Can I use Athena without any Greek connections?

[PitterPatter3]

I really like the name. However this baby will almost certainly have fair colouring. Would it be an odd choice?

It’s fine, don’t worry.

Im sure there a plenty of non-Irish Rory’s without red hair.

It's fine. Greek origin but hardly alien in the UK. I've known a few Athena's.

It’s fine, the Greek myths are a big part of UK culture. I like Athene too.

I think it’s fine, I know one with no Greek heritage. It’s a nice name

I really like it too.

Of course.

Of course you can. The usual rule of thumb is that names should be Biblical, royal or classical.

I was going to go for Xanthe and my major concern was that it means blond and I thought there was no way we’d have a blond child. We had a blond child but it was a boy… so we chose differently.

A girl in my nct group was called Athene - lovely name and no Greek heritage. Go for it. I have an Italian name and no Italian heritage…. Never been an issue.

I know an Alathea which I think sounds beautiful, as an alternative?

I think it’s popular enough now that it doesn’t need any Greek connection, I know several Athena’s (all under 5) and as far as I know none have any Greek heritage and one is very fair indeed.

Just say the baby is named after the shop. 😉

It's a gorgeous name. Plenty of Greek names are perfectly normal here (Xanthe, Phoebe, Chloe etc) but Athena is that tiny but more unusual. If I had a DD now (extremely unlikely!) she would be Artemis.

I wouldn’t bat an eyelid at a fair Athena, lots of people have Greek names, they are beautiful names

Yes. No different in principle to Chloe, Phoebe etc. And rising in popularity now so it’s really unlikely people would even ask why you choose it. I think it’s lovely btw.

Yes you can.

I know a black Bianca 🤷🏼‍♀️

Oooh I love Bianca. Don't know why but it sounds so cool and badass.

Fucks up most of the names in our predominantly Sikh and Muslim school 😂

Really? Whose rule is that?

I mean, if she's British...we did rob a heck of a lot from Athens...so, kinda apt!

Also, Athena was the mother of all Greeks (or maybe all mankind in general, I can't remember), but either way, in one way or another, she is the origin of everyone, so, fair game, I'd say.

absolutely fine. I know one Athena, pretty sure she's not Greek. I'd also not assume someone's origins based on their skin colour (I myself come from a middle eastern culture and i am whiter than white and blonde!)

Freya is also common and is a similar figure in Norse mythology and i reckon most of those parents aren't Norse. Juno is Roman and know a few of those that aren't Italian

Anthea is a much better name

Those are the "rules" for white British protestants! Mutatis mutandis for people with a different heritage. I assume similar conservative rules of thumb apply elesewhere, since for example there are more Muslim Mohammeds than Muslim Jaxons.

It's a rule of thumb that's available for anybody who doesn't want to wake up one day and find out they've accidentally named their DD Nevaeh or Chelsea-Mae in a fit of madness.

(DD1's dad did actually want to call her Chelsea-Mae, and she's very happy to have Greek names instead! No Greek blood in our family...)

Anthem Turner flashbacks. Solero C-PTSD etc