Greek Names, Ancient to PresentGreek Names and their meaning. There are hundreds of Greek names and name of Greek gods to consider,so I'm going to start with the Ancient Greek Goddess names to start, and gradually update. I hope you have patience! Greek Goddess Names Aphrodite
Artemis As a child, Greek goddess Artemis was asked by her father Zeus (as was his sister, Greek goddess Hestia) to remain an eternal virgin and therefore became one of the three Virgin Goddesses in Greek mythology. Artemis' twin brother was Apollo, the god of the Sun, whereas Artemis' cult was connected with the Moon. She had been born before Apollo and had helped her mother Leto to give birth to her little brother. Artemis is said to mean 'perfect' or the 'fairest'. Athena After competing against the Greek god Poseidon, Greek goddess Athena officially became the patron deity of the city of ancient Athens and the Parthenon was built in her honour. She was known as "Athena Nike" (Greek goddess Athena the victorious), as she was believed to have given the Athenians the victory during the Persian War. Her name means victorious. The name also means 'protector of the winds'. Demeter Demeter was a peace-loving deity and the source of all growth and life; she was the goddess who provided all nutrition on the earth and taught mortals how to cultivate the earth and ease life. Demeter was most appreciated for introducing wheat to mankind, making man different from animals. Her name means 'green', as does Chloe, another name for Demeter. Hera Many times she was also interfering, causing harm to Zeus' mistresses, since Zeus himself was invincible. Most of all, Hera was in conflict with the semi-god and hero Heracles, since he happened to be the son of her husband Zeus and a mortal woman. Hera (or the Greek Chera) actually means widow, and patron of marriage. Hestia All Olympian deities respected and loved the Greek goddess Hestia because of her kind, forgiving soul and her discrete character, since Greek goddess Hestia never participated in any disputes or wars. Hestia may not have had a public cult, but she was always worshipped in any temple, regardless of the god it was dedicated to. Hestia was one of the three virgin goddesses, next to Athena and Hera. Both Poseidon and Apollo had wished to marry her; however Hestia had given the oath to Zeus to never enter into a union with a male and to remain forever pure and undefiled. Her name means Oldest and 'pure'. Greek God Names Apollo Apollo Greek god of music, was born by the King of the Gods Zeus and the mortal Leto in the divine Greek island of Delos. He was the younger twin of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt. Greek god Apollo was the god of the Music. He invented the lute but most popular he was for his playing the lyre that was invented by Hermes, the messenger of the gods. Apollo Greek god of music, excelled in important music contests, competing against Greek god Hermes and the Satyr Pan as well as other deities. His name implies 'hunter' and 'leader of the Muses'. Ares Ares had his residence up on Mount Olympus and his throne was upholstered with human skin. Usually he was accompanied by Eris, the goddess of discord. Ares' secret mistress was Aphrodite, the goddess of Love and Beauty; their union resulted to the birth of Armonia (Harmony), which was seen as a blend of two opposing powers. Just like his mother Hera, Ares was a very difficult character to deal with and was therefore rather unpopular among the other deities and mankind. For this reason, no Greek city wanted to have him as its patron. He often had conflicts and fights with Artemis, the goddess of the Hunt and also with his sister Athena, especially during the Trojan War. His Greek name means, 'associated with war'. Dionysus This Greek god was the son of Zeus and Semele, princess of Thebes. Dionysus was known for his lightheartedness and always offered his help to anyone in need. He was therefore very popular among gods and mortals and many feasts were being held every year in his honor. Most common depiction of Dionysus: A handsome young man with impressive hair and a wreath of ivy on his head. In his hand he was holding a "thyrsos", which was a light staff wrapped with leaves of ivy and a pine cone on its top. His name means 'giver of charm'. Hades Hades, Lord of the Underworld, brother of Zeus and Poseidon,and their sister Hestia. Hades lived with his wife Persephone in the Underworld,and his name means 'keeper of souls'. Hephaestus Hephaestus was a very kind and lovable god, but was the only deity who was physically ugly and lame. When his mother Hera saw him for the first time, she was so frustrated that she took her son and threw him from Mount Olympus to the depths of the seas, causing a deformation to his leg. Hephaestus was finally rescued by two Nereids, Thetis and Eurynome, who raised him for nine years inside a cave, far away and hidden from his cruel mother. Hephaestus (called Vulcan by the Romans), had his working (smithy,)that lay beneath the crater of the volcano of Aetna (Etna) in Italy. There, he was working together closely with the one-eyed Cyclops to create strong thunderbolts for his master Zeus. Hephaestus was also famous for having created the first woman of the ancient world, Pandora. Hephaestus was referred to with the epithets as Polytechnes("of many arts/skills"). Hermes Ancient Greeks endowed their gods with human weaknesses. Hermes, had his weakness too. He felt an irresistible impulse of stealing ever since his infancy and quickly developed as the god of the cheaters and the thieves. Hermes was having wings on his sandals and therefore was the speediest of all Greek gods. Because of his speed, Hermes received the role of the messenger and conductor of souls to the Underworld. Hermes was the only Olympian god who was authorized to visit Heaven, Earth and also the Underworld. The Greek name Hermes means 'Guide (to underworld) and Guide for the athletes. He was also known as luck bringer! Poseidon Poseidon was considered to be the bad-tempered, moody and greedy god among the Olympians. He possessed two palaces, the one was up in Mount Olympus and the other was located in the depths of the seas and was bejewelled with gold and precious gems. Usually Poseidon preferred to stay with his wife Amphitrite beneath the ocean. Poseidon was the Greek god responsible for natural and supernatural events, mainly the ones associated to the sea world. He possessed a trident which was so powerful that it could shake the earth. Poseidon could cause tempests and earthquakes, drown lands, shatter rocks and had the ability to finally bring back peacefulness. His name means 'Guide of the horses' and 'patron of the open seas'. Zeus' official wife was his sister Hera, the goddess of marriage and monogamy. However, Zeus was giving Hera plenty of reasons to be jealous, since Zeus was renowned of his numerous love affairs. Zeus Greek god Zeus had his golden throne on the highest summit of Mount Olympus and was respected and awed by all Gods and mortals. He was the "Lord of Justice", punishing anyone who lied or broke an oath, but was fair and always striving to keep a balance of all things. Furthermore, Zeus was responsible for the weather and was shaping it according to his temper. When in high spirits, Zeus was blessing the world with fine weather; in case of bad mood, however, he would throw rain, winds, lightnings and thunderbolts to cause disaster to the mortals. His name is associated with lots of meanings, and was referred to with the epithets: Basileus("king, ruler"), Erkeios("defender of the house"), Genethlius("creator of life"), Georgus("farmer"), Nephelegeretes("lord of thunderstorms"), Orkeios("patron of the oath"), Philius("guard of friendship"), Polieus("defender pf the city"), Promachus("leader of the battle"), Uranius("heavenly"), Xenius("hospitable"), greek boy names names in greek
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