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Why Greek names?

Because they are embedded with layers of information and meaning. Take Lysistrata (Λυσιστράτη), the heroine of Aristophanes (Ἀριστοφάνης), who persuades her peers to deny their husbands all intimate relations for as long as the men persist in fighting a bloody civil war. Lysistrata was a post-modern heroine long before the term existed.

Now consider her name: it is derived from the verb λύω, meaning “to dissolve” or “to disband,” and στρατός, meaning “army.” Her very name encapsulates the plot—and the genius—of Aristophanes’ play.

Our approach

Greek names are presented in three forms: Hellenic polytonic script, English transliteration, and—where applicable—their established English spelling (for example, Heracles becomes Hercules). For each name, an interpretative meaning is first suggested, followed by its underlying etymology.

All proposed interpretations are, to borrow a French distinction, littéraires rather than littérales. Consider the name Ἄλκιππος (Alkippos). Its etymology is relatively straightforward: it derives from ἀλκή (alkē, “strength”) and ἵππος (hippos, “horse”). Any interpretation beyond that, however, is necessarily subjective. It could be rendered as “strong as a horse,” “stalwart horseman,” or perhaps “brave cavalry warrior.”

Accordingly, please do not take any interpretation too literally. Instead, consider the name’s etymological roots and allow your own imagination and creativity to engage. And should I occasionally lapse into questionable Portokalisms, your critical feedback will be most welcome.

This site aims, in time, to grow into a comprehensive, accurate, and authoritative reference on the meaning and etymology of Greek names—without ever taking itself too seriously.

The evolution of Greek names from ancient to modern times

A paradigm shift occurred when the Roman Emperor Theodosius (Θεοδόσιος) declared Christianity the official religion of the Greco-Roman world. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, then helpfully encouraged parents to baptize their children exclusively after saints and martyrs, while quietly suggesting that the names of their pagan ancestors had had a perfectly adequate run. The pool of acceptable names consequently became rather small.

A few Greek names—Alexander and Helen, for instance—survived on account of obliging saints bearing the same names. Most, however, disappeared from the Greek-speaking world altogether, though they managed to live long and productive lives elsewhere. Extinction, it turns out, was largely a local affair.

In more recent times, the Greek Orthodox Church has reconsidered the matter and now permits the baptism of children with non-religious names. As a result, names such as Telemachos and Nephele (incidentally, the names of my own children) have begun to reappear in Greek schoolyards—proof that reports of their demise were, perhaps, somewhat premature.

As of today, this site catalogues 3,415 names with a Hellenic etymology.

Although Etymologica focuses primarily on names of Greek linguistic pedigree, it has not ignored the considerable stock of biblical and Latin names that were gradually “Hellenised” over the centuries. This includes dependable staples such as Μαρία (Maria) and Γιάννης (Yiannis), alongside more engaging curiosities like Βύρων (Byron).

As of today, the site records 654 such Hellenized names.

On the most popular Greek names

Somewhat regrettably, data on name usage in antiquity is rather richer than what is available today. On the basis of the limited evidence at hand, we can nevertheless venture the following rough estimates:

• Greek Etymology accounts for 75% of names, with examples such as George (approximately 10% of Greek men) and Helen (around 6% of Greek women).
• Biblical Origin (Hebrew, Aramaic, etc.) accounts for roughly 18% of names, as illustrated by Maria (approximately 10% of Greek women) and John (around 7% of Greek men).
• “Western” origin (Latin, Gallic, Germanic, etc.) accounts for the remaining 7% of names, with names such as Constantine (approximately 8% of Greek men) and Marina.

It is quiete fascinating that Δημήτριος (Demetrios) appears to have been the second most frequently used male name in both anantiquity (approximately 4.4% of men) and modern times (around 7.4%). Variations of Δήμητρα (Demeter), Εἰρήνη (Irene), Ἀθηνᾶ (Athena), and Θεοδώρα (Theodora) likewise rank among the thirty most popular names borne by Greeks in both periods.

A note on polytonic script

The old-school polytonic (multi-accented) script,  complete with complex rules for accents and breathing marks, carries rich layers of linguistic and etymological information that are completely absent in the simplified monotonic script. As this site delves in etymology, it will obviously render all Greek names in their original polytonic form.

After centuries of use, an ill-advised Greek government abolished the polytonic script in a post-midnight parliamentary session in 1982 attended by only a handful of drowsy, bedandruffed, turtleneck-clad MPs. This act sadly uprooted  eons of linguistic heritage. Today’s younger generations can no longer observe the punctuation of Odysseas Elytis (1979 Nobel laureate in Literature).

Notes, sources and inspirations

• This site began life as etymologica.com, but was, regrettably, hijacked in 2011 by unscrupulous cyber-raiders who demanded a few thousand euros in ransom for the release of the domain. I naturally suggested that they administer it somewhere the sun does not reach, and the project entered an extended period of dormancy. After a three-year hiatus, I eventually revived the site under its current incarnation, etymologica.org. Etymologica remains—in all honesty—in a state of prolonged infancy and, as of today, features approximately 3,200 names.
• The most authoritative online resource for the etymology of names is Behind the Name. It is difficult not to draw inspiration from Mike C.’s magnum opus. The site’s Name Facts forum is the proper place to pose any etymological question; a remarkably knowledgeable community of volunteers from around the world will usually provide an answer with impressive speed—even for the most obscure of names.
• The most comprehensive compilation of Greek names is the The Lexicon of Greek Names, an Oxford University project, from which this site draws extensively.
• Greek–English Lexicon, Liddell and Scott, 9th edition (ISBN 0-19-864226-1). An online version of this venerable work is available via Perseus—an etymologist’s dream, sensibly digitized.
• Τὸ Ὄνομά Σου (“Your Name”), a small booklet published in 1951 by an otherwise unknown schoolteacher, Konstantinos Mantzouranis. I was fortunate enough to unearth this modest gem at a flea market in Athens. To my knowledge, it is the only book devoted exclusively to the meaning and origin of Greek names.
• Λεξικὸ Κυρίων Ὀνομάτων, Ἀνέστης Κωνσταντινίδης. This excellent compendium of Greek names was first published in 1900, and mercifully republished in 1999 (ISBN: 960-7437-37-3), and Θησαυρὸς Ἑλληνικῶν Όνομάτων, Ἂρης Διαμάντης (ISBN: 96-7931-65-3). Both books contain rich and detailed biographical information on Greek names.
• I am grateful to those who have offered practical advice and suggested corrections, including: Mike C., Kyriakos T., তন্ময় ভট, Γιάννης Χ. and many other generous friends.

Dedicated to my beautiful wife Κυριακή and my children Νεφέλη-Δήμητρα and Κωνσταντῖνος-Τηλέμαχος who give these names life..

© Paul Panayotacos