The Top 100 Popular Greek Mythology Names For Boys & Girls

Overview

The gods and goddesses of Greek mythology have long fascinated many people, with many parents using them as an inspiration in choosing baby names.

That’s why it’s not surprising to meet people named Athena, Hera, Adonis, Gaia, Daphne, or Hermes, even in modern times.

Do you also want to name your baby after a character or powerful being from Greek mythology? You can find inspiration from our top 100 popular baby names below.

Popular Greek Mythology Baby Names for Boys

Many Greek gods were the personification of places, abstract concepts, or traits. For example, Helios isn’t just the god of the sun, he was also considered the sun himself.

The same goes for Kratos, the god of strength and power. He’s also considered as the divine personification of strength.

Uranus is the god of the heavens and is also the personification of heaven himself.

What other Greek names can be an interesting pick for your little one? The following are our top choices for the popular Greek mythology baby names to help you choose one for your baby boy:

Achilles

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Hero and the greatest warrior of the Trojan War

• Description: His story appears in Homer’s epic poem “Iliad,” where he’s hailed as the main hero. He killed the prince and leader of Troy’s army, Hector, to avenge his friend’s death and win the war.

• Many people think he’s mortal, but he’s actually a demigod. He’s the son of Peleus (Zeus’ grandson and the king of the Myrmidons) with Thetis (a sea nymph).

Adonis

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: God of beauty and attraction

• Variations/Synonyms: Adon

• Description: He’s the mortal lover of Aphrodite, who died in her arms after getting gored by a wild boar (identified as Aphrodite’s other lover, the god Ares, in some myths). Pitying the anguished Aphrodite, Zeus declared that Adonis would only spend six months in the Underworld each year.

Aether

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Primordial god of light

• Variations/Synonyms: Aither or The Upper Sky

• Description: He’s the personification of the upper sky and responsible for the spark of life in every creature.

• His parents were Erebos (Darkness) and Nyx (Night).

Aion

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: God of eternity and perpetual time

• Variations/Synonyms: Phanes

• Description: He’s depicted as a monster with a snake body and three heads: a man, a bull, and a lion.

• He’s sometimes confused with Chronos, the god of time. But Chronos is the god of linear time, while Aion is associated with perpetual time.

Ajax

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: A great hero of the Trojan War

• Variations/Synonyms: Aias or Ajax the Great

• Description: He was named after the eagle that Zeus sent to announce his birth.

• Ajax is a mortal, but he’s considered one of the greatest Greek heroes in their battle against Troy. He battled Hector twice in intense duels and was the main hero in the Greeks’ defense.

What Is The Coolest Greek God Name? Apollo

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: God of light, prophecy, healing, poetry, and music

• Variations/Synonyms: Apulu, Apollon, or Phoebus

• Description: He’s one of the most famous and important Greek gods.

• He’s also known as the twin brother of Artemis; their parents were Zeus and the Titan goddess Leto.

• According to Greek mythology, he’s the teacher of the nine beautiful Muses, his half-sisters. While they sing, he would accompany them with his famous lyre.

Ares

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: God of war

• Variations/Synonyms: Mars (Roman), Aries, or Enyalius

• Description: He’s the son of Zeus and Hera.

• This Olympian god has two faithful sons who accompany him in battle: Phobos and Deimos.

• People hated Ares because he loved war and battles. He was tried for his war crimes on the Areopagus Hill in Athens, which would later become ancient Greece’s seat of the criminal court.

Argos

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Vigilant guardian

• Variations/Synonyms: Argus

• Description: In Greek mythology, he was the guardian of the heifer-nymph Io, one of Zeus’ mortal lovers.

• He was described as a giant with a hundred eyes. After Hermes slew him, Hera transferred his numerous eyes to a peacock’s tail.

What Is A Strong Male Name? Atlas

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Bearer of the heavens

• Variations/Synonyms: Atlaô

• Description: The strongest of the Titans, he’s described to have four arms.

• Zeus punished him for supporting Cronus during the uprising, making him carry the Earth on his back after the Titans were defeated.

Cadmus

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: First Greek hero

• Variations/Synonyms: Kadmos

• Description: He’s the grandson of Poseidon (god of the sea).

• He was the first Greek hero and was already slaying monsters even before Heracles was born.

• He killed a water dragon that was sacred to Ares, the god of war.

Castor

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Patron of sailors

• Variations/Synonyms: Kastur

• Description: He’s the mortal half of the Dioscuri (Gemini twins), alongside his twin half-brother Pollux.

• According to legend, their mother is Leda, but they had different fathers (despite being twins). Pollux was the son of Zeus, so he’s a demigod, while Castor’s father is the mortal king of Sparta, Tyndareus.

Coeus

• Origin: Ancient Greek

• Meaning: Titan god of intelligence

• Variations/Synonyms: Koios

• Description: He’s the husband of Phoebe and the father of Leto.

• He’s also known as the Titan lord of the North.

Chronos

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: God of time (linear time)

• Variations/Synonyms: Cronos or Kronos

• Description: He’s also called “Father Time.”

• He’s sometimes confused with Cronus (the leader of the Titans) because of the similarities in their name.

What Is A Royal Greek Name? Cronus

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Ruler of the Titans

• Variations/Synonyms: Saturn (Roman version) or Kronus

• Description: He’s the youngest Titan but became the chief after leading the coup against their father, Uranus. He cut his father’s genitals with a scythe created by their mother Gaia; so, he’s often depicted carrying one.

Damon

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Symbol of true friendship

• Description: According to legend, Damon and Pythias were best friends.

• Pythias was accused of plotting against King Dionysius I of Syracuse. Before he was executed, he asked to go home and bid goodbye to his family. The king wouldn’t believe him, of course. But Damon offered to be held hostage until his friend’s return.

• The king truly believed Pythias had run away. Still, Pythias managed to return just in time to save Damon from getting executed on his behalf. Amazed, the king pardoned and released them both — and even asked to be their third best friend (but they refused).

Dionysus

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: God of wine

• Variations/Synonyms: Dionysos, Liber, or Bacchus (Roman)

• Description: He’s the demigod son of Zeus with the mortal Semele.

• He won the gods’ hearts and earned his place in Mount Olympus despite being a demigod.

Endymion

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Handsome demigod who was granted eternal youth and put to eternal sleep

• Description: The goddess Selene (Moon) falls in love with him after seeing him sleep in a cave on Mount Latmus. She asked his father Zeus to keep him that way — and the god granted the wish.

• Every night, Selene visits him in the cave, and they would have 50 beautiful daughters.

Eros

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: God of love and fertility

• Variations/Synonyms: Cupid (Roman), Eleutherios, or Amor

• Description: He can cause infatuation and lust on anyone, mortal and god alike.

Eryx

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Excellent boxer

• Description: He’s the son of Poseidon and Aphrodite, known for being an excellent boxer. It was only Heracles (Hercules) who beat him in a match.

Evander

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Strong man

• Variations/Synonyms: Euandros

• Description: He’s the son of Hermes with the nymph Carmentis.

• He’s credited for founding the city of Pallantium that would later become the site of Rome.

• According to legend, he killed Erulus, the three-souled king of Italy, three times in one day.

Hades

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: God of the Underworld and death

• Variations/Synonyms: Pluton, Plotus, or Pluto (Roman)

• Description: He’s the son of Cronus and Rhea.

• After the Olympians defeated the Titans in a coup, he won the lot for the Underworld while Zeus won the heavens and Poseidon won the seas.

Helios

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Titan god of the sun

• Description: He’s not just the god of the sun but also the personification of the heavenly body.

• He’s depicted in medieval art as a man riding a chariot and dragging the sun across the sky.

Heracles

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: God of heroes, oracles, sports, athletes, health, fertility, and trade

• Variations/Synonyms: Hercules (Roman) or Herakles

• Description: He’s the greatest Greek hero and is known as the divine protector of mankind.

• He’s the strongest mortal who was turned immortal upon his death because of his amazing deeds.

Who Is Hermes God Of?

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: God of wealth, travelers, trade, and thieves

• Description: He’s an Olympian god who’s also known as the messenger of the gods.

• He’s described as the arrogant and mischievous son of Zeus and Maia.

• He invented the lyre by killing a turtle and putting strings on its shell. Later, he stole Apollo’s oxen and locked them in a cave, apparently as a prank. To appease the furious Apollo, Hermes gave him the lyre.

Homer

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Famous author of ancient Greek literature

• Description: He isn’t a Greek god, but Homer is still a famous figure in Greek mythology because of the ancient Greek literature he created. The “Iliad” and the “Odyssey” were his greatest works.

Icarus

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Boy who flew too close to the sun

• Description: King Minos of Crete imprisoned master craftsman Daedalus and his son Icarus in the Labyrinth (created by Daedalus for the king to imprison the monster Minotaur). The king imprisoned him there when Theseus killed the monster, with some guidance from Daedalus.

• The craftsman created two sets of wings so they could escape, warning Icarus to follow him. He also told his son not to fly too close to the sun because that will melt the wax holding the wings. They successfully escaped Crete, but Icarus got too excited about flying that he soared high into the sky. Like his father predicted, the wax melted, and he fell to the sea, where he drowned.

What Is A Popular Greek Name? Jason

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Leader of the Argonauts

• Variations/Synonyms: Iásōn

• Description: He’s the great-grandson of Hermes and the husband of the sorceress Medea.

• He’s also known as the fearsome leader of the Argonauts, a group of other heroes such as Heracles, Argus, and Atalanta. The group was able to achieve great feats and get the Golden Fleece, thanks to the help of his sorceress wife.

Kratos

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: God of power and strength

• Variations/Synonyms: Cratos

• Description: He’s also the personification of strength.

Leander

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Lion man

• Description: He was a mortal man who fell in love with Hero, a virgin priestess of Aphrodite. The young man would swim across the Hellespont (now known as the Dardanelles Strait) to be with her every night, guided only by the light on her tower. One stormy night, the light died, and Leander got lost, eventually drowning at sea. When his body washed to shore the next day, Hero jumped from her tower to meet him in the afterlife.

Linus

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: The personification of lamentation

• Variations/Synonyms: Linos

• Description: The son of Apollo, Linus was a great musician and would become the teacher of Herakles.

Midas

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: King with the golden touch

• Description: He was a kind king who saved and welcomed the satyr Silenus (the foster father and old schoolmaster of the god Dionysus). To thank him, Dionysus granted him his wish: turning anything he touches into gold. He rejoiced over the golden touch until he realized he couldn’t eat or drink anything.

• When he accidentally turned his daughter into gold, King Midas begged Dionysus to remove his gift. The god obliged and told him that whatever he puts in the river Pactolus will become normal again.

Morpheus

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: God of dreams

• Description: He’s the dream messenger of the gods who relays divine messages through images and stories in dreams.

Nereus

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Titan god of the sea

• Variations/Synonyms: The Old Man of the Sea (coined by Homer)

• Description: He’s the son of Gaia (Earth) and Pontus (Sea).

• He’s the father of the Nereids (sea nymphs), with his Oceanid (daughter of Oceanus and Tethys) wife Doris.

Oceanus

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Titan god of the ocean

• Variations/Synonyms: Okeanus

• Description: He’s the personification of the sea.

• He and his consort-sister, Tethys, had three thousand children called the Oceanids and another three thousand river spirits. They were so fertile that the overproduction of these aqueous elements caused many floods. So, they later decided to divorce to save the world.

Odysseus

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: King of Ithaca and legendary hero

• Variations/Synonyms: Ulysses (Latin)

• Description: He’s the main protagonist in Homer’s “Odyssey.”

• His adventures and long journey home were narrated in the poem, including encounters with many mythical creatures such as the Cyclopes (one-eyed giants), Laestrygonians (man-eating giants), sirens, lotus-eaters, and Scylla (a six-headed monster).

• He’s also credited for being the brains behind the giant horse that brought the defeat of Troy.

Olimpio

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: From Mount Olympus

• Variations/Synonyms: Olympio

• Description: The name comes from Mt. Olympus, the mythical mountain where the Greek gods lived. It’s also the name of a real mountain in Greece.

Orion

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Giant huntsman

• Description: There are many conflicting stories about Orion’s birth, life, and death. One popular version is that he’s the son of Poseidon with the daughter of King Minos of Crete, Euryale.

• Some legends tell of how Artemis killed him, but others claimed he hunted alongside Artemis and her mother, Leto. When Orion threatened to kill all the beasts on Earth, Apollo or Mother Earth sent a giant scorpion to kill him instead. The grieving goddesses asked Zeus to put him among the stars. The god complied, sending Orion to the stars with his dog, Sirius. But he put the scorpion up in the sky, too.

Orpheus

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Hero with superhuman musical skills

• Description: He’s believed to be the son of Apollo and the Muse Calliope, but other myths identify his father as Thracian king Oeagru.

• He traveled with Jason as one of the Argonauts.

• He’s also known as the patron of a religious movement based on his sacred writings.

Pan

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: God of goatherds, shepherds, rustic music, and the wild

• Variations/Synonyms: Faunus (Roman)

• Description: He’s the son of Hermes, but his mother’s identity isn’t sure. Depending on the legend, his mother was said to be Aphrodite, Penelope, or Driope.

• He’s known for having a mostly human appearance, but he has goat feet and horns.

Parthenios

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: River god of Paphlagonia in Anatolia (now modern Turkey)

• Variations/Synonyms: Parthenius

• Description: He’s the god and personification of River Parthenios, which empties to the Black Sea.

• He’s depicted as a man draped in a toga.

Perseus

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Slayer of the Medusa

• Description: He’s the demigod son of Zeus and the mortal Danae.

• He’s famous for killing the Gorgon Medusa, a monster who had snakes for hair. She turns anyone who looks into her eyes into stone.

Pollux

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: The immortal half of the Dioscuri (Gemini twins)

• Variations/Synonyms: Polydeuces

• Description: He’s the son of Zeus and the half-twin brother of Castor. The twins shared the same mother, Leda, but had different fathers.

• When his mortal twin died, Pollux chose to share his immortality so they could live in alternate realms forever. They would later become the Gemini constellation.

Pontus

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Pre-Olympian god of the sea

• Variations/Synonyms: Father of all the sea creatures

• Description: He was Gaia’s son, but he didn’t have a father. But other myths claim that he was fathered by Aether (Upper Sky).

Poseidon

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Olympian god of the sea

• Variations/Synonyms: Neptunus (Latin) or Neptune (Roman)

• Description: He was first known as the god of freshwater but later changed to the sea god.

• He uses a trident as his main symbol and weapon.

Priam

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Last king of Troy, father of Hector and Paris

• Description: He was the king of Troy during the long battle against the Greeks.

• He pleaded at Achilles’ feet to return his son Hector’s corpse after the Greek warrior dragged it around the city gates in retaliation over his friend’s death. Moved, Achilles relented and gave the corpse to the king. He even let the Trojans hold funeral games and offered a truce that lasted 12 days.

Tartarus

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Primordial god of the Underworld

• Variations/Synonyms: Tartaros

• Description: He’s both the god of the deepest, darkest part of the Underworld and is also the pit itself.

Theseus

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Demigod who defeated the Minotaur

• Description: He had two fathers: Poseidon and Aegeus, King of Athens.

• According to legend, Theseus defeated the Minotaur. He escaped the Labyrinth (where the monster was imprisoned) with the help of a silk thread given by King Minos’ daughter, Ariadne.

Triton

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Demigod of the sea

• Description: He’s the son of Poseidon and the sea nymph Amphitrite.

• He’s usually drawn as a merman and is known as the gods’ messenger of the sea.

Uranus

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Primordial god of the heavens and first chief of the gods

• Variations/Synonyms: Caelus (Roman)

• Description: He’s the son-husband of Gaia and the father of the Titans.

• He’s the personification of heaven and was the first sky god before his children overthrew him.

• He’s also the father of the Cyclopes (one-eyed beings), Hecatoncheires (the hundred-handed ones), the Giants, the Erinyes (deities of vengeance), the Meliai (beautiful nymphs), and Aphrodite.

What Is A Strong Greek Name? Zeus

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: God of the sky

• Variations/Synonyms: Jupiter (Roman)

• Description: After winning the coup against his Titan father, Cronus, he became the chief deity, the god of the sky, thunder, and the king of the gods.

• He’s often depicted as a man holding a lightning bolt.

Popular Greek Mythology Baby Names for Girls

Like the gods, there are many powerful goddesses in Greek legend. They can be a great inspiration in choosing a name for your baby.

The following are our top choices for Greek mythology names for your baby girl:

Acantha

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Nymph loved by Apollo

• Variations/Synonyms: Acanthus

• Description: According to legend, she’s the nymph loved by Apollo, but she hated him so much that she scratched his face. Furious, Apollo turned her into a small plant with prickly, spiny leaves.

Achlys

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Goddess of the eternal night

• Variations/Synonyms: Demon of death

• Description: She existed before Chaos, according to legend.

Aegle

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Goddess of good health

• Variations/Synonyms: Aglaea

• Description: There were many women with this name in Greek mythology, but one of the most notable is Aegle, the daughter of Asclepius and Lampetia.

Alala

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Goddess of war-cry

• Variations/Synonyms: Alale

• Description: She’s the personification of the war cry.

• She’s the daughter of Polemos, the daemon of war. Her name was used as the battle cry of soldiers in war.

Althea

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Goddess of healing and compassion

• Variations/Synonyms: Althaea

• Description: She’s also known as the friend of the silver dragons.

Ananke

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Goddess of inevitability, compulsion, and necessity

• Variations/Synonyms: Necessitas (Roman) or Adrastea

• Description: Though not a famous goddess, she’s the first one to have power over fate.

Andromeda

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Goddess of dreams

• Description: She’s the princess of Aethiopia (ancient Ethiopia), the daughter of King Cepheus and Cassiopeia. The queen had angered the Nereids after she bragged that her daughter was more beautiful than they are.

• Poseidon sent the monster Cetus to ravage the kingdom’s coast. To appease the god’s anger, Andromeda was chained to a rock. But before she could get eaten by Cetus, Perseus arrives, falls in love with her, saves her, and makes her his queen.

Anthea

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Goddess of flowers and floral wreaths

• Variations/Synonyms: Antheia

• Description: She’s one of the Charites (Graces) and is the poetic symbol of spring.

Aphrodite

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Goddess of love, beauty, and fertility

• Variations/Synonyms: Venus (Roman)

• Description: She owns a magical belt that causes anyone to fall in love with whoever wears it.

Arete

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Goddess of virtue and knowledge

• Description: Her name is used by the Greeks to symbolize “excellence.”

Ariadne

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Princess of Crete who helped Theseus escape the Labyrinth

• Variations/Synonyms: Ariadna and Arianna

• Description: She’s the daughter of King Minos, who helped the hero Theseus escape the Labyrinth after defeating the Minotaur. Despite promising to bring her along after his escape, Theseus left her behind. It was due to a dream possibly caused by the god Dionysus (who would later take Ariadne as his wife).

Artemis

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Goddess of wild animals and the hunt

• Variations/Synonyms: Diana (Roman)

• Description: She’s Apollo’s twin sister.

• She can control nature, turn into an animal, and temporarily transform other people into animals.

Asteria

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Titan goddess of nocturnal oracles and falling stars

• Description: She’s the daughter of Coeus and Phoebe.

• She turned into a quail to escape Zeus’ amorous advances.

• She became an island after jumping into the Aegean Sea. She (as the island) would later be the only place on Earth to shelter her pregnant sister Leto from the wrath of Hera, Zeus’ vengeful wife.

Atalanta

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Maiden who challenged all her suitors to a footrace

• Description: After learning from an oracle that marriage will be her downfall, the swift-footed maiden told her father, King Schoeneus, that she would only marry the man who can beat her in a foot race. Any suitor who loses dies.

• No man could beat her until Hippomenes asked help from the goddess Aphrodite. The goddess gave him three irresistible golden apples. Atalanta gets diverted off the path each time Hippomenes tosses the apple. He wins the race and becomes her husband.

Athena

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Goddess of wisdom, skilled peacetime pursuits, and crafts

• Variations/Synonyms: Minerva (Roman)

• Description: This Olympian god is also known as the patroness of weaving and spinning.

Aura

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Titan god of the breeze and the morning air

• Variations/Synonyms: Aurae

• Description: She’s a follower and companion of Artemis, the goddess of hunting. Just like Artemis, she swore to remain a virgin forever.

Calliope

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Goddess of eloquence

• Variations/Synonyms: Kalliope

• Description: She’s also the Muse of epic poetry and has the lyre as her symbol.

Cassandra

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Trojan princess with the gift of prophecy

• Variations/Synonyms: Kassandra

• Description: She’s the daughter of King Priam and the sister of Hector.

• She has the gift of prophecy but was cursed so that no one listened to her. Because no one believed her despite predicting the fall of Troy, the ancient city fell into ruins in the hands of the Greeks.

Clotho

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: The Spinner Fate

• Variations/Synonyms: Nona (Roman)

• Description: She’s one of the Moirai (Three Fates).

• She spins the thread of human life.

Cybele

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Goddess of nature, caverns, mountains, and wild animals

• Variations/Synonyms: Magna Mater (Great Mother), Cybebe, Agdistis, Meter, or Meter Oreie

• Description: She’s also known as the goddess of fertility and divine protectress in times of war.

Daphne

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: The nymph who became a plant to escape Apollo

• Description: She’s the unfortunate victim of Eros’ anger towards Apollo.

• According to legend, Eros was so furious after getting insulted by Apollo that he shot the other god with a golden arrow to make him fall madly in love with the nymph Daphne. Then, he shot Daphne with a leaden arrow so she couldn’t love him back.

• Apollo pursued her relentlessly until the nymph asked help from her father, river god Peneus, who turned into a laurel tree. Still, Apollo loved her so much even though she’s now a tree. He made a wreath from her leaves and wore it on his head as a sign of love.

Demeter

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Goddess of agriculture and growth of food plants

• Variations/Synonyms: Ceres (Roman)

• Description: She also presides over the sacred law and the cycle of life and death.

Echo

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Nymph cursed only to speak the last words spoken to her

• Description: She’s a mountain nymph asked by Zeus to protect his secret dates with the other nymphs from his wife, Hera. The suspicious Hera visited the mountain nymphs many times but was always distracted by Echo. Realizing how they fooled her, Hera cursed Echo to never speak again, except to repeat the last words spoken to her.

Eos

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Titan goddess of the dawn

• Variations/Synonyms: Aurora (Roman)

• Description: She’s also the personification of the dawn.

Erato

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Muse of marriage songs and love poetry

• Description: She’s the patron of erotic poetry or hymns.

Eris

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Goddess of discord, strife, and chaos

• Variations/Synonyms: Discordia (Roman)

• Description: She’s the daughter of Hesiod and Nyx (Night).

• She’s also the personification of strife.

Gaia

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Mother Earth

• Variations/Synonyms: Terra (Roman), Gaea, or Ge

• Description: She’s the primordial goddess who governed the universe even before the Titans or the Olympian gods existed.

• She’s also the personification of the Earth and is the great mother of all creation.

Harmonia

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Goddess of concord and harmony

• Variations/Synonyms: Concordia (Roman)

• Description: She’s the daughter of Ares and Aphrodite.

• She has the power to preside over marital harmony and solves strife or discord.

Hebe

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Goddess of the prime of life and youth

• Variations/Synonyms: Juventas (Roman)

• Description: She’s the daughter of Zeus and his wife, Hera.

• She’s also the cupbearer to the gods.

Hecate

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Goddess of necromancy, sorcery, magic, angels, herbs, poisonous plants, and entryways

• Variations/Synonyms: Hekate

• Description: She’s the daughter of Perses (a Titan) and the nymph Asteria.

• She has dominion over the sky, earth, and sea.

Helen

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: The woman whose beauty caused the Trojan War

• Variations/Synonyms: Helene

• Description: She’s the daughter of Zeus with Nemesis or Leda. She was so beautiful that suitors came from all over Greece to ask for her hand, but she chose Menelaus.

• When she ran away with Paris (other accounts said she was kidnapped) to Troy, it started the 10-year Trojan War. After Paris’ death, she married his brother Deiphobus but betrayed him to Menelaus when the Greeks captured Troy. She went home with Menelaus to Sparta afterward.

Hemera

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Goddess of day

• Variations/Synonyms: Dies (Roman)

• Description: She’s the daughter of Nyx (Night) and Erebus (Darkness).

Hera

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Goddess of family, marriage, women, and childbirth

• Variations/Synonyms: Juno (Roman)

• Description: She’s the daughter of Titans Cronus and Rhea.

• She’s the chief goddess and one of the most powerful Olympians, ruling from Mount Olympus alongside her brother-husband Zeus.

Hermione

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Messenger

• Description: She’s the only child of King Menelaus of Sparta and the famous Helen of Troy.

• Her grandfather gave her hand in marriage to her cousin Orestes before the Trojan War. But not knowing about the arrangement, her father promised Achilles’ son Neoptolemus. After the war, Neoptolemus claimed her as his wife. She later ran away with Orestes after accusing Neoptolemus’ concubine of cursing her so she won’t get pregnant.

Hestia

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Goddess of the hearth

• Variations/Synonyms: Vesta (Roman)

• Description: She’s the daughter of Cronus and Rhea.

• She’s a virgin goddess who vowed to remain a maiden because Poseidon and Apollo fought over her hand.

Ianthe

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Purple flower

• Description: She’s the daughter of Oceanus.

• She was described as a woman so beautiful that gods grew violet flowers around her grave after she died.

Iris

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Goddess of the rainbow

• Variations/Synonyms: Arcus (Roman)

• Description: She’s the personification of the rainbow and is also the messenger of the gods.

• She’s the daughter of the sea god Thaumas with the ocean nymph Electra.

Leda

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Queen of Sparta and the mother of Helen of Troy

• Description: She’s the queen of Sparta who was seduced by Zeus disguised as a swan. She gave birth to Helen of Troy, Clytemnestra, and the famous half-brother twins, Castor and Pollux.

Leto

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Titan goddess of motherhood, kindness, and modesty

• Variations/Synonyms: Latona (Roman)

• Description: She’s the mother of Apollo and ‎Artemis.

• She’s the gentlest in all Olympus.

Maia

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Goddess of springtime and warmth

• Variations/Synonyms: Maias

• Description: She’s a shy goddess who remained hidden in the caves of Mount Cyllene, where she gave birth to her son with Zeus, Hermes.

Metis

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Titan goddess of wisdom, planning, cunning, and good counsel

• Description: She’s one of Zeus’ consorts, but he swallowed her after prophecies foretold that her child would overthrow him. Their daughter, Athena,would later emerge from his head, full-grown and armed for war.

• Metis isn’t credited for Athena’s birth, but she actually made warrior clothes for their unborn child before Zeus swallowed her.

Mnemosyne

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Titan goddess of memory

• Variations/Synonyms: Moneta (Roman)

• Description: She’s the mother of the nine Muses, whom she birthed after Zeus stayed with her for nine consecutive nights.

• She’s also the personification of memory and remembrance.

Nephele

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Cloudy

• Variations/Synonyms: Nubes (Latin)

• Description: She’s the cloud nymph created by Zeus in the image of his wife, Hera, to trick his guest, King Ixion (who fell in love with Hera). The union of Ixion and Nephele produced Centauros, who became the father of the Centaurs (half man, half horse).

Who Is Goddess Nyx? Nyx

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Goddess of the night

• Description: Known as the personification of the night, she’s the only being that Zeus ever feared. He was so scared of Nyx that he feared entering any of her caves.

Pandora

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: The first mortal woman and the one who released evil into the world

• Description: After Prometheus stole fire from the gods to give to man (his creation), an angry Zeus instructed Hephaestus to create a mortal woman. This woman (Pandora) was equipped with various gifts from the other gods. She was also given a jar as her “dowry,” but the gods actually filled it with evils and plagues.

• She was sent down to Earth to become the wife of Prometheus’ brother, Epimetheus. One day, she opened the jar out of curiosity — and the evils were released into the world. Horrified, she tried to close the lid but only managed to trap Hope inside.

Penelope

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Queen of Ithaca and wife of the Greek hero Odysseus

• Description: She’s known for being Odysseus’s faithful wife who never took a lover despite having many suitors in his 20-year absence.

• According to legend, she promised to accept suitors and consider getting married again after completing a shroud she’s making for Odysseus’ father. But she unravels the piece she’d woven each night so that the shroud could never be completed.

Persephone

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Goddess of agriculture, rebirth, and spring growth

• Variations/Synonyms: Proserpine or Proserpina

• Description: She’s the daughter of Zeus and Demeter.

• She’s also the wife of Hades and served as the queen of the Underworld.

Phoebe

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Titan goddess of the moon

• Variations/Synonyms: Phoibe

• Description: She’s the daughter of Gaia and Uranus.

• She has the gift of prophecy.

Rhea

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Great mother of the gods

• Variations/Synonyms: Rheia or Ops (Roman)

• Description: The daughter of Uranus and Gaia, she’s also known as the goddess of fruitfulness.

• She’s the consort of her brother Cronus and is known as the mother of the Olympian gods. She had six children with Cronus: Zeus, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Hestia, and Poseidon.

Selene

• Origin: Greek

• Meaning: Goddess of the moon

• Variations/Synonyms: Luna (Roman)

• Description: She’s the personification of the moon.