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Last updated on July 27th, 2024 at 11:00 am

Every parent wants to pick the most beautiful names for their babies. Each country and culture has quite a few unique names to choose from for your baby. One of the richest sources of unusual and one-of-a-kind names though is Greek mythology.

If you have run out of ideas or wish to browse through baby names with an interesting backstory, read further. Here are some of the most unusual baby names as well as their background stories to help you choose the right name for your baby.

1. Demeter

Demeter or Dimitra in Greek was the Greek goddess of fertility, grain, and harvest. She was one of the Twelve Olympian gods who lived on Mount Olympus. Demeter was a very important goddess to ancient Greek farmers and peasants who relied on her for good crops for the season. She was the sister of Zeus and the mother of Persephone.

2. Achilles

Achilles was one of the most popular Greek heroes in the Trojan War and was considered to possess remarkable strength and bravery. His weakness, the “Achilles heel” became a phraseological unit and is widely used worldwide. He is considered a real person belonging to the race of Myrmidon. Myrmidons meant ants, and they lived in Fthiotis being the first to be called Hellenes.

3. Terpsichore

Terpsichore was the goddess of dance and chorus as well as one of the nine Muses in ancient Greek mythology. Her name means ‘the joy of chorus’ and is oftentimes associated with the word “terpsichorean”, which means “of or relating to dance”. She is depicted holding a lyre and accompanying the dancers with her music.

This would be a great choice for a baby girl born into a family of musicians or people who are truly devoted to these arts.

4. Evander

Evander’s name translates to a good or strong man. He was a hero from Arcadia who brought the alphabet, laws, and pantheon of Greece to Italy. He was also the son of the goddess Carmentis and the god Hermes.

5. Helios

Helios was the personification of the Sun, and he was one of the Titans, the son of Hyperion and Theia. His siblings were Eos, the Dawn, and Selene the Moon. One of his most memorable images in Greek mythology is of him riding his chariot. He was married to Perse and had several children.

6. Electra

Elektra was a popular character in two ancient Greek tragedies. She was the daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra of Mycenae. This beautiful name translates to a woman who is radiant with grace.

7. Apollo

Apollo was a god in Greek mythology, one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Leto, the twin brother of Artemis. He is, among others, considered the god of medicine, archery, music, poetry, and also the sun. He is also the god of justice. Along with all these, this name is also tied to a significant mission.

The US Apollo is a NASA space program that sent the first humans to the moon. This will be a catching topic to write essays on when your child is of school age. With the right educational resources available, they will be able to understand their name and feel proud when writing any school paper.

8. Arete

Arete translates to grace and dignity, and she was a goddess that people connected to many qualities deemed attractive. Some of those were excellence, courage, and knowledge. Arete is also greatly connected to reaching a person’s full potential and is, therefore, an essential quality to the Greeks.

9. Endymion

Endymion was the son of Zeus, and he was known for his beauty, probably having gotten his handsome looks from his father. He was a shepherd who lived in the region of Elis, and he was believed to have been a king. Endymion’s beauty was so great that Selene, the Titan goddess of the moon, fell in love with him. She then asked his father to give him eternal youth.

10. Adonis

Adonis was considered to be a handsome man and a symbol of masculine beauty. He was the mortal lover of the Goddess Aphrodite. As myth has it, the place where Adonis took his last breath was where red roses bloomed for the first time.

To this day, this name is widespread in the US as more and more parents choose it every single year. A very nice name, but destroyed, as today it happens to be the name of the most detestable Greek minister.

11. Iris

Iris in Greek translates to the rainbow. In ancient Greek mythology, she was the goddess of the rainbow and an urgent messenger of the Olympian gods. She was also oftentimes considered to be the personal messenger of Hera.

Iris was a goddess of the sea and the sky. She was the daughter of another Electra, an Oceanid born by the Titans, and Thaumas “the wondrous”, a marine god.

12. Hermes

Hermes was an Olympian deity in ancient Greek mythology. He was the herald of the gods as well as the God of boundaries, athletes, speed, and commerce. Hermes was the son of Zeus and Maia, the Pleiad. He was also oftentimes regarded as “the divine trickster”.

13. Calypso

Calypso was the daughter of the Titan Atlas, and she was a beautiful nymph of the mythical island Ogygia. If Ogygia was real it should be the island of Othonoi, a small island a few miles northwest of Corfu Island where there is a cave named Cave of Calypso.

She was an influential character in Homer’s Odyssey as she followed the journey of Odysseus for seven years. She tried to promise him immortality, but his longing for his home was a lot more powerful than that.

14. Leander

Leander was a young man who came from Abydos. He lived on the eastern shore of the Hellespont. He was known in Greek mythology as a very powerful swimmer. When he fell in love with one of Aphrodite’s priestesses, he became famous for swimming across the Hellespont every night, so he could see her.

You didn’t find a name to like on our list yet? No problem.

Greek Mythology offers thousands of choices, here are some more beautiful names, mostly for girls!

15. Eris

Eris was one of the primordial gods and means Dispute, but it sounds beautiful as a woman’s name when spelled.

16. Io

Io was a nymph, one of the many lovers of Dias, a Beautiful name, that means moon.

17. Leto

Leto was the mother of the gods Apollo and Artemis, a nice and frequent name among Greeks.

18. Alkmene

Alkmene is an oceanic nymph, the mother of the most famous hero Heracles.

19. Metis

Metis was the first wife of Dias and the mother of the goddess Athena.

20. Selene

Selene is the daughter of Titan Hyperion and the personification of the moon.

21. Artemis

Artemis, An Olympian goddess, daughter of Dias and Leto, and sister to Apollo is a very frequent name in Greece.

22. Athena

Athena was the daughter of Dias and Metis, the goddess of wisdom who gave her name to Athens.

23. Jason

Jason was the hero who with his argonauts stole the Golden Fleece from Colchis.

24. Nereus

Nereus, The old lord of the sea, a Titan, son of the primordial god Pontos.

25. Phoebe

Phoebe was the daughter of Hermes and Aphrodite.

26. Nike

Nike means Victory and was a daughter of the first god of war Pallas. Also a very used and nice name.

27. Zelea

Zelea was the Goddess of Jealousy and sister to Nike. As a name is uniquely strange and also very attractive.

If there is a chance for your little girl to become an actress, follow our advice and call her Zelea.

28. Rhea

Rhea, the most important Titaness, wife of Cronos, and mother to Dias. One of the best-sounding names for a beautiful woman.

A woman named Rhea is obliged to be beautiful, otherwise, she has to change her name.

29. Themis

Themis, a Titaness, this name can be used for both girls and boys.

30. Dione

Dione, another Titaness, and a beautiful name.

31. Pandora

Pandora was the first woman on Earth, who married Epimetheus, the name means all-gifted.

32. Enyo

Enyo was the daughter of Dias and Hera, a nice and strange name.

33. Hebe

Hebe was the sister of Enyo, the personification of adolescence.

34. Rhode

Rhode was the daughter of Hermes and Aphrodite, Rhode means Rose, an unusual as well as nice name.

Greek mythology is an endless source of inspiration, fascinating stories, and impressive characters. If you want to give your kid a unique and outstanding name, make use of this list.

Bonus: 100 more names

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Last updated on July 27th, 2024 at 10:59 am

Hellas is the land of Hellenes, that is, the land of the Greeks. But why do we call Greece Hellas, and who are the Hellenes?

Well, the question is wrong and should be reversed! It should be as: Why do we call Hellas Greece, and who are the Hellenes?

The term “Hellenes” is the historical name for the Greeks and has been used to refer to the people of Greece since antiquity. Its origins can be traced back to ancient Greek mythology and history, specifically linked to Hellen, the legendary son of Deucalion and the ancestral figure of the Greek people.

The word “Hellenes” was commonly used to describe the Greek people and their culture in ancient times and is still used today within the country of Greece, both officially and among the Greeks themselves.

The Mythological origin of the Hellenes and Hellas

Please note that the name Hellen has nothing to do with Helen of Troy; rather, it refers to Hellen (written with two ‘ll’s), who was the first son of Deucalion.

According to Hesiod’s Theogony, the Flood of Deucalion marked the beginning of Hellenic civilization.

A common feature in nearly all mythologies is the blending of myths with historical reality, making it difficult to discern what is true and what is fictional.

The Aegean islands of Cyclades and Crete were inhabited and prospered for many centuries before the emergence of the Achaeans, the first Greek civilization in Mycenae.

In the Cyclades, the Pelasgians established the earliest European civilization dating back to 3000 years BCE.

Not much is known about them, except that they had a written language using the Linear A script, which remains undeciphered to this day. Later, they adopted Linear B, evidently an evolution of Linear A.

Linear B has been deciphered and can be understood; it is a syllabic writing system that reveals Greek words and Greek names when read.

The precise relationship between the Pelasgians and the Greeks is still not fully understood.

On the island of Crete, the same civilization is known as the Minoans, named after their most famous king, Minos. The Minoans also employed the Linear B writing system, as did the Mycenaeans.

The Flood of Deucalion

Here is a portion of Hesiod’s Theogony that describes the origin of the Greeks (Hellenes), and consequently, the origin of the names Hellenes and Hellas.

Greek Theogony, though a work of mythology, is often more engaging than the Bible’s more prosaic cosmogony.

These tales have been passed down from generation to generation, each time perhaps becoming slightly embellished or distorted.

Let’s dive into it!

Following a catastrophic flood (distinct from Noah’s), all people vanished, leaving only two survivors: Deucalion and Pyrrha.

Deucalion was the son of the Titan Prometheus, who had created the human race and bestowed upon them the gift of fire.

Pyrrha, on the other hand, was his wife and the daughter of Pandora, the first woman created by the gods. Pandora’s name is likely familiar to many.

Prior to the flood, Prometheus advised his son Deucalion, who ruled in Thessaly, to construct a substantial ark, stock it with provisions, and pray for the best outcome.

Soon, the heavens opened, and the Earth was inundated. Deucalion and Pyrrha’s ark drifted for nine days and nights until it came to rest atop Mount Parnassus. From this vantage point, they had a clear view of Delphi, where the renowned Oracle would later be established.

Delphi was regarded as the navel, the very center of the Earth, in the beliefs of ancient Hellenes.

Does any of this sound reminiscent of the biblical tale of Noah’s ark? It certainly does; it’s essentially the same myth.

How the first Hellenes born after the Flood

After Deucalion and Pyrrha were rescued, they received an order from the God of Gods, Zeus (Jupiter). They were instructed to gather as many stones as they could find and toss them over their shoulders.

The stones that Deucalion threw transformed into men, while those thrown by Pyrrha became women.

They were the first Hellenes to repopulate Hellas, because the first stone thrown by Deucalion became a man named Hellen or Hellenas, who went on to have many children. Among his offspring were Aeolus, Dorus, Xuthus, and Ion.

These descendants became the ancestors of the Greek tribes known as the Aeolians, Dorians, Achaeans, and Ionians, respectively.

They were all referred to as Hellenes, and their land was known as Hellas.

It’s a fascinating story, isn’t it?

Roman imposition of Christianity and suppression of Hellenism

Hellenes posed a constant challenge to the early Roman Empire because they championed free thinking and rejected the doctrines of the emerging religion.

Emperors employed persecutions, massacres, and the destruction of ancient monuments. They even went so far as to burn libraries containing invaluable ancient knowledge, stalling human progress. Oppression and numerous other atrocities were unleashed upon the Hellenes.

The first documented destruction of the Parthenon occurred in the 4th century CE at the hands of Christian extremists. This is an undeniable historical fact often omitted from our educational system.

However, Greek culture proved too resilient to be suppressed, prompting the Emperors to take more drastic measures to neutralize the Hellenic threat, including a change of name.

The Romans referred to the Hellenes of Southern Italy as “Graecus“.

Both Hellas and its inhabitants were renamed Graecia (Greece) and Graecus, respectively, in the wake of this shift. This was done to eradicate the term “Hellas” and reduce any perceived threat to the new religion, as the Hellenes continued to identify as Pagans.

It’s well-documented that the use of the word “Hellenes” was strictly forbidden for several centuries in the Roman and later Byzantine Empires.

Consequently, the Latin names Graecia and Graecus persisted in Romance languages, designating both the land and its people.

The correct name for Greece should be Hellas

Therefore, the correct name for the Greeks is “Hellenes” and their land should be called “Hellas”

In 1827, the Greeks achieved their independence from the Ottomans. European public opinion, especially among Philhellenes, expressed a desire to name the new country “Hellas”

However, the Greek Orthodox Church vehemently opposed the international adoption of the name “Hellas” for the new nation. To the clergy, this name evoked memories of the old Hellenic legacy and the pagan religion.

However, within the country, the name “Hellas” prevailed. In countries where Romance languages were spoken, the Roman-derived name “Greece” became the standard.

Now, why doesn’t the Greek state attempt to internationally change the name, considering that “Hellas” is the only commonly used name within the country among the Greeks?

Buckle up, because changing a country’s international name is no small feat. It’s like deciding to rearrange your entire room – pros and cons galore.

At that time, folks believed it would be a monumental task with results that might not be all rainbows and butterflies. They figured the gain wouldn’t match the effort. So, despite “Hellas” being the beloved name at home, the international stage didn’t get the memo.

And there you have it – a tale of tradition, identity, and a decision that might’ve seemed simple but came with a whirlwind of complexities. The name “Hellenes” might be the heart of the country, but sometimes, change is like an intricate puzzle that takes time and consideration to piece together.

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The Olympic Games in Ancient Greece

| | |

The Olympic Games in ancient Greece were a major sporting and cultural event that took place every four years in Olympia, a sanctuary dedicated to the god Zeus.

Revealing Most Important Figures of Greek Mythology

| | |

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| | |

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Great Heroes in Greek Mythology and Their Labours

| | |

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