Any classicists around to help?

[snowrevolution]

Mulling Phoebe Helena as a possible name for DD1. But wondering if any classicists out there can help me out on the traditional Greek meanings for both names.

As far as I can tell, both names can mean "bright" or "shining". Phoebe is also a reference to the Goddess of the Moon. There seems to be some controversy over the meaning of Helen or Helena. Some references I've seen link it to the Greek for "Helios", or sun. But other references link it to "Selene", meaning moon.

It feels like it would be a bit strange to have two names essentially meaning the same thing (ie Moon). But I quite like the symmetry of Moon and Sun together!

Anyone out there who is more knowledgable than me on this?

Hello hello, Classicist here. (And how nice to be called on!)

Phoebe is the name of lots of different characters in classical myth, some divine and some human. It's an epithet of the goddess Artemis for example (so she might be called Artemis Phoebe in some sources). Phoebe is also the name of one of the titans, and a few human princesses in Greek myth, including a half-sister of Helen of Troy (see below). Apollo is also often called Phoebus Apollo.

The name comes from the female version of the adjective phoibos, which means "bright, radiant, pure".

Helena is obviously best known as Helen of Troy (Helene or Helena in Ancient Greek, depending on dialect). The origin of the name isn't 100% certain, but it could relate to the noun helene, which means "torch".

So I suppose you would have a bright torch!

Congratulations, let me know if I can help further.

I should also say, you're right, the alternative explanation of Helena is that it relates to the word selene, meaning "moon" - because in very early Greek the sound s often becomes h at the beginning of a word.

But "torch" or "moon" are both just theories - really the main meaning of the name is Helen of Troy, as the first bearer of the name.

goes back in box

@SundayMorningSun what wonderful explanations!

SundayMorningSun - thank you so much. As babysharkah says, wonderful explanations. And you have reassured me that it wouldn't be ridiculous (at least from a classical Greek point of view!) to put Phoebe and Helena together.

Here for the detailed Greek name meanings!

You're very welcome! And no - I think it's a lovely name. Bright moon or bright torch :-)

I have no knowledge - just here for the interesting thread !

@SundayMorningSun I love the name Cressida which apparently means gold/golden, is that correct? I don’t know much about the Cressida of mythology

Cressida is a name and a character created (more or less) by 12th century French poets, and then used by Shakespeare in his play "Troilus and Cressida".

The character is loosely based on Chryseis, a character from the Iliad, but their stories are pretty. Her name does indeed derive from khryseos "golden".

Incidentally, I've known three women called Cressida! Not unknown among the students/staff of Classics departments.

*pretty different

Thanks!

Names are names, not words with meanings.

But words do have meanings and names relate to these. I love that names are meaningful.

bridgetreilly names comes from somewhere, evolve from other words, they have those meanings. You can call it the etymological root if you prefer but that seems unnecessarily pedantic.

I have a Helena, thank you for this!