Aella f Greek MythologyMeans
"whirlwind" in Greek. In Greek myth this was the name of an Amazon warrior killed by
Herakles during his quest for Hippolyta's girdle.
Ailbhe f & m Irish, Irish MythologyFrom Old Irish
Ailbe, possibly derived from the Celtic root *
albiyo- "world, light, white" or Old Irish
ail "rock". In Irish legend this was the name of a female warrior of the Fianna. It was also the name of a 6th-century male saint, the founder of a monastery at Emly.
Anat 1 f Semitic MythologyPossibly derived from a Semitic root meaning
"water spring". Anat was a goddess of fertility, hunting and war worshipped by the Semitic peoples of the Levant. She was the sister and consort of the god
Hadad.
Aoife f Irish, Irish MythologyFrom Old Irish
Aífe, derived from
oíph meaning
"beauty" (modern Irish
aoibh). This was the name of several characters in Irish legend, including a woman at war with
Scáthach (her sister in some versions). She was defeated in single combat by the hero
Cúchulainn, who spared her life on the condition that she bear him a child (
Connla). Another legendary figure by this name appears in the
Children of Lir as the jealous third wife of
Lir.
... [more] Bellona f Roman MythologyDerived from Latin
bello meaning
"to fight". This was the name of the Roman goddess of war, a companion of
Mars.
Briseis f Greek MythologyPatronymic derived from
Βρισεύς (Briseus), a Greek name of unknown meaning. In Greek mythology Briseis (real name Hippodameia) was the daughter of Briseus. She was captured during the Trojan War by
Achilles. After
Agamemnon took her away from him, Achilles refused to fight in the war.
Clytemnestra f Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Κλυταιμνήστρα (Klytaimnestra) and
Κλυταιμήστρα (Klytaimestra), in which the first element is
κλυτός (klytos) meaning "famous, noble". The spelling
Klytaimnestra would suggest the second element is
μνηστήρ (mnester) meaning "courter, wooer", while
Klytaimestra would suggest a connection to
μήδομαι (medomai) meaning "to plan, to intend". There is debate over which spelling is earlier or more authentic, since the ancient texts seem to make puns based on both etymologies.
Klytaimestra appears in the works of the Greek tragedians such as Aeschylus, while
Klytaimnestra appears in Homer's poems (the earliest extant copy dating from the post-classical period).
... [more] Durga f & m Hinduism, Hindi, Nepali, TeluguMeans
"unattainable, unassailable" in Sanskrit. Durga is a Hindu warrior goddess, usually depicted with multiple arms and riding on the back of a lion or tiger. The Puranas relate that she came into being to combat the buffalo demon Mahishasura. She is sometimes considered a fierce aspect of
Parvati the wife of
Shiva. In Shaktism she is viewed as a principal aspect of the supreme goddess
Mahadevi.
Freya f Norse Mythology, English (Modern), GermanFrom Old Norse
Freyja meaning
"lady". This is the name of a goddess associated with love, beauty, war and death in Norse mythology. She claims half of the heroes who are slain in battle and brings them to her realm of Fólkvangr. Along with her brother
Freyr and father
Njord, she is one of the Vanir (as opposed to the Æsir). Some scholars connect her with the goddess
Frigg.
... [more] Helen f English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Greek Mythology (Anglicized)English form of the Greek
Ἑλένη (Helene), probably from Greek
ἑλένη (helene) meaning
"torch" or
"corposant", or possibly related to
σελήνη (selene) meaning
"moon". In Greek mythology Helen was the daughter of
Zeus and
Leda, whose kidnapping by
Paris was the cause of the Trojan War. The name was also borne by the 4th-century Saint Helena, mother of the Roman emperor
Constantine, who supposedly found the True Cross during a trip to Jerusalem.
... [more] Hera f Greek MythologyUncertain meaning, possibly from Greek
ἥρως (heros) meaning
"hero, warrior";
ὥρα (hora) meaning
"period of time"; or
αἱρέω (haireo) meaning
"to be chosen". In Greek mythology Hera was the queen of the gods, the sister and wife of
Zeus. She presided over marriage and childbirth.
Inanna f Sumerian MythologyPossibly derived from Sumerian
nin-an-a(k) meaning
"lady of the heavens", from
𒎏 (nin) meaning "lady" and the genitive form of
𒀭 (an) meaning "heaven, sky". Inanna was the Sumerian goddess of love, fertility and war. She descended into the underworld where the ruler of that place, her sister
Ereshkigal, had her killed. The god
Enki interceded, and Inanna was allowed to leave the underworld as long as her husband
Dumuzi took her place.
... [more] Iphigeneia f Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
ἴφιος (iphios) meaning "strong, stout" and
γενής (genes) meaning "born". In Greek myth Iphigenia was the daughter of King
Agamemnon. When her father offended
Artemis it was divined that the only way to appease the goddess was to sacrifice Iphigenia. Just as Agamemnon was about to sacrifice his daughter she was magically transported to the city of Taurus.
... [more] Ishtar f Semitic MythologyFrom the Semitic root
ʿṯtr, which possibly relates to the Evening Star. Ishtar was an Akkadian, Assyrian and Babylonian goddess who presided over love, war and fertility. She was cognate with the Canaanite and Phoenician
Ashtoreth, and she was also identified with the Sumerian goddess
Inanna. Her name in Akkadian cuneiform
𒀭𒈹 was the same as the Sumerian cuneiform for Inanna.
Maeve f Irish, English, Irish MythologyAnglicized form of the Irish name
Medb meaning
"intoxicating". In Irish legend this was the name of a warrior queen of Connacht. She and her husband
Ailill fought against the Ulster king
Conchobar and the hero
Cúchulainn, as told in the Irish epic
The Cattle Raid of Cooley.
Minerva f Roman Mythology, English, SpanishPossibly derived from Latin
mens meaning
"intellect", but more likely of Etruscan origin. Minerva was the Roman goddess of wisdom and war, approximately equivalent to the Greek goddess
Athena. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since after the Renaissance.
Morrígan f Irish MythologyMeans either
"demon queen" or
"great queen", derived from Old Irish
mor "demon, evil spirit" or
mór "great, big" combined with
rígain "queen". In Irish mythology Morrígan (called also The Morrígan) was a goddess of war and death who often took the form of a crow.
Mulan f Chinese MythologyFrom Chinese
木兰 (mùlán) meaning
"magnolia". This is the name of a legendary female warrior who disguises herself as a man to take her ailing father's place when he is conscripted into the army.
Neith f Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)Greek form of Egyptian
nt, possibly from
nt "water" or
nrw "fear, dread". This was the name of an early Egyptian goddess of weaving, hunting and war. Her character may have some correspondences with the goddesses
Tanith,
Anat or
Athena.
Scáthach f Irish MythologyMeans
"shadowy" in Irish. In Irish legend this was the name of a warrior woman. She instructed
Cúchulainn in the arts of war, and he in turn helped her defeat her rival
Aoife.
Sekhmet f Egyptian MythologyFrom Egyptian
sḫmt, derived from
sḫm meaning
"powerful" and a feminine
t suffix. Sekhmet was an Egyptian warrior goddess, also associated with healing, violence and plague. She was commonly depicted with the head of a lioness, and was sometimes conflated with the cat-headed goddess
Bastet.
Tahmina f Persian Mythology, Tajik, BengaliDerived from Persian
تهم (tahm) meaning
"brave, valiant". This is the name of a character in the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh. She is a daughter of the king of Samangan who marries the warrior hero
Rostam and eventually bears him a son, whom they name
Sohrab.
Tara 2 f Hinduism, Buddhism, Hindi, NepaliMeans
"star" in Sanskrit. Tara is the name of a Hindu astral goddess, the wife of Brhaspati. She was abducted by
Chandra, the god of the moon, leading to a great war that was only ended when
Brahma intervened and released her. This name also appears in the epic the
Ramayana belonging to the wife of Vali and, after his death, his younger brother Sugriva. In Buddhist belief this is the name of a bodhisattva associated with salvation and protection.