50 Mythological Baby Names

World mythologies offer so many possibilities when it comes to baby names. Many ancient deities were associated with positive traits you may want to encourage in your children, such as Astraia, the Greek goddess of justice, or Krishna, the Hindu god of love.

Gods and goddesses were also named for beautiful aspects of the natural world like Iris, the Greek goddess of the rainbow, or Dylan, the Welsh god of the sea. Along with a plethora of deities, mythology is also full of legendary mortal heroes like King Arthur and the Irish Fionn.

Popular Mythological Baby Names for Girls

Consider one of the following mythological baby names for your little girl.

Amalthea

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: To soften, to soothe; a nymph who nursed the infant Zeus
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Amaltheia
• Peak Popularity: Amalthea is a rare name and not listed in the top 1,000 names for baby girls in the U.S.

Aoife

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: Beauty; mythological Irish warrior princess
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Eve, Eva
• Famous Namesakes: Irish-American singer and Grammy award-winning songwriter Aiofe O'Donovan, Irish singer Aoife Ní Fhearraigh, Irish independent journalist and documentary producer Aoife Kavanagh
• Peak Popularity: Aoife is a rare name and not listed in the top 1,000 names.

Astraia

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Star; Greek goddess of justice and innocence
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Asteria, Astraea, Astra
• Famous Namesakes: Pakastani long-jump champion Asteria de Sa
• Peak Popularity: Astraia is a rare name and not listed in the top 1,000 names.

Atalanta

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Equal in weight; mythological Greek maiden who refused to marry anyone who could not beat her in a race
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Atlanta
• Famous Namesakes: Actress Atlanta Johnson
• Peak Popularity: Atalanta is a rare name and not listed in the top 1,000 names.

Aurora

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Dawn; Roman goddess of the dawn
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Aurore, Avrora
• Famous Namesakes: First Lady of the Philippines from 1935 to 1944 Aurora Quezon, protagonist of Disney's Sleeping Beauty Princess Aurora, Finnish-Swedish philanthropist Aurora Karamzin
• Peak Popularity: In 2020, Aurora hit the most popular it has ever been at number 36. Aurora moved into the top 100 in 2015 and into the top 50 in 2018.

Bridget

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: Exalted one; Irish goddess of fire, poetry, and wisdom
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Breda, Brigit, Bridgette, Bridghid, Brigid, Brigitte
• Famous Namesakes: French animal rights activist and former actress and singer Brigitte Bardot, Taiwanese actress Brigitte Lin, singer Brigitte Fontaine
• Peak Popularity: Bridget has been declining in popularity over the last 20 years, having peaked in 2000 and 2001 when it was at position 274. As of 2020, Bridget ranked at 749.

Chandra

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Meaning: Moon; Hindu goddess of the moon
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Chanda, Chander
• Famous Namesakes: American actress and director Chandra Wilson, American model Chandra Davis, American sprinter Chandra Cheeseborough
• Peak Popularity: Chandra is a rare name and not listed in the top 1,000 names.

Clementia

• Origin: Ancient Roman
• Meaning: Merciful, gentle; personification of mercy and clemency according to Roman mythology
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Clementina, Clementine, Klementina, Klementyna
• Peak Popularity: Clementia is a rare name and not listed in the top 1,000 names.

Dalia

• Origin: Lithuanian
• Meaning: Portion; Baltic goddess of weaving, fate and childbirth
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Dallia, Dahlia, Delia
• Famous Namesakes: Canadian-American lawyer, writer, and journalist Dahlia Lithwick
• Peak Popularity: Dalia first appeared among the top 1,000 U.S. girl names in 1994 before dropping off again in 2012. It saw a brief resurgence in 2014.

Daphne

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Laurel; a nymph turned into a laurel tree in Greek Mythology
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Daphney
• Famous Namesakes: English author and playwright Daphne du Maurier, Australian tennis player Daphne Akhurst, American actress Daphne Zuniga
• Peak Popularity: Daphne was at its most popular recently in 2014 at position 355. Daphne has seen varied popularity over the years.

Diana

• Origin: Indo-European
• Meaning: Heavenly, divine; Roman goddess of the moon, hunting, forests, and childbirth
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Dianna, Diane, Dianne
• Famous Namesakes: Diana, Princess of Wales; American singer and actress Diana Ross; American politician Dianne Feinstein
• Peak Popularity: Diana peaked in the year 2004 at position 90. That year and the following one were the only two years that Diana was in the top 100 this century. As of 2020, Diana ranked 244th.

Electra

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Amber; one of the Pleiades in Greek mythology
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Elektra
• Famous Namesakes: Collector of American antiques and founder of the Shelburne Museum Electra Havemeyer Webb
• Peak Popularity: Electra is a rare name and not listed in the top 1,000 names.

Freya

• Origin: Old Norse
• Meaning: Lady; Norse goddess associated with love, beauty, war, and death
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Frea, Freja
• Famous Namesakes: Anglo-Italian explorer and travel writer Freya Stark, Australian actress Freya Stafford, Belgian politician Freya Van den Bossche
• Peak Popularity: Freya first appeared on the charts in 2013. Since then it has jumped up in popularity and hit a recent peak at position 178 in 2020.

Gaia

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Earth; Greek mother goddess of the earth
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Gaea, Gaga, Kaga
• Famous Namesakes: Maltese singer Gaia Cauchi, Italian film and television actress Gaia Germani, Italian tennis player Gaia Sanesi
• Peak Popularity: Gaia is a rare name and not listed in the top 1,000 names.

Harmonia

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Harmony, agreement; daughter of Ares and Aphrodite
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Harmony
• Famous Namesakes: English record producer, musician, and songwriter Harmony Samuels; American social activist Harmony Dust; Australian singer-songwriter Harmony James
• Peak Popularity: Harmonia is a rare name and not listed in the top 1,000 names.

Iris

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Rainbow; Greek goddess of the rainbow
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Iiris, Irida
• Famous Namesakes: Irish-British novelist and philosopher Iris Murdoch; Chinese American journalist, author, and political activist Iris Chang; American singer and songwriter Iris DeMent
• Peak Popularity: Iris has been steadily increasing in popularity since 2000. In 2020 it was at its highest position yet at 127. If this trend continues, we may see Iris in the top 100 names within a few years.

Isis

• Origin: Egyptian
• Meaning: Home; Egyptian goddess of the sky and nature
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Iside, Iset
• Famous Namesakes: American model, actress, and fashion designer Isis King
• Peak Popularity: Isis's peak popularity was in 2005 at position 522. Isis fell off the charts in 2015, perhaps due to the terrorist organization known by the initials ISIS.

Larisa

• Origin: Russian
• Meaning: Home; a nymph of the mythical Pelasgians
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Larissa, Larysa
• Famous Namesakes: Early martyr venerated by the Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches Saint Larissa, Canadian artistic gymnast Larissa Lowing, American actress Larisa Oleynik
• Peak Popularity: Larisa is a rare name and not listed in the top 1,000 names.

Lilith

• Origin: Semitic
• Meaning: Of the night; Adam's first wife, sent out of Eden because she would not submit to him, according to Jewish legend
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Lilita
• Famous Namesakes: American author Lilith Saintcrow; Israeli-Arabic language television host, actress, and singer Lilith Nagar
• Peak Popularity: Lilith first appeared on the charts in 2010. Since then it has increased steadily in popularity. As of 2020, Lilith is at position 316.

Maia

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Good mother; the eldest of the Pleiades in both Greek and Roman mythology
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Maya, Mia, Mya
• Famous Namesakes: American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou, American actress, comedian, and singer Maya Rudolph
• Peak Popularity: Maia's peak popularity was in 2017 at position 488. The Maya spelling, however, peaked at number 57 in 2006. It's close to that in 2020, at number 61.

Mina

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Meaning: Fish; daughter of the Hindu goddess Ushas and of the god Kubera
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Meena
• Famous Namesakes: Italian singer Mina; British-born artist, writer, painter, and designer Mina Loy; Japanese actress Mina Fujii
• Peak Popularity: Mina first appeared on the charts in 2002. It fell off in 2003 before jumping back on the following year. In 2006, it barely hung on at position 999. Since then Mina has seen varied popularity on a general increase. As of 2020 its position was 663.

Phoebe

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Bright, pure; a Titan associated with the moon
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Phebe, Phoibe
• Famous Namesakes: American philanthropist, feminist and suffragist Phoebe Hearst, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Phoebe Snow
• Peak Popularity: Phoebe is currently at its peak, as of 2020 data, at position 254. After nearly dropping off the charts in the early 1960s, Phoebe has been in the top 500 since 1999.

Rhiannon

• Origin: Celtic
• Meaning: Great queen; Celtic goddess of fertility and the moon
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Reannon, Rhian, Rhianon, Riannon 
• Famous Namesakes: American musician Rhiannon Giddens, Ghanaian-British singer and songwriter Rhian Benson
• Peak Popularity: Rhiannon was at its most popular in the year 2000 at position 453. It declined steeply afterwards, falling off the charts in 2008.

Selena

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Moon; a Titan of the moon
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Selene
• Famous Namesakes: Pop star Selena Gomez, American singer, songwriter, spokesperson, businesswoman, model, actress, and fashion designer Selena Perez; Hong Kong-born Canadian actress Selena Lee
• Peak Popularity: Selena was at its peak in the year 2000 at position 194. It slowly declined in popularity until 2015 when it started increasing again. As of the 2020 data, Selena is at position 242.

Silvia

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Forest; Rhea Silvia was the mother of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Sylvia
• Famous Namesakes: Queen Silvia of Sweden, Italian tennis player Silvia Farina Elia, Governor-General of New Zealand Silvia Cartwright
• Peak Popularity: Silvia is a rare name and not currently on the charts. It made a few brief appearances during the years 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2005, with its highest-ever ranking at 853. But the Sylvia spelling peaked at number 50 in 1937. Since 1999, it's been at about the halfway point of the top 1,000 list.

Popular Mythological Baby Names for Boys

Here are some mythological baby boy names to think about for your newborn.

Amon

• Origin: Egyptian
• Meaning: Hidden one; Egyptian god of the air, creativity, and fertility
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Amen, Ammon
• Famous Namesakes: Brazilian electronic musician, composer, and producer Amon Tobin; founder and publisher of the "Fort Worth Star-Telegram" Amon G. Carter, English architect Amon Henry Wilds
• Peak Popularity: Amon is a rare name and not listed in the top 1,000 boy's names in the U.S.

Apollo

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Strength; Greek god of prophecy, medicine, music, art, law, beauty, and wisdom
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Apolo
• Famous Namesakes: Polish poet, playwright, translator, and political activist Apollo Korzeniowski; Filipino pastor and church leader Apollo Quiboloy; Apolo Ohno, eight-time Olympic medalist for the United States in speed skating
• Peak Popularity: Apollo first appeared on the charts in 2012. Since then it has jumped up in popularity to its 2020 position of 448.

Arthur

• Origin: Germanic
• Meaning: Bear king; the central character in Arthurian legend
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Artair, Artur, Arturo
• Famous Namesakes: King Arthur, Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke of Wellington, British writer and physician Arthur Conan Doyle
• Peak Popularity: Arthur is currently at its peak popularity, sitting at position 163 as of the 2020 data. Arthur has been on an upward trend since 2010.

Azrael

• Origin: Judeo-Christian
• Meaning: An angel in Jewish and Islamic tradition who separated the soul from the body upon death
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Azriel
• Peak Popularity: Azrael appeared on the charts for the first time in 2019 at position 948. As of 2020's data, it is at position 928.

Bacchus

• Origin: Ancient Roman
• Meaning: To shout; Roman god of wine, revelry, fertility, and dance
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Backos
• Peak Popularity: Bacchus is a rare name and not listed in the top 1,000 names.

Boreas

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Northwind; Greek god of the north wind
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Borheas
• Peak Popularity: Boreas is a rare name and not listed in the top 1,000 names.

Brahma

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Meaning: Growth, expansion, creation; Hindu creator and director of the universe
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Brahmma
• Famous Namesakes: Social reformer Kalicharan Brahma
• Peak Popularity: Brahma is a rare name and not listed in the top 1,000 names.

Conall

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: Strong wolf; a hero in Irish legend
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Connell
• Famous Namesakes: Irish dramatist and novelist Conal Holmes O'Connell O'Riordan
• Peak Popularity: Conall is a rare name and not listed in the top 1,000 names.

Damon

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: To tame; loyal friend of Pythias in Greek mythology
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Damian, Damiaos, Damianus, Damyan
• Famous Namesakes: British musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer Damon Albarn; British racing driver Damon Hill; American newspaperman and short-story writer Damon Runyon
• Peak Popularity: Damon has seen varied popularity over the past 20 years, with the most recent data putting it at position 428. Damon's peak year was 2001, when it was at position 288 on the charts.

Dylan

• Origin: Welsh
• Meaning: Great sea; Welsh god of the sea
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Dillan, Dillon
• Famous Namesakes: Welsh poet and writer Dylan Thomas, American actor Dylan McDermott, American character actor Dylan Baker
• Peak Popularity: Dylan has historically been a very popular name, having been in the top 50 since 1991. Dylan hit its peak at position 19 in 2003 and remained there in 2004. As of 2020, Dylan is at position 42.

Fionn

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: Fair, white; legendary Irish hero who become all-knowing by eating enchanted salmon
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Finn, Fion
• Famous Namesakes: Irish folk musician and singer-songwriter Fionn Regan, Scottish novelist Fionn MacColla, Irish Gaelic footballer Fionn Fitzgerald
• Peak Popularity: Fionn is a rare name and not listed in the top 1,000 names. Finn, however, entered the top 1,000 in the year 2000 and ranked 178th in 2020.

Hector

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: To hold; one of the legendary Trojan champions who fought against the Greeks
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Hektor
• Famous Namesakes: French composer and conductor Hector Berlioz, Puerto Rican rapper, singer, and record producer Hector el Father, American actor Hector Elizondo
• Peak Popularity: The name Hector peaked in 2005 at position 167. Since then, it has steadily declined, landing at position 364 as of 2020.

Helios

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Sun; Greek god of the sun
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Elio, Helio
• Famous Namesakes: Costa Rican economist and politician Helio Fallas Venegas
• Peak Popularity: Helios is a rare name and not listed in the top 1,000 names.

Jason

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Healer; legendary leader of the Argonauts who sought the golden fleece
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Iason, Jayceon, Jayson
• Famous Namesakes: American guitarist, singer, and songwriter Jason Mraz; American actor and film director Jason Alexander; American singer, songwriter, and dancer Jason Derulo
• Peak Popularity: The name Jason peaked in 2000 as the 39th most popular name in the U.S. It has declined slowly and steadily since, dropping out of the top 50 in 2005 and out of the top 100 in 2019.

Jasper

• Origin: Hebrew
• Meaning: Treasurer; one of the legendary wise men who visited the newborn Jesus
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Casper, Gaspar, Kasper, Jesper
• Famous Namesakes: American painter, sculptor, and printmaker Jasper Johns; Hong Kong politician Jasper Tsang
• Peak Popularity: Jasper hit its peak in 2019 at position 136 and dropped just two spots in 2020.

Jimmu

• Origin: Japanese
• Meaning: Divine warrior; legendary founder of Japan and its first emperor
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Jimu
• Peak Popularity: Jimmu is a rare name and not listed in the top 1,000 names.

Kama

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Meaning: Love, desire; winged Hindu god of love
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Kamma
• Famous Namesakes: Danish artist, salonist, and lady of letters Kamma Rahbek
• Peak Popularity: Kama is a rare name and not listed in the top 1,000 names.

Krishna

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Meaning: Love, desire; the winged Hindu god of love
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Kannan, Kishna, Kishon
• Famous Namesakes: The twenty-fourth maharaja of the Kingdom of Mysore Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV, first chief minister of the Indian state of Bihar Shri Krishna Sinha, Tollywood actor Krishna Bhagavaan
• Peak Popularity: Krishna is a rare name and not listed in the top 1,000 names.

Linus

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Flax; legendary son of Apollo
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Linas, Lino, Linos
• Famous Namesakes: American chemist, biochemist, chemical engineer, peace activist, author, and educator Linus Pauling, Finnish-American software engineer Linus Torvalds, English actor Linus Roache
• Peak Popularity: Linus is a rare name and not listed in the top 1,000 names.

Loki

• Origin: Old Norse
• Meaning: Knot; a Norse trickster god associated with magic and shapeshifting
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Loke
• Peak Popularity: Loki is a rare name and not listed in the top 1,000 names.

Myles

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Mill; a king of Laconia in Greek mythology
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Miles
• Famous Namesakes: English scholar of ancient philosophy Myles Burnyeat, American musician Miles Davis, American educator, socialist, and co-founder of the Highlander Folk School Myles Horton
• Peak Popularity: Myles is currently at its peak at position 124, according to the latest data. The Miles spelling is more popular and is also at its peak, 59th place in 2020.

Odin

• Origin: Old Norse
• Meaning: Inspiration, rage, frenzy; highest of the Norse gods
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Oden
• Peak Popularity: Odin first appeared on the charts in 2008 and has risen in popularity since. It hit its peak in 2019 at position 330 and dropped only one spot in 2020.

Orion

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Boundary, limit; legendary Greek hunter
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Horion
• Famous Namesakes: American broadcaster Orion Samuelson; Orion P. Howe, one of the youngest recipients of the Medal of Honor for his service in the American Civil War as a Union drummer boy
• Peak Popularity: Orion hit its peak as the 300th most popular name in 2018, seeing a slight decline since then. Orion is currently at position 325.

Rama

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Meaning: Pleasing, beautiful
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Ram, Ramma
• Famous Namesakes: one of the founders of the Brahmo Sabha, Ram Mohan Roy
• Peak Popularity: Rama is a rare name and not listed in the top 1,000 names.

Thor

• Origin: Old Norse
• Meaning: Thunder; Viking god of war and fertility
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Donar, Tor
• Famous Namesakes: Norwegian adventurer and ethnographer Thor Heyerdahl, Norwegian former professional road bicycle racer Thor Hushovd, Icelandic businessman and entrepreneur Björgólfur Thor Björgólfsson
• Peak Popularity: Thor is a rare name and not listed in the top 1,000 names.