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Baby names

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

Original poster

Dionysios

115 replies

Circleofshroom · 12/10/2024 13:40

Half Greek baby boy due soon. Will likely grow up in London. Struggling for names!!

Nickname would be Dio (to rhyme with Leo).

OP posts:
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KittenBiscuit · 13/10/2024 07:08

How about Perceus?
When he gets to school lots of teachers will be familiar with the name from the Percy Jackson books, as they've been popular for years now.

TylerEndicott · 13/10/2024 06:55

I like it, and love Dio

Fourecks · 13/10/2024 06:42

The wine-making association is what would make me hesitate rather than the name itself. I do like the Asterios suggestion and he could be called Rio for short, which is similar to Dio.

StamppotAndGravy · 13/10/2024 06:28

I think it sounds fine for London. It's a nice name and just from a different culture. Dion is really cute and will work on an adult. MN naming boards are pretty xenophobic and tend to be 40 years out of date when foreign names come up

Marmiteontoastgirlie · 13/10/2024 05:36

I think Dionysus is nice, it reminds me a bit of the word dinosaur which would really appeal to a boy I imagine.

A PP suggested Asterios which I now love, Aster is a very cool nickname and it means “one who hails from the stars” which is pretty magic!

Don’t call him Niko, too boring if Dionysus was your starting point!

kαλοκαλοκαιρι · 13/10/2024 05:27

Procrastinates · 12/10/2024 13:58

I really wouldn't. I suspect even those living in Greece would be hesitant to use it. If he's going to grow up in London I'd chose something that gave a nod to the greek side but doesn't stand out.

it’s a perfectly common name in greece :) Lots of Dionysios’ go by Dennis for short, maybe a bit old fashioned?

sunshine237 · 13/10/2024 05:15

I think the name itself is great, but I think the wine connection would be too strong for me to want to use it. Dio is lovely though too.

Love Atticus, if a pp is right and that is Greek!

Original poster
Circleofshroom · 13/10/2024 00:44

Sugarnspicenallthingsnaice · 12/10/2024 23:50

Every 2nd Greek guy I know is Nick!

(And I know a lot, I live in Melbourne, second only to Athens for the world's biggest Greek population.)

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Nick would be totally fine as a shortening! But I want to use as Greek a name as possible (in the English alphabet!) rather than an anglicised one, for the proper name at least. So, Nikolaos could be Nick, Dionysios could be Dio - that’s fine. I just wouldn’t use the nicknames on the birth certificate.

OP posts:
Sugarnspicenallthingsnaice · 12/10/2024 23:50

Circleofshroom · 12/10/2024 14:02

Sisters have very Greek names so I’ve committed now. Would be a bit off if he gets called Nick or Michael.

I don’t think I am struggling to spell it? There are different variants. I’d pick one and presume people would learn. Maybe I’m being too optimistic.

Every 2nd Greek guy I know is Nick!

(And I know a lot, I live in Melbourne, second only to Athens for the world's biggest Greek population.)

mathanxiety · 12/10/2024 20:31

I'd go for it. It's a great name and could be shortened.

Suggestions:
Nikitas
Fotios
Atlas
Vasili
Theofilos
Ion
Makarios
Thaddeus
Vissarion
Erasmus
Spyridion
Stylianos
Kiril
Cosmas
Leontios
Eugenios
Tychon

Lazarus
Linus
Myles
Lucas
Atticus
Sebastian
Tobias
Jonas
Thaddeus
Philip
Hector
Andrew
Theodore
Cyprian
Nicodemus
Hilarion

Kierparma · 12/10/2024 19:55

I like it, Dio is easy to pronounce.

My nephew is Odysseus but he gets some 'odd' pronounciations.

Thetrickcyclist · 12/10/2024 16:48

I know a Ioannis who also spells it as Yannis

VeronicaCreepcheese · 12/10/2024 16:32

Love Dionysios - I don't know about anyone else, but I'd look at it and go, what a cool Greek name!

Also, a vote for Athanasios, with Nassos as a nickname. I know a very nice Nassos!

RuthW · 12/10/2024 16:18

I didn't realise this was on the names section. I thought it was medical.

Pelagi · 12/10/2024 16:13

I’m not Greek, so can’t comment on whether any of these suggestions are “out there” or not if you are Greek, but they all seem fairly normal to me where I live in north London. Favourite one I have heard of personally is Chrysovalantis. No idea if that’s cool/weird though!

KnickerlessParsons · 12/10/2024 15:57

Will try and warm up to Dimitrios and Nikolaos (always makes me think of knicker-less in English, so that puts me off).

I can't think what you might mean 🤣

pleasecomment · 12/10/2024 15:37

Kosmos?

NZDreaming · 12/10/2024 15:09

@Circleofshroom
Theos
Atticus (Greek but becoming quite mainstream in uk)
Xanthos
or if you want something Greek that sounds English - Jason or Hector

Maddy70 · 12/10/2024 15:07

Why not just Dio. Thats lovely?

BeautyPageantDropout · 12/10/2024 15:06

TheBunyip · 12/10/2024 14:54

I thought it was him in a barrel but that was Diogenes 🤣

Edited
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We're more Blankety Blank than University Challenge!

WhatATimeToBeAlive · 12/10/2024 15:03

Just go for the English version of Dennis!

What about Theo?

NZDreaming · 12/10/2024 15:00

Circleofshroom · 12/10/2024 14:11

😂😂😂
No, it doesn’t have to be mythological at all! And I’m very much hoping to pick a nice name. Clearly failing!

I love Konstantinos but it’s bad with our surname. Will try and warm up to Dimitrios and Nikolaos (always makes me think of knicker-less in English, so that puts me off).

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How about Nikos - doesn’t sound like knickers and easy to spell.

TheBunyip · 12/10/2024 14:54

BeautyPageantDropout · 12/10/2024 14:20

I thought he was that lad who had to push a rock up a hill for eternity but I see that was Sisyphus. I ain't no scholar!

I'm not sure tbh, it seems bit bombastic to me. Are Greek boys routinely given this as a name?

I thought it was him in a barrel but that was Diogenes 🤣

geoger · 12/10/2024 14:51

Circleofshroom · 12/10/2024 14:41

Thanks! No, not looking for classical names in particular. I would just prefer to use, for example, Nikolaos / Alexandros rather than Nicholas / Alexander, if that makes sense?

I’m not going to share my daughters’ names because they are quite unusual and identifying, but they don’t seem to have caused too much of an issue! It seems it’s almost easier to use a more “out there” name for a girl, for some reason.

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Yes I like the spellings that mean the name is pronounced the Greek way too.
there are so many names to choose from and people really won’t have trouble pronouncing them. Some boys names sound so lovely in Greek but don’t have the same sound with an English accent eg Lazaros, Apostolos, Evagoras, Artemis (which is male and female in Greek but is said differently) Odysseus,

Grepes · 12/10/2024 14:49

Asterios Is my favourite Greek name. Every one I’ve met has been lovely. Has a lovely meaning behind it too.

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