Mythology Boy Names
Mythology boy names come with something no ordinary name can offer: a story thousands of years old. Choose Atlas and your son carries the Titan who held up the sky; choose Finn and he’s named for Ireland’s great warrior-poet. Names like Apollo, Orion and Leo have moved from ancient epics into US birth records, while others — Balder, Lugh, Indra — are still waiting to be discovered.
Below are more than 100 boy names from Greek, Roman, Norse, Celtic, Egyptian, Hindu and other world mythologies, each with who he was and what the name means. For goddess names, see mythology girl names; for deeper dives, try our pages on Greek god names, Norse god names and Egyptian god names.
Greek mythology boy names
The richest source of mythic names, from Olympian gods to wandering heroes. Some are now mainstream, like Atlas and Jason; others, like Leander and Evander, are still rare finds.
| Name | Who he is in myth | Name meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Apollo | God of music, light, healing and prophecy | Possibly “destroyer” or linked to “assembly” |
| Atlas | Titan condemned to hold up the sky | To endure, to bear |
| Orion | Giant huntsman placed among the stars | Uncertain; possibly “boundary” |
| Achilles | Greatest Greek warrior at Troy | Possibly “grief of the people” |
| Hector | Trojan prince and defender of the city | Holding fast |
| Jason | Leader of the Argonauts, seeker of the Golden Fleece | Healer |
| Perseus | Hero who beheaded Medusa | Possibly “destroyer” |
| Theseus | Slayer of the Minotaur, king of Athens | To set, establish |
| Hermes | Messenger of the gods | Possibly “cairn, stone heap” |
| Ares | God of war | Ruin, bane |
| Castor | One of the twin Dioscuri, a horseman | Beaver |
| Leander | Swam the Hellespont nightly to reach Hero | Lion man |
| Evander | Arcadian hero who founded a city on the Palatine | Good man |
| Adonis | Youth loved by Aphrodite | Lord (from Semitic adon) |
| Icarus | Flew too close to the sun on wax wings | Uncertain |
| Helios | Titan god of the sun | Sun |
| Eros | God of love | Desire, love |
| Zeus | King of the Olympian gods | Sky, bright |
| Kronos | Titan leader, father of Zeus | Uncertain; often linked to “time” |
| Dion | From Dionysus, god of wine | Of Zeus |
| Hyperion | Titan of heavenly light | He who goes above |
| Pollux | Twin of Castor, a champion boxer | Latin form of Polydeuces, “much sweet wine” |
| Orpheus | Legendary musician who descended to the underworld | Uncertain; possibly “darkness” |
Roman mythology boy names
Roman gods often mirror the Greek ones but carry Latin names that sound especially elegant today. See also Roman boy names.
| Name | Who he is in myth | Name meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Mars | God of war, father of Romulus | Possibly linked to Etruscan Maris |
| Janus | Two-faced god of doorways and beginnings | Archway, doorway |
| Neptune | God of the sea | Possibly “moist” |
| Mercury | Messenger and god of commerce | Linked to merx, “merchandise” |
| Aeneas | Trojan hero, ancestor of the Romans | Praiseworthy |
| Romulus | Legendary founder of Rome | Of Rome |
| Remus | Twin brother of Romulus | Uncertain |
| Vulcan | God of fire and the forge | Uncertain; linked to fire |
| Faunus | Horned god of forests and fields | Kindly, favorable |
| Cupid | God of desire | Desire |
| Saturn | God of agriculture and time | Possibly “sower” |
| Sol | God of the sun | Sun |
Norse mythology boy names
Viking-age gods and heroes give strong, short names that fit modern style. Explore more on our Viking boy names page.
| Name | Who he is in myth | Name meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Odin | All-father, god of wisdom, war and poetry | Fury, inspiration |
| Thor | God of thunder, wielder of Mjölnir | Thunder |
| Loki | Shape-shifting trickster | Uncertain |
| Balder | Beloved god of light, slain by mistletoe | Lord, prince |
| Tyr | One-handed god of war and justice | God |
| Frey | God of fertility, peace and sunshine | Lord |
| Heimdall | Watchman of the Bifröst bridge | Possibly “world-brightener” |
| Bragi | God of poetry | Poet, chief |
| Vidar | Silent god of vengeance | Wide ruler |
| Ull | God of skiing, archery and winter | Glory |
| Magni | Son of Thor, famed for strength | Mighty |
| Modi | Son of Thor | Brave, angry |
| Sigurd | Dragon-slaying hero of the Völsunga saga | Victory guardian |
| Njord | God of the sea and wind | Possibly “strong” |
| Mimir | Wise being whose head advised Odin | Memory, the rememberer |
| Ragnar | Legendary Viking king | Warrior of the gods’ counsel |
Celtic mythology boy names
Irish, Welsh and Scottish legends are full of heroes and gods with lyrical names. More on our Celtic boy names page.
| Name | Who he is in myth | Meaning / pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Finn | Fionn mac Cumhaill, leader of the Fianna | Fair, white |
| Lugh | Many-skilled god of light and craft (LOO) | Possibly “oath” or “light” |
| Oisín | Poet-son of Finn who went to Tír na nÓg (uh-SHEEN) | Little deer |
| Cian | Father of Lugh (KEE-an) | Ancient, enduring |
| Dagda | Father-god of the Tuatha Dé Danann | The good god |
| Bran | Voyager to the Otherworld; Welsh giant-king | Raven |
| Cormac | Legendary High King of Ireland | Charioteer |
| Cúchulainn | Ulster’s greatest hero (koo-HUL-in) | Hound of Culann |
| Diarmuid | Fianna warrior, lover of Gráinne (DEER-mid) | Without envy |
| Angus | Aengus, god of love and youth | One strength |
| Pwyll | Prince of Dyfed in the <em>Mabinogion</em> (POO-ill) | Wisdom, prudence |
| Gwydion | Magician-hero of Welsh legend | Possibly “born of trees” |
| Arthur | Legendary king of Britain | Possibly “bear” |
| Merlin | Wizard and adviser to Arthur | Sea fortress |
| Tristan | Knight and tragic lover of Isolde | Possibly from Pictish Drust, “tumult” |
Egyptian mythology boy names
Ancient Egypt’s gods and legends offer bold, rare names. See Egyptian boy names for modern choices.
| Name | Who he is in myth | Name meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Osiris | God of the afterlife and rebirth | Possibly “mighty one” |
| Horus | Falcon-headed sky god | The distant one |
| Ra | The sun god | Sun |
| Amun | Hidden creator god | The hidden one |
| Anubis | Jackal-headed guide of the dead | Possibly “royal child” |
| Thoth | Ibis-headed god of writing and wisdom | Uncertain |
| Ptah | Creator god of craftsmen | Opener, sculptor |
| Aten | The sun disk, worshiped under Akhenaten | Disk |
| Shu | God of air | Emptiness, dryness |
| Seth | God of storms and deserts (Egyptian Set) | Uncertain |
Hindu mythology boy names
Hindu epics and scriptures are a living tradition, and many of these names are widely given in India today. For more, see Indian boy names.
| Name | Who he is in myth | Name meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Krishna | Avatar of Vishnu, hero of the Bhagavad Gita | Dark, black |
| Arjun | Archer-hero of the Mahabharata | Bright, white, shining |
| Rama | Avatar of Vishnu, hero of the Ramayana | Pleasing, charming |
| Indra | King of the gods, lord of thunder | Mighty |
| Surya | The sun god | Sun |
| Shiva | Destroyer and transformer of the Trimurti | Auspicious |
| Ganesh | Elephant-headed remover of obstacles | Lord of the hosts |
| Hanuman | Monkey god of devotion and strength | Having a jaw |
| Agni | God of fire | Fire |
| Kartik | God of war (Kartikeya) | From the month of Kartika |
| Arun | Charioteer of the sun | Dawn, reddish |
| Varun | God of water and cosmic order | Encompassing |
Mythology boy names from other cultures
From Mesopotamia to Polynesia, these legendary names are rarer in the US and full of character.
| Name | Who he is in myth | Culture |
|---|---|---|
| Gilgamesh | Hero-king of the world’s oldest surviving epic | Mesopotamian |
| Enki | God of water, wisdom and craft | Sumerian |
| Maui | Demigod who slowed the sun and fished up islands | Polynesian |
| Kane | Creator god; the name also means “man” | Hawaiian |
| Susanoo | Storm god who slew the eight-headed serpent | Japanese |
| Raiden | God of thunder and lightning (Raijin) | Japanese |
| Perun | God of thunder | Slavic |
| Quetzal | From Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent | Aztec |
| Väinö | From Väinämöinen, sage-hero of the <em>Kalevala</em> | Finnish |
| Anansi | Clever spider trickster | Akan (West Africa) |
| Tane | Tāne, god of forests and birds | Māori |
| Veles | God of the underworld, cattle and magic | Slavic |
| Marduk | Patron god of Babylon | Babylonian |
How to choose a mythology name for your son
- Read the whole myth. Some heroes have dark chapters. Icarus fell, Achilles was vain, Loki caused Ragnarök. Make sure you love the full story.
- Pick the right weight. Zeus and Thor are heavy names; Castor, Evander or Finn wear more lightly on a small child.
- Respect living traditions. Hindu gods are worshiped today. Names like Arjun and Krishna are widely used in India and deserve the same respect as any religious name.
- Use a myth name as a middle. If Odin feels bold for a first name, it’s a striking middle name: Henry Odin, Samuel Atlas.
- Coordinate siblings. For a matching sister name, browse Greek goddess names or the wider goddess names list.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular mythology name for a boy?
In recent SSA data, Atlas, Apollo, Orion and Jason are among the most widely used myth-inspired boy names in the US.
What Greek god name is good for a boy?
Apollo, Hermes and Helios are gods; Atlas and Kronos are Titans. Hero names such as Jason, Perseus, Theseus, Evander and Leander are also great choices.
Which Norse god names work as baby names?
Odin, Thor, Loki and Balder are the best known. Frey, Tyr, Ull, Magni and Bragi are shorter and less common.
Are there Celtic mythology names for boys?
Yes — Finn, Lugh, Cian, Oisín, Angus, Bran and Cormac come from Irish legend, while Pwyll and Gwydion come from the Welsh Mabinogion.
Is it disrespectful to name a child after a god?
In most cultures it’s a long tradition. For names from living religions, such as Hindu deities, learn the meaning and use it with respect — many families in India give these names today.