Browse Names

Cadmus Κάδμος m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Κάδμος (Kadmos), of uncertain meaning. In Greek mythology Cadmus was the son of the Phoenician king Agenor. He was sent by his father to rescue his sister Europa, who had been abducted by Zeus, although he did not succeed in retrieving her. According to legend, Cadmus founded the city of Thebes and introduced the alphabet to Greece.

Calliope Καλλιόπη f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Kalliope.

Callirrhoe Καλλιρρόη f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From the Greek name Καλλιρρόη (Kallirrhoe), derived from the word καλλίρρους (kallirrhous) meaning "beautiful flowing". This was the name of several characters in Greek mythology, including a daughter of Achelous. A small moon of Jupiter is named after her.

Callisto 2 Καλλιστώ f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Kallisto. A moon of Jupiter bears this name.

Calypso Καλυψώ f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From Greek Καλυψώ (Kalypso), which probably meant "she that conceals", derived from καλύπτω (kalypto) meaning "to cover, to conceal". In Greek myth this was the name of the nymph who fell in love with Odysseus after he was shipwrecked on her island of Ogygia. When he refused to stay with her she detained him for seven years until Zeus ordered her to release him.

Carme 2 Κάρμη f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Κάρμη (Karme), which was derived from κείρω (keiro) meaning "to shear". This was the name of a Cretan goddess of the harvest.

Cassandra Κασσάνδρα f English, French, Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From the Greek name Κασσάνδρα (Kassandra), possibly derived from κέκασμαι (kekasmai) meaning "to excel, to shine" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός). In Greek myth Cassandra was a Trojan princess, the daughter of Priam and Hecuba. She was given the gift of prophecy by Apollo, but when she spurned his advances he cursed her so nobody would believe her prophecies.... [more]

Cassiopea Κασσιόπεια, Κασσιέπεια f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Variant of Cassiopeia.

Cassiopeia Κασσιόπεια, Κασσιέπεια f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Κασσιόπεια (Kassiopeia) or Κασσιέπεια (Kassiepeia), possibly meaning "cassia juice". In Greek myth Cassiopeia was the wife of Cepheus and the mother of Andromeda. She was changed into a constellation and placed in the northern sky after she died.

Castor Κάστωρ m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From the Greek name Κάστωρ (Kastor), possibly related to κέκασμαι (kekasmai) meaning "to excel, to shine" (pluperfect κέκαστο). Alternatively it could be derived from the Greek word κάστωρ (kastor) meaning "beaver", though the legends about Castor do not mention beavers, which were foreign animals to the Greeks. In Greek myth Castor was a son of Zeus and the twin brother of Pollux. The constellation Gemini, which represents the two brothers, contains a star by this name.

Céfiro m Greek Mythology (Hispanicized)
Spanish form of Zephyr.

Cephalus Κέφαλος m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek Κέφαλος (Kephalos), which was derived from κεφαλή (kephale) meaning "head". In Greek legend he remained faithful to his wife Procris even though he was pursued by the goddess Eos.

Cepheus Κηφεύς m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek Κηφεύς (Kepheus), which is of unknown meaning. In Greek legend he was a king of Ethiopia, the husband of Cassiopeia. After he died he was made into a constellation and placed in the sky.

Cerberus Κέρβερος m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek Κέρβερος (Kerberos), which possibly meant "spotted". In Greek myth this was the name of the three-headed dog that guarded the entrance to Hades.

Chalcis Χαλκίς f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Chalkis.

Chalkis Χαλκίς f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek χαλκός (chalkos) meaning "copper, bronze". According to Greek mythology this was the name of a naiad, said to be the namesake of the city of Chalkis on Euboia.

Charon Χάρων m Greek Mythology
Possibly means "fierce brightness" in Greek. In Greek mythology Charon was the operator of the ferry that brought the newly dead over the River Acheron into Hades.

Chione Χιόνη f Greek Mythology
From Greek χιών (chion) meaning "snow". In Greek mythology this is the name of a daughter of the north wind Boreas. Another figure by this name is the daughter of the naiad Callirrhoe who was transformed into a snow cloud.

Chloe Χλόη f English, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek, Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology
Means "green shoot" in Greek, referring to new plant growth in the spring. This was an epithet of the Greek goddess Demeter. The name is also mentioned by Paul in one of his epistles in the New Testament.... [more]

Chloris Χλωρίς f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek χλωρός (chloros) meaning "pale green". Chloris, in Greek mythology, was a minor goddess of vegetation.

Chryseis Χρυσηΐς f Greek Mythology
Patronymic derived from Chryses. In Greek legend she was the daughter of Chryses, a priest of Apollo. After she was taken prisoner by the Greeks besieging Troy, Apollo sent a plague into their camp, forcing the Greeks to release her.

Chryses Χρύσης m Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek χρύσεος (chryseos) meaning "golden". In Greek mythology Chryses was the father of Chryseis, a woman captured by Agamemnon during the Trojan War.

Chthonia Χθωνία f Greek Mythology
Means "of the earth, underground" in Greek, a derivative of χθών (chthon) meaning "earth, ground, soil". This was an epithet of the Greek goddess Demeter.

Circe Κίρκη f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Κίρκη (Kirke), possibly from κίρκος (kirkos) meaning "hawk". In Greek mythology Circe was a sorceress who changed Odysseus's crew into hogs, as told in Homer's Odyssey. Odysseus forced her to change them back, then stayed with her for a year before continuing his voyage.

Cleone Κλεώνη f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Κλεώνη (Kleone), derived from κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". This is the name of a naiad in Greek myth.

Clio Κλειώ f Greek Mythology (Latinized), Italian (Rare)
Latinized form of Kleio.

Clotho Κλωθώ f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Klotho.

Clytemnestra Κλυταιμνήστρα 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]

Clytia Κλυτίη, Κλυτία f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Klytië.

Clytius Κλυτίος m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Klytios.

Coeus Κοῖος m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Koios.

Cora Κόρη f English, German, Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Kore. It was not used as a given name in the English-speaking world until after it was employed by James Fenimore Cooper for a character in his novel The Last of the Mohicans (1826). In some cases it may be a short form of Cordula, Corinna and other names beginning with a similar sound.

Coronis Κορωνίς f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Koronis.

Crius Κρεῖος m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Kreios.

Cronus Κρόνος m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek Κρόνος (Kronos), possibly derived from the Indo-European root *(s)ker- meaning "to cut". Cronus was the Titan who fathered the Greek gods. As his wife Rhea gave birth to the gods, Cronus swallowed them fearing the prophecy that he would be overthrown by one of his children. However Rhea hid Zeus, her last child, who eventually forced his father to disgorge his siblings. Cronus and the rest of the Titans were then defeated by the gods and exiled.

Cynthia Κυνθία f English, French, Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Κυνθία (Kynthia), which means "woman from Cynthus". This was an epithet of the Greek moon goddess Artemis, given because Cynthus was the mountain on Delos on which she and her twin brother Apollo were born. It was not used as a given name until the Renaissance, and it did not become common in the English-speaking world until the 19th century. It reached a peak of popularity in the United States in 1957 and has declined steadily since then.

Cyrene Κυρήνη f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Κυρήνη (Kyrene), the name of a Hellenic city in ancient Libya, itself probably named for a nearby spring Κύρη (Kyre). It has been associated with κῦρος (kyros) meaning "power, authority". In Greek mythology this is the name of a Thessalian princess loved by Apollo. He took her to Libya, where he founded the city in her honour and installed her as queen.

Cytherea Κυθέρεια f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Κυθέρεια (Kythereia) meaning "woman from Cythera". This was an epithet of Aphrodite, given because she was born on the island of Cythera (according to some Greek legends).