Phryne

FRY-nee (English); FREE-nee (Greek)

Greek

"toad"

Phryne Origin and Meaning

The name Phryne is a girl's name meaning "toad".

A name with a less conventional animal meaning, rescued by the reputation of the Greek courtesan Phryne (more beautiful than Aphrodite, one of the wealthiest women in classical Athens) and the charming character Phryne Fisher from Australian author Kerry Greenwood's detective series Phryne Fisher's Mysteries, set in the 1930s. In the series Phryne is a wealthy Melbourne woman, but goes beyond her class and gender stereotypes - she can fly a plane, drives her own car and sometimes wears trousers. However, while displaying bohemian panache, she manages also to maintain style and class. With the Greek pronunciation of the name (FREE-nee), Phryne could be an alluring, unique alternative to Phoebe, although most English speakers would default to the FRY-nee pronunciation.

Phryne Popularity

• 1997 Nameberry 2021

20 Names Similar to Phryne

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Famous People Named Phryne

• Mnesarete name of an Ancient Greek courtesan, but owing to her dark or yellowish complexion, or possibly a snub nose, she was called Phryne ("toad"). This was a nickname frequently given to other courtesans as well.

Phryne in Pop Culture

• Phryne Fisher main character in "Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries" by Kerry Greenwood
• Ancient Greek nickname meaning "toad" literally "the brown animal". Phryne was a 4th,century BC hetaira or courtesan, famed for her beauty, whose stage name , like those of many hetairai , was based on a physical feature; she was called that either because of a dark complexion (*phrynos being cognate with brown) or because of a "snub nose" (phrynē "a kind of toad"). This stage name was borne by other hetairai also.