Greek Girl Names

By the Names.Contact Editorial Team · Updated September 2026 · 110 names

Greek girl names have an unusual gift: they sound both ancient and completely current. Chloe, Zoe, Phoebe, Penelope, Sophia and Thea all come from Greek, and myth supplies a whole pantheon of goddesses and muses. In Greece itself, girls are usually named after a grandmother, so saints’ names like Maria, Eleni and Katerina still dominate.

Below are more than 110 Greek girl names with meanings, grouped by style, with pronunciation for the modern Greek forms. Pair this list with our Greek boy names, learn about naming customs on the Greek names hub, or head straight to the goddesses in Greek goddess names.

Our top picks: Thea, Calliope, Eleni, Zoe, Daphne, Penelope, Irini, Athena, Ione, Phoebe, Xanthe, Katerina

Popular girl names in Greece

The names you’ll hear most in Greece today, mostly honoring saints and grandmothers.

Name	Pronunciation	Meaning
Maria	ma-REE-a	Greek form of Mary
Eleni	e-LEH-nee	Possibly “torch, light”
Aikaterini	e-ka-te-REE-nee	Possibly “pure”
Vasiliki	va-see-lee-KEE	“Royal, queenly”
Sofia	so-FEE-a	“Wisdom”
Angeliki	an-ye-lee-KEE	“Angelic, messenger”
Georgia	yor-YEE-a	Feminine of George, “farmer”
Dimitra	dee-MEE-tra	“Devoted to Demeter”
Konstantina	kon-stan-DEE-na	“Steadfast”
Anastasia	a-na-sta-SEE-a	“Resurrection”
Irini	ee-REE-nee	“Peace”
Paraskevi	pa-ra-ske-VEE	“Friday, preparation day”
Christina	hree-STEE-na	“Follower of Christ”
Evangelia	e-van-ye-LEE-a	“Good news”
Panagiota	pa-na-YO-ta	“All-holy,” honoring the Virgin Mary
Despina	THE-spee-na	“Lady, mistress”
Theodora	the-o-THO-ra	“Gift of God”
Stavroula	sta-VROO-la	“Cross”
Athanasia	a-tha-na-SEE-a	“Immortal”
Kyriaki	kee-ree-a-KEE	“Of the Lord; Sunday”

Greek girl names popular in English

These names wear their Greek roots lightly and rank among the best-loved girl names in the US. Many also appear on our list of pretty girl names.

Name	Meaning	Note
Chloe	“Young green shoot”	Epithet of Demeter
Zoe	“Life”	Short and bright
Phoebe	“Bright, radiant”	A Titaness and a New Testament name
Thea	“Goddess”	Also short for Theodora
Penelope	Possibly “weaver”	Nicknames Penny, Nell
Sophia	“Wisdom”	Long a US top ten name
Alexandra	“Defender of the people”	Nicknames Alex, Lexi, Sasha
Melissa	“Honeybee”	A nymph who nursed Zeus
Margaret	“Pearl”	From Greek margarites
Catherine	Possibly “pure”	Many royal bearers
Helen	Possibly “torch”	Helen of Troy
Dorothy	“Gift of God”	Vintage American classic
Agatha	“Good”	Novelist Agatha Christie
Cassandra	Possibly “shining upon men”	Prophetess of Troy
Monica	Possibly “alone, only”	Saint Monica
Veronica	Partly Greek, “bringer of victory”	Saint Veronica
Stephanie	“Crown, wreath”	Feminine of Stephen
Lydia	“From Lydia,” a region	New Testament name
Barbara	“Foreign”	Saint Barbara
Angela	“Messenger, angel”	Reached English via Latin
Eugenia	“Well-born”	Empress Eugénie of France
Xenia	“Hospitality”	Also popular in Russia
Nicole	“Victory of the people”	Feminine of Nicholas

Greek goddess names for girls

Names from the Olympian goddesses and Titans. For a complete list see Greek goddess names.

Name	Goddess of	Vibe
Athena	Wisdom and strategy	Smart, strong
Artemis	The hunt and the moon	Independent, outdoorsy
Aphrodite	Love and beauty	Glamorous
Hera	Marriage, queen of the gods	Regal
Demeter	Harvest and grain	Earthy
Persephone	Spring and the underworld	Dreamy
Selene	The moon	Luminous
Eos	The dawn	Short and airy
Nike	Victory	Sporty
Hestia	Hearth and home	Warm
Gaia	The earth	Nature-loving
Rhea	Mother of the gods	Strong, simple
Nyx	The night	Dark, mysterious
Hebe	Youth	Sweet and rare
Themis	Justice and order	Principled
Iris	The rainbow	Colorful
Tyche	Fortune and luck	Lucky

Muses, nymphs and heroines of Greek myth

Beyond the goddesses, myth is full of lovely names for muses, nymphs and mortal women. More ideas in mythology girl names and mermaid names.

Name	Who she was	Meaning
Calliope	Muse of epic poetry	“Beautiful voice”
Clio	Muse of history	“To make famous”
Thalia	Muse of comedy	“Blooming”
Urania	Muse of astronomy	“Heavenly”
Daphne	Nymph turned into a laurel tree	“Laurel”
Ariadne	Princess who helped Theseus escape the labyrinth	“Most holy”
Andromeda	Princess rescued by Perseus	“Ruler of men”
Electra	Daughter of Agamemnon	“Amber, shining”
Echo	Mountain nymph	“Sound”
Callisto	Nymph turned into the Great Bear	“Most beautiful”
Maia	Eldest of the Pleiades	“Mother, nurse”
Ione	A sea nymph	“Violet flower”
Galatea	Sea nymph; the statue brought to life	“Milk-white”
Io	Priestess loved by Zeus	Uncertain
Antigone	Heroine of Sophocles’ tragedy	Possibly “against birth”
Halcyon	Alcyone, turned into a kingfisher	“Kingfisher”; calm days
Psyche	Mortal who married Eros	“Soul”
Pandora	First woman in Hesiod’s myth	“All-gifted”
Leda	Queen of Sparta, mother of Helen	Uncertain

Greek girl names from nature

Flowers, gems and natural elements in their Greek forms — perfect if you love nature names for girls.

Name	Meaning	Note
Anthea	“Flowery”	An epithet of Hera
Xanthe	“Golden, yellow”	Crisp and unusual
Rhoda	“Rose”	New Testament name
Iolanthe	“Violet flower”	Title of a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta
Ianthe	“Violet flower”	Poetic and rare
Chrysanthe	“Golden flower”	Chrysanthemum
Amaryllis	“To sparkle”	Also a flower
Melina	“Honey”	Actress Melina Mercouri
Petra	“Rock”	Strong and short
Kora	“Maiden”	A name of Persephone
Delphine	“Dolphin” or “from Delphi”	French-flavored Greek name
Asteria	“Starry”	Titaness of falling stars

Unique Greek girl names

Rare, beautiful and still easy to wear — for parents who want a Greek name nobody else in the class will have. See also unique girl names.

Name	Pronunciation	Meaning
Eirene	eye-REE-nee	Ancient form of Irene, “peace”
Zenobia	zeh-NOH-bee-a	Possibly “life of Zeus”
Theodosia	thee-oh-DOH-see-a	“Given by God”
Philippa	FIL-ip-a	“Lover of horses”
Kalista	ka-LEES-ta	“Most beautiful”
Evadne	ee-VAD-nee	“Good fortune”
Alethea	a-LEE-thee-a	“Truth”
Eudora	yoo-DOR-a	“Good gift”
Phaedra	FAY-dra	“Bright”
Lysandra	lie-SAN-dra	“Liberator”
Anatolia	a-na-TOH-lee-a	“Sunrise, east”
Ourania	oo-RA-nee-a	Modern Greek form of Urania, “heavenly”
Photini	foh-TEE-nee	“Luminous”
Nefeli	ne-FEH-lee	“Cloud”
Danae	da-NA-ee	Mother of Perseus in myth
Myrto	MEER-toh	“Myrtle”
Chara	HA-ra	“Joy”
Eleftheria	e-lef-THE-ree-a	“Freedom”
Harmonia	har-MOH-nee-a	“Harmony”

Tips for choosing a Greek girl name

Choose your spelling. Kalliope or Calliope? Eirene or Irene? The K and ei spellings feel more Greek; the C and i spellings are easier in English.
Use a nickname bridge. Long names come with friendly short forms: Theodora becomes Thea or Dora, Alexandra becomes Lexi, Kalliope becomes Popi.
Read the myth first. A few mythological women had tragic stories (Medea, Cassandra). That doesn’t rule them out, but it’s worth knowing before you choose.
Celebrate the name day. Many Greek girls’ names — Eleni (May 21), Aikaterini (November 25), Irini (May 5) — come with a yearly name day, a lovely tradition to borrow.
Pair with a simple middle name. Persephone Jane or Calliope Rose balances a grand name. See middle names for girls.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most common girl name in Greece?

Maria is the most common female name in Greece, followed by Eleni, Aikaterini, Vasiliki and Sofia.

What Greek girl names mean light?

Phoebe (“bright”), Phaedra (“bright”), Eleni/Helen (possibly “torch”), Selene (the moon) and Photini (“luminous”) all carry light-related meanings. See also names that mean light.

Is Thea a Greek name?

Yes. Thea means “goddess” in Greek and was the name of a Titaness. It is also a short form of Theodora and Dorothea.

What are pretty Greek goddess names for girls?

Athena, Artemis, Selene, Persephone, Iris, Hebe and Rhea are the most popular goddess names used for baby girls.

What Greek girl names are rare in the US?

Xanthe, Ianthe, Evadne, Alethea, Galatea, Eudora and Zenobia are all beautiful and seldom heard.