Greek is the most defining Western language of antiquity. It is spoken today by at least 13 million people. In 2017, the 9th of February was designated as “International Greek Language Day.”
I have hand-picked 317 unique and ancient Greek boy names with meanings included.
List Of Unique & Ancient Greek Boy Names With Meanings:
Leonidas
Meaning “son of a lion,” Leonidas is derived from the words leon and idas. Leonidas I was the king of the Ancient Greek city-state of Sparta. In 480 BC he and 300 Spartans stood against the army of Persian King Xerxes I.
Dorus
”Gift.”
Echion
From echis, ”viper.”
Neoptolemus
”New war.”
Prokopios
Progress.
Aeschylus
From aischos, ”shame.” In legend an eagle dropped a tortoise on his head.
Achilles
Achilles is composed of áchos (”grief” or ”pain”) and laós (people). So, it is interpreted as ”he whose people have distress.” In Greek mythology, Achilles was the son of Peleus (the king of Myrmidons) and Thetis. He had his heel as his only vulnerable spot and was slain in battle by Priam’s son Paris.
Phaethon
”Shining,” and a boy who lost control of the sun’s chariot.
Anaximander
”Lord of man.” Anaximander drew a map of the known world.
Nikephoros
Bringing victory.
Anastasios
”Resurrection.”
Eros
Love, or desire.
Cassander
“Shining upon man” and is the masculine form of Cassandra.
Adonis
Adonis is the god of beauty and attraction. He is famous for being the most handsome mortal man on Earth. It comes from a Canaanite, ”master” or ”lord.”
Pentheus
”Grief,” and a king of Thebes in Euripides’ Bacchae.
Sosigenes
Born safe. Sosigenes helped Caesar shape the Julian calendar.
Panteleimon
”All-merciful.”
Patroclus
”Glory of the father.”
Georgios
Farmer, or earth worker.
Pamphilos
”Friend of all.”
Hector
Hector is an epithet of Zeus and has a meaning that I like, ‘holding fast’ or ‘defender.’ Hector was the chief warrior of the Trojan army. He is the firstborn son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy. He is killed in single combat by Achilles.
Aegon
Aegon comes from the word ‘aigōn’, ‘shepherd’ or ‘goat-keeper.’
Heraclitus
”Glory of Hera.”
Aeneas
Aeneas has its origins in the word ainos (story or praise). Aeneas was a Trojan hero mentioned in Homer’s Iliad.
Antiochus
”Steadfast,” and Antioch has origins after a man called Antiochus.
Miltiades
Red earth.
Pan
Pan (”all” or ”shepherd”) is a goat-legged god and the source of panic.
Onesimus
Useful.
Eratosthenes
”Lovely strength.” Eratosthenes measured Earth’s size with shadows.
Philoxenus
Friend of strangers.
Aristoboulos
”Best counsel.”
Agathangelos
Good messenger, or bringer of good news.
Lysander
Lysander has lysis (”release” and andros (”man”).
Cadmus
Cadmus founded Thebes as well as several cities in Illyria. It comes from the Semitic root for the east.
Gerasimos
”Venerable,” and a desert monk who befriended a lion, in legend.
Lysimachus
Freeing from battle.
Theophrastus
It combines theos, god, and phrazein, to speak. Botany calls him its founding father.
Evander
”Good man.”
Aristocles
Best glory.
Telemachus
“Fighting from afar” and is made from tele (”far” and mache (”battle”). He is the son Odysseus left behind.
Methodios
Pursuit.
Telamon
Strap, or support.
Menelaus
Menelaus was the king of Sparta and one of the main characters in the Trojan War. It is symbolizing “strength of the people.”
Aeolus
”Sparkling” or ”quick-moving.”
Castor
Castor is the Greek word for beaver. In myth he is the twin brother of Pollux.
Jason
Jason led the Argonauts after the Golden Fleece. It means ”healer” and is from the verb for healing.
Iphicles
”Famed for strength.”
Helios
”Sun.”
Proteus
From protos, ”first.” English protean, for something that keeps changing, comes from this sea god.
Hippolytus
”Freer of horses.”
Phosphoros
”Light bringer,” and Greek for Venus as morning star.
Cycnus
”Swan,” and in myth he becomes one.
Polynices
Much strife.
Icarus
Icarus is the boy who flew too close to the sun on wax wings.
Diodoros
Diodoros is interpreted as ”gift of Zeus.”
Agamemnon
Resolute, unbowed, or very steadfast. He commanded the Achaeans during the Trojan War.
Priam
Redeemed.
Alpheus
”Whitish.”
Agathocles
Good glory.
Chrysippus
Golden horse. Legend has him dying of laughter at a donkey eating figs.
Polyxenus
Very hospitable.
Eumolpus
”Good singer.”
Pyrrhus
”Flame-colored,” and a king whose costly wins explain the phrase Pyrrhic victory.
Archelaus
”Master of the people.”
Chiron
From cheir, ”hand.” In myth he is a wise centaur who taught healing.
Nektarios
”Nectar.”
Memnon
Resolute, and two giant statues near Luxor are based after him.
Synesios
Understanding, or sensible.
Irenaios
Peaceful.
Ajax
Ajax is derived from the word Aias and is meaning ”of the earth.” Ajax the Great is a mythological hero described as the strongest of all the Achaeans.
Spyridon
”Basket,” and a patron saint of Corfu.
Polydorus
Many gifts.
Pheidippides
”Sparing horses.” Pheidippides is a runner in the marathon legend.
Kairos
”Right moment,” ”season,” ”chance” or ”proper time.”
Euphorbus
”Good pasture,” as well as euphorbia plants recall a doctor of knwon as Euphorbus.
Menippus
Might of a horse, and Menippean satire is called after him.
Xenocrates
”Strength of a stranger.”
Tiresias
One who delights in signs.
Callisthenes
”Beautiful strength.”
Corydon
Corydon is one I like, from korydalos, ”lark.”
Damocles
Damocles is composed of damos (”people”) and kles (fame).
Alcander
“Defender of mankind.”
Callimachus
”Noble in battle,” Callimachus is composed of the words kállos and mákhē. He was an ancient poet who wrote over 800 literary works.
Kleobulus
Famous counsel, and one of the Seven Sages.
Plutarch
From ploutos, wealth, and archos, ruler.
Narcissus
From narke, numbness. Narcissism starts with him.
Hyperion
”The one above.”
Neleus
”Pitiless.”
Parmenides
Constant, or abiding.
Troilus
”Of Troy.”
Zeuxis
From zeuxis, ”yoking.” He painted grapes so real that birds pecked at them.
Kyrillos
”Lordly,” and Cyrillic script recalls a saint of this name.
Orestes
”Of the mountains.”
Polycleitus
Much renowned.
Leucippus
White horse, and a thinker on atoms.
Zetes
”Seeker.”
Himeros
Longing.
Epaphroditus
Lovely, or charming.
Heliodoros
Gift of the sun.
Cleanthes
Famous flower.
Zelus
”Zeal,” and that English word comes from here.
Chrysaor
”Golden sword.”
Demetrios
Demetrios has roots in Demeter who is the goddess of grain and harvest.
Theodore
Theodore combines the elements theos (”god”) and doron (”gift”).
Polybius
”Much life.”
Archilochus
From archos, chief, and lochos, troop.
Anteros
”Love returned.”
Petros
”Stone,” or ”rock.”
Creon
”Ruler,” or ”prince.”
Argus
Bright, and a giant with a hundred eyes.
Alcinous
”Mighty mind.”
Basil
Basil is from ”basileus”, ”king.” The herb is from the same word and is pronounced as BAZ-il.
Alexios
Helper or defender.
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Odysseus
“To be grieved” or “to be angry at.”
Philippos
Lover of horses.
Craterus
Mighty.
Eustathios
”Steady,” or ”stable.”
Gorgias
”Fierce,” or ”grim.”
Anaxagoras
It combines anax, lord, and agora, assembly.
Evagoras
”Good in the assembly.”
Laocoon
”Understanding of the people.” It is pronounced lay-OK-oh-on.
Amphion
Amphion was a king of Thebes and the son of Zeus.
Philemon
Philemon is a derivative of philema, ”kiss” or ”affectionate.” He is also known as a saint by several Christian churches.
Androcles
Man of glory.
Theron
”Hunter.”
Antinous
Antinous was the lover of the Roman emperor Hadrian and was deified on Hadrian’s orders. Antinous means “opposite in character” or ”against the mind.”
Hieron
”Shrine.” Hieros comes from ”ἱερόν.”
Apollo
It has its origins in the word apollumi (ruin). Apollo is one of the Olympian deities, one of the major deities that lived on Mount Olympus. Apollo was twice temporarily stripped of his immortal power by Zeus. He has a twin sister, Artemis. NASA was inspired for its lunar program after him.
Euclid
Euclid is rooted in Eukleídēs and is symbolizing ”glorious.” He was a mathematician who established the foundations of geometry and authored the Elements of Geometry.
Arion
Immortal or stronger.
Dionysios
Dionysios is of Greek origin and is interpreted as ”follower of Dionysus.” Dionysus is the god of wine-making and religious ecstasy. The feminine version is Dionysia.
Aristides
”Noble.” Aristides comes from the word ”aristos.”
Diogenes
“Born of Zeus.” Diogenes was an ancient philosopher and a co-founder of the school of thought Cynicism.
Hippocrates
”One who masters horses.” Hippocrates of Kos is considered one of the most prominent figures in the history of medicine. The Hippocratic Oath is an oath of ethics that is taken by physicians.
Theseus
“To place” or ”to set.”
Socrates
Saos (”sound” or ”whole”) and kratos (”power”). The Athenian philosopher wrote nothing himself.
Perseus
Perseus cut Andromeda loose from her rock and means ”to destroy.”
Orion
You can find the constellation on winter nights in the northern hemisphere by its three-star belt.
Atlas
Atlas (”bearer” or ”enduring”) is a Titan to hold up the sky.
Daedalus
”Cunning maker.”
Nestor
“Traveller” or ”homecoming.”
Ptolemy
Ptolemy is from the Greek word for war.
Alexander
Alexander is made from alexein (”to defend”) and andros (”man”).
Damon
”To subdue”. Damon Albarn is the main vocalist of the rock band Blur.
Pythagoras
Pythagoras has Pythios (a title of Apollo) and a word for speaking in the assembly.
Plato
Plato was initially a nickname from platys (”wide” or ”broad”).
Aristotle
“Best purpose,” and he reportedly tutored Alexander the Great.
Homer
Homer was the poet of the Iliad and Odyssey. It means ”pledge” or ”hostage.”
Callicrates
”Beautiful power.”
Momus
”Blame,” and a god of satire.
Cleomenes
”Glory and might.”
Daphnis
”Laurel.”
Cleisthenes
Glorious strength, and a founder of Athenian democracy.
Empedocles
”Steadfast glory,” and legend has him leaping into Mount Etna.
Kallistratos
”Beautiful army.”
Timon
”Esteem.” Timon was a hater of mankind in Athens.
Photios
Photios has a meaning that I love: ”light.”
Xenophon
Xenophon is a combination of xenos (that means ”foreign” or ”strange”) and phone (”voice”).
Hyacinthus
”Hyacinth,” the flower.
Crito
Judge.
Chrysanthos
”Golden flower.”
Kypselos
It comes from kypsele, ”chest.” His mother hid him in one as a baby.
Sophocles
Glory of wisdom, or famed for wisdom.
Phaedrus
”Bright.”
Linus
”Flax,” and an early bishop of Rome.
Pericles
“Surrounded by glory” and was a general during the Golden Age of Athens. He promoted the arts and literature.
Orpheus
“The darkness of the night.”
Prometheus
”Forethought,” and the Titan stole fire from the Olympian gods for humankind. Zeus chained him to a rock for it and an eagle ate his liver every day.
Agapios
”Love.”
Epicurus
”Ally,” and epicure, a lover of fine food, owes its name to him.
Lycurgus
From lykos, wolf, and ergon, work.
Boreas
North wind.
Terpander
”Delighting men”. Tradition credits Terpander with a seven-string lyre.
Hermes
Hermes (”a heap of stones”) was the messenger of the gods and patron of travelers and thieves.
Theocritus
Chosen by God, or judge of God.
Kratos
”Strength,” ”might,” ”power” or ”rule.”
Aether
Pure upper air.
Polygnotus
”Much known.”
Tychon
”Luck.”
Phoenix
”Crimson,” ”purple-red,” ”date palm” or ”Phoenician.”
Archimedes
“Master planner”: archi (”chief”) and the root word for thinking. It is pronounced ar-kih-MEE-deez.
Zeno
Zeno is a form of Zeus.
Eugenios
Well born.
Hylas
It has origins in hyle, ”forest.”
Antipater
Like the father.
Philander
Loving man, and English philander started from this one.
Nicias
Victory.
Herodotus
Gift of Hera, and Cicero called him father of history.
Isidore
Gift of Isis.
Andronikos
”Victory of a man.”
Thales
From thallo, ”to flourish.” He predicted a solar eclipse.
Pontus
”Sea.”
Melampus
”Black foot,” as well as a seer who understood animal speech.
Talos
”Sun,” in a Cretan word, and a bronze giant who guarded Crete.
Lamachus
Very warlike.
Epictetus
Epictetus (”acquired”) is a Stoic teacher who started life as a slave.
Cleon
Glory.
Thrasybulus
Bold counsel.
Megacles
Great glory.
Aegeus
Aegeus (”goat”) is a king of Athens, and the Aegean Sea has his name.
Isocrates
”Equal power.”
Elpenor
Man of hope.
Nikolaos
It combines nike, victory, and laos, people. Santa Claus started from this saint.
Cephalus
Head.
Laertes
Laertes (”gatherer of people”) is Ophelia’s brother in Hamlet.
Hesperos
”Evening.”
Kosmas
”Order,” ”world,” ”ornament” or ”decency.”
Zephyrus
”West wind,” and English zephyr for a soft breeze.
Lynceus
”Lynx,” for a man in myth whose sight went through rock and earth.
Melanthios
”Black flower.”
Demaratus
Prayed for by the people.
Akakios
”Innocent,” or ”not evil.”
Astyanax
Lord of the city.
Athanasios
Immortal.
Chrysostomos
”Golden mouth,” and a title for a famous preacher of Constantinople.
Stesichorus
”Setter of choirs.”
Eteocles
”True glory.”
Erasmus
From erasmios, ”beloved.” Europe’s student exchange program is based after a Dutch scholar called Erasmus.
Aristarchus
”Best ruler,” and he put the sun at the center long before Copernicus.
Athenagoras
From Athena and agora, ”assembly.”
Dexios
”Right-handed,” ”clever,” ”skillful” or ”lucky.”
Callippus
”Beautiful horse.”
Thespis
”Inspired,” and by tradition the first actor, so thespian is his word.
Draco
From drakon, ”serpent.” His harsh laws in Athens are why English has draconian.
Hesychios
”Quiet,” ”still,” ”calm” or ”at rest.”
Deimos
Dread.
Philo
”Loving”.
Stephanos
Crown, wreath, garland or prize.
Phocion
From phoke, ”seal,” the sea animal. Athens elected him general forty-five times.
Bellerophon
”Slayer of Belleros,” and he rode Pegasus.
Eurymedon
”Wide ruler.”
Lagus
Hare.
Diomedes
”Counsel of Zeus,” or ”cunning of Zeus.”
Menoetius
Doomed might.
Porphyrios
”Purple.”
Hypnos
”Sleep,” and hypnosis starts from this one.
Ictinus
”Kite,” as in bird, and an architect of the Parthenon.
Kleandros
Glory of man.
Democritus
”Judge of the people.” Democritus is remembered as a laughing philosopher.
Eudoxus
”Good fame”.
Tantalus
Sufferer, and tantalize comes from his punishment.
Epimetheus
”Hindsight.”
Pelops
Pelops (”dark face”) is a king of myth, and Peloponnese means island of Pelops.
Eumenes
”Kindly.”
Sosthenes
”Safe strength.”
Glaucus
”Bluish gray,” or ”gleaming.”
Charon
”Fierce brightness,” and ferryman of the dead in myth.
Menander
Strength of man.
Perdix
”Partridge,” and myth credits Perdix with inventing the saw.
Poseidon
”Husband of the earth,” or ”lord of the earth.”
Eudoros
”Good gift.”
Euthymios
Cheerful, or in good spirits.
Phobos
”Fear,” and a moon of Mars.
Euthyphro
Straight-minded.
Simonides
”Snub-nosed.”
Strato
”Army,” or ”host.”
Charmides
Joy.
Hyperbolus
”Excess,” and the last Athenian banished by ostracism.
Atreus
”Fearless.”
Bion
Life.
Pytheas
”Of Pytho.” Pytheas was an explorer who sailed to Britain and beyond.
Admetus
Untamed, or unconquered.
Philolaus
Loving the people.
Morpheus
From morphe, ”shape.” Morphine is after this god of dreams.
Kallinikos
Beautiful victory.
Polydeuces
Very sweet.
Harmodius
Fitting, or harmonious.
Theognis
God-born.
Theopompus
Sent by a god.
Ganymede
It combines ganymai, to be glad, and medomai, to think.
Myron
Myron (”myrrh”) is a sculptor of a bronze discus thrower.
Theophilus
Friend of God.
Leander
Leander (”lion man”) swam the Hellespont each night for his love.
Oedipus
Oedipus (”swollen foot”) is a king Freud used for his famous complex.
Eusebios
Pious.
Agenor
Very manly.
Peleus
”Muddy.”
Ploutos
”Wealth,” and plutocracy, rule by the rich, starts from this word.
Alcaeus
”Strength.”
Demosthenes
”Strength of the people.” Demosthenes trained his voice with pebbles in his mouth.
Aristodemos
Best of the people.
Agathon
Good.
Lycaon
”Wolf,” and a king of Arcadia punished with a wolf’s shape.
Athenodoros
”Gift of Athena.”
Xanthos
Yellow, or blond.
Theophanes
Appearance of God.
Hipparchus
”Horse ruler.” Hipparchus mapped hundreds of stars.
Musaeus
Of the Muses.
Endymion
From endyo, ”to dive in.” Keats wrote a long poem about him.
Phidias
From pheidomai, ”to spare.” His statue at Olympia was a wonder of the ancient world.
Gregorios
Watchful.
Hades
The unseen.
Aion
”Age,” ”life,” ”lifetime” or ”eternity.”
Callias
Beauty.
Hippodamus
”Horse tamer,” and a city planner famous for grid streets.
Aristophanes
”Best appearing.”
Chronos
Time.
Mentor
”Adviser,” and English mentor comes from him.
Comus
Comus (”revel”) is a title character in a masque by John Milton.
Andreas
Manly, or brave.
Pausanias
Ending sorrow, as well as a travel writer who described Greece region by region.
Protagoras
First in the assembly.
Erebus
Darkness.
Bias
Force, or might.
Cleitus
Famous.
Megistias
”Greatest.”
Galen
Calm. Galen was a doctor to Roman emperors.
Adrastus
”Inescapable.”
Ares
Ruin, or bane.
Polycarp
”Much fruit.”
Themistocles
”Glory of the law,” and an admiral who won at Salamis.
Aristomachus
Best in battle.
Aristaeus
”Best.” Aristaeus is a god who taught people beekeeping.
Euphranor
”Cheerful,” or ”gladdening.”
Asterion
”Starry,” and in myth, the Minotaur’s real moniker.
Thrasymachus
”Bold in battle.”
Meleager
Caring for hunting.
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