60 Rare & Ancient Greek Girl Names & Meanings

Greek has been spoken for over 3,400 years, and it is spoken by about 13 million people all around the world. I have hand-picked 60 rare and ancient Greek girl names with their meaning included.

List Of 60 Ancient Greek Girl Names:

Konstantina

The Greek girl name Konstantina comes from the Latin Constantinus and is meaning ”unwavering” or ”steadfast.” Constantine the Great was the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity

Iphigenia

“Iphigenia” means “she who causes the birth of strong offspring.” In Greek mythology Iphigenia was a daughter of Queen Clytemnestra and King Agamemnon.

Chloris

“Greenish-yellow.” It is pronounced as KLOR-iss.

Petra

Petra has its origins in the Greek word “πέτρα” (rock). Petra is a feminine form of Peter, the name Jesus of Nazareth gave to the apostle Simon bar Jonah.

Penelope

Penelope was the wife of Odysseus and is rooted in the word ”penelops” that means ”duck”.

Daphne

Daphne (“laurel tree”) was the nymph who became laurel to slip away from Apollo. She’s the daughter of the Thessalian river god Peneus.

Semele

Semele is a feminine name with Greek and Slavic roots that means “Mother Earth” or ”earth.” Semele was the youngest daughter of Harmonia and Cadmus. In Rome, the goddess Stimula (“she who stimulates”) was Semele.

Nereida

From the Greek word Nereis, Nereida is meaning ”sea nymph.”

Despina

”Mistress” or ”lady.”

Callisto

Callisto comes from the Greek word kalós (beautiful). She was a nymph and the daughter of King Lycaon.

Thalassa

Thalassa means “sea.”

Hermione

From the Greek messenger god Hermes, Hermione means ”well-born” or “messenger.” In the Harry Potter series Hermione Granger is portrayed by Emma Watson.

Corisande

“Chorus-singer” or “heart in bloom.”

Thalia

Thalia (”to flourish”) was the goddess who presided over idyllic poetry. Thalia was the daughter of Mnemosyne and Zeus.

Berenice

Berenice has origins in the Macedonian form of Pherenike (”bearer of victory”). It is pronounced as ber-uh-NEES. Star cluster Coma Berenices is the only constellation named after a real person from history.

Calliope

Calliope is the eldest of the 9 Muses; she was the one who mothered Orpheus. It is composed of kallos (that means ”beauty”) and ops (”voice”).

Hypatia

Hypatia has its origins in the Greek hypatos, meaning ”supreme.” Hypatia is a great choice for your daughter, especially if you want her to aim high in life. Hypatia was a philosopher who lived in Alexandria. Hypatia is also the first female mathematician.

Marika

Marika is a diminutive of Maria. In Christianity Mary is the mother of Jesus and the wife of Joseph.

Keroessa

“The horned.” In Greek mythology, Ceroessa was the daughter of Io and Zeus.

Evadne

Meaning ”good” or “holy one,” Evadne is the name of the daughter of Poseidon and Pitane in Greek legends.

Athena

Athena is the Goddess of war and wisdom and the daughter of Zeus. Athena is also linked with the city of Athens.

Demeter

Demeter is the Olympian goddess of agriculture and the harvest and the second child of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. It means “Earth Mother.”

Cassiopeia

Cassiopeia is a Northern Hemisphere constellation notable for being circumpolar. A way to spot Cassiopeia is to look for the “W” in the North. It means “cassia juice” from the Greek.

Basileia

Basileia is the feminine form of basileus and is meaning princess or queen.

Gaia

“The earth.” Gaia is the personification of Earth in Greek legends. Terra is the Roman equivalent of Gaia.

Theofania

“Manifestation of God.”

Urania

Urania comes from the word ouranos (”sky”). She is the Muse of astronomy and the daughter of Zeus by Mnemosyne.

Aglaia

Aglaia is symbolizing ”splendor” and ”glow” and she is one of the 3 Charites. In some tales she became the wife of Hephaestus.

Euphrosyne

Euphrosyne means ”joy” and ”good cheer.” She is another of the 3 Graces. Frosini or Efi are diminutives that I like.

Iphinoe

Iphinoe comes from the Greek word “iphine” that means ”powerful” or ”strong”. Iphinoe was the daughter of Abrota of Onchestus and King Nisos.

Phoebe

Phoebe is the feminine form of Phoebus. It became popular in the US with the release of the TV show Friends, where Phoebe Buffay was a main character.

Elektra

Elektra symbolizes ”amber.” In Greek mythology, she was the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra.

Eliana

“Of the sun” or ”sun.” Eliana has its origins in the Greek word ”helios.”

Theodora

Theodora means ”gift of God.” It connects its bearer to the immense compassion and the power of the Divine.

Iolanthe

”Violet flower.” A romantic Greek name linked to literature and beauty.

Jocasta

Jocasta means “shining moon.”

Evridiki

”Wide justice.”

Philippa

From the Greek Philippos, Philippa means ”horse.” Possible nicknames are Pip, Pippa, Pippulina, Pipka, Pippita, and Pippy.

Yianna

It is the Greek form of Joanna which means “God is merciful.”

Cassia

“Cinnamon.”

Zenobia

Zenobia (“life of Zeus”) feminine variant of Zenobios. In 2005 comedian Tina Fey named her daughter Alice Zenobia.

Aspasia

Aspasia means ”welcome” or ”embrace” and is rooted in the Greek aspasios.

Photini

Photini was the Samaritan woman Christ met at the well. It means “enlightened” or ”luminous one” and is Svetlana for Slavs.

Helena

Helena means “shining light.” Helen of Troy was married to King Menelaus of Sparta. She’s also the daughter of Zeus.

Andromeda

“Leader of humankind.” Andromeda is one of the 48 constellations that consists of 16 stars visible in the northern sky. It’s a cool outer space name for your little star.

Xanthe

Xanthe means ”golden” or ”fair-haired” and has origins in the Greek xanthos. You can visualize it on a grown woman as well as on a newborn. Xanthos was one of Achilles’s immortal horses.

Ariadne

Ariadne (“utterly pure”) is the Cretan princess who helped Theseus escape from the Minotaur.

Selene

Selene is the Greek for moon. In 1817 the element selenium was named after her.

Anthea

Anthea comes from anthos (that means ”flower” and is the title of the goddess Hera.

Clio

Clio is from kleos and is symbolizing ”glory” or ”fame.” Clio is a daughter of Zeus and the muse of history.

Erato

Erato is the Muse of lyric poetry and poets called on her before writing verses about romance. In 1860 an asteroid belt was named 62 Erato.

Melpomene

Melpomene comes from a verb meaning to sing. She is the Muse of tragedy in Greek mythology. The minor planet 18 Melpomene was named after her.

Melissa

Melissa is from the Greek word for a bee. In ancient timess the priestesses of Demeter were called Melissae aka the bees.

Xenia

Xenia is meaning ”hospitality” or ” “foreigner.” In Catalan there is Xènia and Kseniya in Bulgarian.

Danae

Danae was mother of the hero Perseus by Zeus and the only child of King Acrisius of Argos. The exact meaning is uncertain.

Antigone

Antigone means “worthy of one’s parents” and is made of ”anti” and ”gonos.” She is the daughter of Oedipus and the sister of Polynices.

Calypso

Calypso has roigins in kalyptein that means to hide or conceal. She was a nymph who kept Odysseus on her island for 7 years.

Alcyone

Alcyone (“kingfisher”) is the brightest star in the Pleiades cluster.

Panagiota

Panagiota is meaning “all-holy” and is linked to Panagia, a title of the Virgin Mary. It is pronounced as pah-nah-YO-tah.

Chariclea

Chariclea (“glory of grace”) is composed of charis(that means ”grace”) and kleos (”glory”). She is the heroine of the Aethiopica, a 3rd-century Greek novel that was written by Heliodorus of Emesa.