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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Greek mythology names

33 replies

Neednameadviceplease · 29/11/2020 14:52

To go with Iris

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ImAncient · 29/11/2020 22:29

I like the Greek way of saying Athena & the English way of Phoebe. So it depends I think on how you’d say it. We went for the English pronunciation of our chosen names but some of the family use the Greek version.

GwendolineMarysLaces · 29/11/2020 22:20

We have a Phoebe in our family and she is very interested in the Greek origin of her name.

milienhaus · 29/11/2020 22:02

I like Phoebe more of your two and it’s lovely with Iris.

Left field option - Phaedra (Ariadne's sister)? Easy to pronounce and uncommon!

Original poster
Neednameadviceplease · 29/11/2020 21:55

Thank you so much all and especially for all other suggestions. We are def down to just Athena or Phoebe now, so just keen on which fits best with Iris striking a similar vibe of “heard of but not totally mainstream”. Phoebe seems less distinct and more popular than Iris and Athena more distinct and less popular but perhaps a bit too out there to match well with Iris. I am Greek but my partner is not so want a name that works well for both. Consensus seems to be Iris and Phoebe better than Iris and Athena (nickname would be Athie).

OP posts:
TrixieHeliotrope · 29/11/2020 20:58

Medusa is best

thelumberjack · 29/11/2020 20:45

Daphne too.

thelumberjack · 29/11/2020 20:44

I prefer Phoebe with Iris too but I do love Athene or Athena.

My other favourites are Maia, Clio and Penelope, Thalia too.
Also like Helena and Hermione as Greek names

TempsPerdu · 29/11/2020 20:29

Of those two I prefer Phoebe with Iris - actually think Athena is a stronger name but but I just don’t think it goes.

I also love Clio (much prefer this spelling to Cleo - shame about the car!) and Gaia, which we seriously considered for DD. Don’t think it pairs well with Iris either though unfortunately!

IamnotwhouthinkIam · 29/11/2020 20:01

Of your two choices, Phoebe fits better with Iris to me - both are more well -known/popular names. But I much prefer the sound of the unusual Athena - it's beautiful.

What about Gaia? - Has both Greek Goddess and nature links like Iris, similar length and syllables but not too "matchy" in sound.

Or Maia? - one of the Pleiades in Greek Myth, and thanks to the "May" link has a slight nature vibe too (like Iris).

Or Lara? - She was a nymph in Greek Mythology, and the name is as well -known/popular as Iris so fits well together I think.

I woud also second pp suggestions of Xanthe, Selene, and Thalia - all have Greek Mythology links but feel a bit less unusual than Athena to me (so fit better with Iris imo.) Xanthe with it's meaning of "golden" fits especially well with Iris to me. Or you could have Ianthe (purple flower and Greek Myth links) if you wanted something very similar to Iris!

Mooncupdotcom · 29/11/2020 19:22

Leda
Hera
Hero
Pallas
Helen
Persephone
Kore (daughter, girl)
Demeter
Chloe (Green shoot)
Alethea (truth)

TheNanny23 · 29/11/2020 19:18

Phoebe goes much better with Iris

Ellmau · 29/11/2020 17:55

Both are nice, OP. I think Phoebe is prettier, and Athena a bit more intellectual.

MsQueenInTheNorth · 29/11/2020 17:44

I quite wanted to call a daughter Eris after I watched the animated Sinbad film as a child... she’s an excellent and very glamorous villain Grin

I like Athena best, out of the two of them.

JumpJockey · 29/11/2020 17:42

Also FIL was a classics teacher so he was delighted!

JumpJockey · 29/11/2020 17:42

My DD2 has Athene as middle name, rather than Athena. When she was born, we asked DD1 what she should be called and she (being 2 at the time) said “Owl!”. So we discovered that the Little Owl is called Athene Noctua, plus of course the goddess Athene is pretty fabulous.

theotherfossilsister · 29/11/2020 17:37

I love Psyche, like Emily Wilson's daughter who she dedicated her translation of the Odyssey to.

She might get called Psycho in the playground though, which puts me off. Gorgeous name though and great myth of a mortal girl going on an amazing quest and becoming a Goddess against the odds.

BexR · 29/11/2020 15:54

Phoebe is my favourite of the two

mrsnec · 29/11/2020 15:48

Do you have Greek connections? I prefer the meaning of Phoebe and it was on my list but I don't like the Greek pronunciation and how it's written in Greek. Athena is similar in both languages so that would get my vote for that reason. Also I know a young Athena and she's great.

Original poster
Neednameadviceplease · 29/11/2020 15:39

Narrowed down to Athena and Phoebe - which better?

OP posts:
PimlicoJo · 29/11/2020 15:32

I know a lovely woman called Themis.

Also

Athena
Hera
Phoebe.

And I love Juno, but she's Roman.

Mustardbay · 29/11/2020 15:29

I like Ismene, reckon no one could ever pronounce it right though.

Twizbe · 29/11/2020 15:27

@Mustardbay

Eris is the goddess of unrest or arguments i think, from my one degree in classicsWink wouldn't be my choice! I love Danae but again, not a great connotation with the golden shower and all.

I like Penelope though.

You're right. It's been almost 20 years since I studied and I've forgotten a lot lol

But yeah ... not a name I'd want.

Sometimesonly · 29/11/2020 15:26

I know two lovely women - Electra and Olympia which I think are great names but have no idea of the probably awful stories behind them.

ILoveStickers · 29/11/2020 15:23

I also find the lack of happy endings troublesome. Cassandra, for example, is a great name, but I'm not sure I could do it...

However, there are some I like either because they don't have a strong negative association (for me), or because they are Greek without a particular myth.

Helena
Zoe
Phoebe
Chloe
Selena
Ariadne

Or I'd go for other mythologies where the women don't get quite so hard done by - Freya, Niamh, Sadhbh, Emer.

Fivemoreminutes1 · 29/11/2020 15:16

Daphne
Delia
Hebe
Xanthe
Phoebe
Athena