indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Gender Masculine
Usage Greek Mythology
Scripts Κηφισός(Ancient Greek)
Other Forms FormsΚήφισσος (Kephissos), Καφισός (Kaphisos; Doric Greek)
Meaning & History
This is the name of an ancient Greek river god, who takes his name from the two Greek rivers that he is associated with, namely the Kephisos in Attica and the Kephisos in Boeotia. The meaning and origin of the rivers' name is unknown, but a few theories have been put forward by scholars.One source says that the name might possibly be etymologically related to the Greek given name Kepheus (see Cepheus). Another source theorizes that the rivers might possibly derive their name from Egyptian kbh(w) meaning "fresh", which is etymologically related to Egyptian kbb meaning "cool" and Egyptian kbh meaning "to purify". And lastly, there is a 19th-century source that states that the rivers' name is a hellenization of an Egyptian compound name that means "rock of Isis".