shortened to Xan.
- Nereus
Origin:
Greek mythology nameDescription:
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.
- Hieronymus
Origin:
German variation of JeromeMeaning:
"sacred name"Description:
This cognate of Jerome (of all things), familiar via the Dutch painter of fantastical scenes, H. Bosch, would appeal only to the most audacious, intrepid, attention-seeking baby namer. It is, however, still used in Germany, especially in Catholic Bavaria and in the north German Rhineland.
- Ambrosius
- Philemon
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"kiss"Description:
Rarely heard New Testament name -- he was a friend of Saint Paul -- that might conceivably stand up to modern usage.
- Syntyche
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"common fate"Description:
Unique baby name featured in the New Testament.
- Xanthippe
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"yellow horse"Description:
Famous as the long-suffering wife of the philosopher Socrates.
- Pericles
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"far-famed"Description:
Ancient Athenian statesman whose name was once used in the US mostly for enslaved people, following a trend for names of ancient figures.
- Theophania
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"of divine manifestation"Description:
This ancient name, belonging to a Byzantine empress, may be difficult to wear. The English variation Tiffany may be more wearable.
- Irenaeus
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"peace"Description:
Sometimes used as the masculine form of Irene / Eirene, Irenaeus is a name seen in the Early Christian church (for example, Saint Irenaeus who is considered to be one of the Church fathers). Other forms of this name are Irenaus and Eireneus.
- Kassandra
Origin:
Original spelling of CassandraDescription:
Kassandra is actually the original form of Cassandra (Greek names do not have Cs), though most will see it as a Kardashianization, which is a shame! As you might expect, the C currently charts higher. Still, Kassandra can lead to all sorts of cute nicknames, such as Kassie, Kass, and Sandy.
- Rastus
- Socrates
Origin:
Greek philosopher; uncertain derivationDescription:
Quite common in traditional Greek families, but for others, we think Plato might be easier to handle.
- Timothea
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"honoring god"Description:
Previously Timothy's dusty and outdated sister, now actually feels fresher than its brother name. With Thea names right on trend at the moment, this could be a surprising and even more unusual alternative to Theodora or Dorothea for lovers of vintage names and that stylish Thea sound.
- Isidora
Origin:
Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian variation of Isadora, GreekMeaning:
"gift of Isis"Description:
The Isidora spelling, though equally legitimate, is about 90 percent less common than Isadora.
- Niko
Origin:
Finnish variation of Nichoals; diminutive of Nikolaos, GreekMeaning:
"victory of the people"Description:
Niko was used for 20 baby girls in the US last year, and twin sister Nico for another 30 -- though that's still far fewer than the 2600 baby boys who were given one of those two names.
- Zenobios
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"life of Zeus"Description:
Zealous and noble, an unusual and strong choice -- and if the original is too much of a mouthful, you can always call him Zen.
- Pelagia
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"the sea"Description:
The name of several early saints, including one, Pelagia the Penitent, a beautiful and licentious dancing girl who repented, then, disguised as a man, spent the rest of her life living alone in a cave on the Mount of Olives. Because of her early vocation, she is the patron saint of actresses.