Ancient cultures used many methods to explain their lives and what was happening around them. Mythology was born of a need to know the reasons events happened, and a rich and diverse world sprang up where gods and goddesses decided when wars were fought, when men fell in love with women and when babies were born. Out of these stories and legends came colorful descriptions of the gods as well as earth-bound mortals who played important roles in the stories (or myths), and these stories can be a source of inspiration for you as you search for the perfect mythological baby name for your son or daughter.

Ancient Greek mythology is extensive and, as a resource, is a virtual garden of baby names to pick from. Names here range from the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus, mortals who appeared in myths and even the names of creatures that would make a fun and unique baby name!

Greek Mythological Girl Baby names

Aphrodite: goddess of love and beauty

Athena: goddess of wisdom, war, crafts

Demeter: goddess of agriculture and fertility

Eos: goddess of the dawn

Hekate: goddess of magic

Hera: goddess of marriage

Hestia: goddess of the home and hearth

Leto: a female Titan who was the mother of Apollo and Artemis

Pandora: the first woman, whose name means "all gifts"

Penelope: wife of Odysseus

Phoebe: Leto's mother

Rheia: mother goddess of several Olympians

Selene: goddess of the moon

Greek Mythological Boy Baby Names

Ajax: Greek hero from the Trojan war

Apollo: god of the arts, archery and divination

Ares: god of war

Cadmus: founded the city of Thebes

Eros: god of love

Griffin: hybrid consisting of a lions body with an eagle's head, wings and claws

Hermes: god of merchants

Morpheus: god of dreams

Nestor: a wise old man from Homer's Iliad

Orion: a great hunter, son of Poseidon

Phoenix: mythical bird who lives a long life and then bursts into flames -- from its ashes, it is reborn

Titan: name of a race of gods who were the precursors to the Olympians

Triton: water god

Ancient Roman mythology is also quite extensive. Many of their gods and goddesses were borrowed or inherited from the ancient Greeks -- for example, Ares became Mars in Rome, Hermes became Mercury, Athena became Minerva, Aphrodite became Venus, Eros became Cupid and so on. There were a number of deities and spirits that have beautiful and unique names -- here are a few!

Roman Mythological Girl Baby Names

Bellona: goddess of war

Flora: goddess of all that flourishes

Pomona: goddess of fruits and fertility

Vesta: goddess of the home and the hearth

Lucina: goddess of childbirth

Roman Mythological Boy Baby Names

Janus: god of gates

Liber: god of fertility

Saturn: god of agriculture

You and your partner may not agree on a name right away, or you may not agree to use a unique or unusual baby name, but you may consider using one of these names as a fun and interesting middle name if you can't agree otherwise! Many of these would make great first or middle names and would be a great way to help your child stand out from the crowd.

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