Artemis?/ other Classical names

[AbieH]

So I'm kind of a Classics geek and I really want something recognizably Classical for my baby. I'm wondering if Artemis is a step too far for a girl? Other girl ideas: Dido, Persephone, Helia, Livia, Hebe, Selene?
For a boy: Cosmo, Rufus, Felix, Philo?
Tell me honestly, am I setting my kid up for a childhood of bullying and a lifetime of prejudice? DH has told me that I am completely free to choose a name and he will not interfere, which to be honest is not very helpful... Help me? What do you think of these names, and can you think of any others? Thanks xx

Ohhh good thread...I loved Cosima for another DD. Rufus is just fab.

I think Persephone is beautiful

Thank you everybody! You've been so helpful xx

I do like classical names, but wouldn't you worry about the associations attached to some of these suggestions (not Artemis, some of the others)? I am quite at the idea of calling girls Medea and Phaedra, and Pasiphae didn't exactly have a great time either. I know most names have had unlucky owners at various points in history, but classical names are so strongly correlated to particular myths that the stories are hard to dismiss (for me, at any rate).

For BrainSurgeon: Anatole is my favorite version of the greek Anatolius.

Not mythological, but near ish as "classical"?

Hi Veronica - I was a bit at the idea of calling innocent babies Medea or Phaedra too! At least no-one's suggested Antigone ..

Aeneas

sisyphus if you think he'll end toiling for ever and a day :)

Yes I must say that I would balk at calling a baby a name which had unfavourable connotations myth wise. Medusa is a pretty sounding name but you really wouldn't. I don't think I would name a child Livia either.

I have an Alethea and a Callia and DD4 will be Eris. I love Selene (so long as it isn't pron. Celine ) and I really like Iphegenia, Iolanthe, Calantha and Breseis but didn't have the guts to call DD3 that (plus Callia is beautiful in all respects)

Nice to see my dd's name mentioned in a positive light on here!

Thanks Pasiphae :)

I like Psyche as a name, pronounced Sigh Key, but I realise I am alone in this, and practically you would have to put up with a life time of being called Psike.

DS2 has two of the names mentioned on here as first and second. I thought when choosing it might be a bit needlessly Macedonian but in fact they were both family names.

Cosmo, Rufus and Felix sound like Jilly Cooper characters to me. Not in a horrible way.

I am sure that most people could pronounce psyche, as it is a common letter combination and appears in many well known words. Not that I think it is a particularly good name for a child, they would end up being called Psycho.

at Medusa and Sisyphus.

Icarus might be good, if you felt that your newborn DS had an overambitious look about him.

Exactly, GetOrf, that's why nobody likes it except me. I blame being in a production of Princess Ida back in the day.

You'd think people could pronounce it but my name starts with a Ch pronounced Sh, and is often spelled with a Sh, it's not an unusual name either

Yes I think I am giving people too much credit - my dd is called Sophia, a perfectly normal name you would think but loads of people pronounce it incorrectly (or called her Sophia).

Here I am, ds1 is Leander nn Leo. He loves to hear the story too!

I didn't study Classics, but in Greek Philosophy we were taught that Psyche was pronounced Soo-kay. I thought that was how the name would be pronounced. Wrong?

I love Phaedra as a name. I know a (very cool) woman called Phaedra, so it just reminds me of her.

Call her Sophie I mean.

Classical Greek names:

Apollo, Belvedere, Castor, Mars, Pericles, Sophocles and Theseus

Anthea, Astraea, Concordia, Juno, Kora and Segovia

Artemis
People will think Artemis Fowl.

Dido
People will think the singer Dido.

Persephone
Will be forever pronounced purse-a-phone.

Helia
Reminds me of Helium.

Livia
Will forever be misheard as Olivia.

Hebe
Just don't see how this is an attractive name. May be mistaken for Phoebe.

Selene
Not my style, prefer Selena, but decent name.

Cosmo, Rufus, Felix, Philo?
People will think of the magazine or Cosmo from Fairly Odd Parents.

Rufus
People will think of a dog.

Felix
People will think of a cat. I do love this one though.

Philo
Not recognisable as a name to most, will have to spell it always.

DS1 is Atlas and he is quite chuffed about it!

Roman personal names:

Julia
Claudia
Augusta
Drusilla
Antonia
Lucia
Aemilia
Cornelia
Gaia
Flavia
Camilla
Cynthia

Lucius
Marcus
Marius

Will be back with Greek ones later.

I have a friend of a friend called Ajax also and apparently he loves his name!! Thalia is a gorgeous name.