Greek Names — Origins, Meanings & History

Lavrentios Masculine Greek Greek

Lavrentios is a Greek masculine given name, representing the Hellenized form of the Latin name Laurence. It derives ultimately from the Roman cognomen Laurentius, meaning “from Laurentum,” an ancient Italian city whose n...

Lazaros Masculine Greek Greek Bible Greek Greek Bible

Lazaros is the Greek form of the name Lazarus, which itself derives from Hebrew Eleazar (אֶלְעָזָר), meaning "God has helped." In the New Testament, Lazarus of Bethany—the brother of Mary and Martha—was famously raised f...

Lefteris Masculine Greek Greek

Lefteris is a popular Greek masculine given name, serving as a short form of Eleftherios. The name Eleftherios itself derives from the ancient Greek Eleutherius, which comes from the Greek word eleutheros, meaning "free"...

Lena Feminine Armenian Georgian +14 Armenian Georgian Danish Dutch English +11

Lena is a feminine given name used across many cultures and languages, including Armenian, Georgian, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, German, Greek, Italian, Macedonian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, a...

Leon Masculine Croatian Dutch +6 Croatian Dutch English German Greek +3

Leon is a given name of Greek origin, derived from λέων (leon), meaning "lion". In Greek mythology, Leon was a giant killed by Heracles. During the Christian era, the Greek name merged with its Latin cognate Leo, leading...

Leonidas Masculine Greek Ancient Greek Greek Ancient Greek

Leonidas is a masculine given name of Ancient Greek origin. It derives from the Greek words λέων (leon) meaning "lion" and the patronymic suffix ἴδης (ides), collectively meaning "lion's son" or "descendant of a lion". H...

Lia 1 Feminine Georgian Catalan +4 Georgian Catalan Greek Italian Portuguese +1

Lia is the Italian, Portuguese, Georgian and Greek form of Leah. The name originated from the Hebrew Leʾah, meaning "weary" or "grieved" — possibly linked to the Hebrew verb laʾah (to be weary) — though an alternate Akka...

Liza Feminine Georgian English +2 Georgian English Greek Russian

Liza is a feminine given name used in several languages, including English, Russian, Greek, and Georgian. It primarily functions as a short form of various longer names: Elizabeth in English, Yelizaveta in Russian, Elisa...

Louiza Feminine Greek Greek

Louiza is a Greek feminine form of the name Louis. In Greek, it is spelled Λουίζα and is predominantly used in Greece and among the Greek diaspora.Etymology and RootsThe name Louis derives from the Germanic name Hludowig...

Loukas Masculine Greek Greek Bible Greek Greek Bible

Loukas (Greek: Λουκᾶς or Λουκάς) is the original Greek form of the name Luke, derived from the Latin Lucas. The name is generally understood to be a shortened form of Λουκανός (Loukanos), meaning “from Lucania,” a region...

Loukia Feminine Greek Greek

EtymologyLoukia is the Greek form of Lucia, which itself derives from the Latin lux meaning "light". The name is ultimately rooted in the Roman Lucius, a common praenomen. In Greek, Loukia (Λουκία) adapts the Latin name...

Magda 1 Feminine Croatian Czech +12 Croatian Czech Danish Dutch German +9

Magda is a short form of Magdalena, itself ultimately derived from the title Magdalene, meaning "of Magdala." Magdala was a village on the Sea of Galilee whose name meant "tower" in Aramaic.Etymology and OriginThe name t...

Magdalini Feminine Greek Greek

Magdalini is a Modern Greek transcription of the name Magdalene, which is of Aramaic origin. The name ultimately derives from Magdala, a village on the Sea of Galilee whose name meant "tower" in Aramaic. In the New Testa...

Manolis Masculine Greek Greek

Manolis (Greek: Μανώλης, Μανόλης) is a Greek masculine given name that originally served as a short form of Emmanouil, the modern Greek rendition of the biblical name Emmanuel. The full Greek name Emmanouil is itself der...

Margarita Feminine Albanian Bulgarian +6 Albanian Bulgarian Greek Latvian Lithuanian +3

Margarita is a Latinate form of Margaret, ultimately derived from Greek margarites meaning "pearl." The name is widely used in many languages, including Albanian, Bulgarian, Greek, Latvian, Lithuanian, Russian, Spanish,...

Maria Feminine Armenian Basque +24 Armenian Basque Bulgarian Catalan Corsican +21

Maria is a feminine given name used in numerous languages, including Armenian, Basque, Bulgarian, Catalan, Corsican, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Faroese, Finnish, Frisian, German, Greek, Italian, Norwegian, Occitan...

Marianna Feminine English Estonian +8 English Estonian Finnish Greek Hungarian +5

Marianna is a feminine given name used in numerous languages, including English, Estonian, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Polish, Russian, and Slovak. It is a combination of Maria and Anna, though it can al...

Marianthi Feminine Greek Greek

Marianthi is a Greek feminine given name that combines the name Maria with the Greek word anthos (anthos), meaning "flower." This compound structure is typical of Greek naming patterns, where a well-established name like...

Marieta Feminine Armenian Bulgarian +3 Armenian Bulgarian Greek Romanian Spanish

Marieta is a feminine diminutive form of Maria, used in multiple languages including Armenian, Bulgarian, Greek, Romanian, and Spanish. The name Maria itself derives from the Latin form of Greek Μαρία, which comes from H...

Marietta Feminine German Greek +3 German Greek Hungarian Italian Polish

Marietta is a feminine given name and a diminutive of Maria, used in several European languages including German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, and Polish.EtymologyThe name Marietta traces its roots to the Latin Maria, whic...

Marika Feminine Georgian Czech +9 Georgian Czech Estonian Finnish German +6

Marika is a feminine given name used widely across Europe and beyond, serving as a diminutive of Maria and other names beginning with Mari. Its origins trace back to the Hungarian and Greek forms of Maria, which ultimate...

Marilena Feminine Greek Italian +1 Greek Italian Romanian

Marilena is a feminine given name that combines two widely used names: Maria and Elena. It is predominantly found in Greek, Italian, and Romanian usage, reflecting the popularity of both component names in these cultures...

Marina Feminine Georgian Bulgarian +23 Georgian Bulgarian Catalan Croatian Czech +20

Marina is a feminine given name widely used across many cultures. It is the feminine form of the Latin name Marinus, which itself derives either from the Roman family name Marius or directly from the Latin word marinus m...

Marinos Masculine Greek Greek

Marinos is the Greek form of Marinus. The name Marinus originates from the Roman family name Marinus, which is itself derived either from the name Marius or from the Latin word marinus meaning "of the sea". The root Mari...

Marios Masculine Greek Greek

Etymology and OriginsMarios is a Greek given name that serves as the Hellenized form of the Latin name Marius. The root name's etymological origins are disputed: it may derive from Mars, the Roman god of war, or from the...

Markos Masculine Greek Greek Bible +1 Greek Greek Bible Roman

Markos is a Greek, Greek biblical, and Roman masculine name that serves as a direct transliteration and usage variant of Latin Marcus, the original form from which the name Mark is derived. In the Greek context, Markos (...

Martha Feminine Danish Dutch +9 Danish Dutch English German Greek +6

Martha is a feminine given name with a rich biblical and linguistic history. Its ultimate origin lies in Aramaic, where it is derived from the word marta, meaning “the lady” or “the mistress.” This is the feminine form o...

Matthaios Masculine Greek Greek Bible Greek Greek Bible

Matthaios is the Greek form of Matthew, used in the Greek New Testament. It derives from the Hebrew name Mattithiah, meaning "gift of Yahweh." In the New Testament, Matthew (also called Levi) was one of the twelve apostl...

Mattheos Masculine Greek Greek

Mattheos is a modern Greek form of Matthaios, itself the Greek New Testament rendition of the Hebrew name Mattithiah, meaning "gift of Yahweh." While Mattheos directly corresponds to the Greek original, it is distinct fr...

Melina Feminine English Greek English Greek

Etymology and Origins Melina is a feminine given name with roots in Greek and English usage. It is essentially an elaboration of the short form Mel, which can be derived from names such as Melissa or directly from the Gr...

Melpomeni Feminine Greek Greek

Melpomeni is the modern Greek transcription of Melpomene, a name rooted in classical mythology and language. Derived from the Greek verb μέλπω (melpo), meaning "to sing" or "to celebrate with song," the name belongs to o...

Menelaos Masculine Greek Greek +1 Greek Greek Ancient Greek

Etymology Menelaos is the Greek form of Menelaus, a name of Ancient Greek origin. Its first element is derived from either μένω (meno) meaning "to stay, to last" or μένος (menos) meaning "mind, strength, force", combined...

Meri 2 Feminine Armenian Georgian +1 Armenian Georgian Greek

Meri 2 is the Georgian, Armenian, and Greek form of the English name Mary. In these languages, the name adopts local phonetic and orthographic conventions while retaining the core identity of the original. The name Mary...

Meropi Feminine Greek Greek

Meropi is the Modern Greek form of the name Merope, from Greek mythology. Derived from the elements meros meaning “share, part” and ops meaning “face, eye,” Merope was one of the seven Pleiades, the daughters of Atlas an...

Michaela Feminine Hebrew Czech +5 Hebrew Czech English German Greek +2

Michaela is a feminine given name, the female form of Michael. It originates from the Hebrew phrase Mi-kha-el, meaning “who is like God?”—a rhetorical question affirming that no one compares to God. This name is used acr...

Michail Masculine Greek Russian Greek Russian

Michail is the modern Greek transcription of Michael, and it also serves as an alternate transcription of the Russian Михаил (see Mikhail). The name Michael derives from the Hebrew phrase Miʀaʾel, meaning "who is like Go...

Michalis Masculine Greek Greek

Michalis is a modern Greek variant of Michael, a name of profound religious and historical significance. The root name Michael is derived from the Hebrew phrase Mi ḵaʾel, meaning "who is like God?" — a rhetorical questio...

Mihail Masculine Bulgarian Greek +2 Bulgarian Greek Macedonian Romanian

Mihail is the Romanian, Bulgarian, and Macedonian form of Michael, a name derived from the Hebrew rhetorical question Miḵaʾel meaning "who is like God?". In Romanian and Bulgarian, Mihail serves as a variant, while the m...

Mihalis Masculine Greek Greek

Mihalis is the alternate transcription of Michalis, a modern Greek form of Michael. The name ultimately derives from the Hebrew Miḵaʾel, meaning "who is like God?", a rhetorical question asserting that no one is comparab...

Miltiadis Masculine Greek Greek

Miltiadis is a modern Greek transcription of the ancient name Miltiades. The original name derives from the Greek words miltos (μίλτος), meaning "red earth," and the patronymic suffix ides (ἴδης), leading to interpretati...

Mitrodora Feminine Greek Greek

EtymologyMitrodora is a Modern Greek form of the ancient name Metrodora, itself a combination of Greek elements meaning 'mother' and 'gift'. The name originates from the compound word Μητροδώρα (Mētrodōra), derived from...

Myrto Feminine Greek Greek +1 Greek Greek Ancient Greek

Myrto (Μυρτώ) is a female name of Greek origin, derived from the Greek word μύρτος (myrtos), meaning "myrtle." The myrtle plant was sacred in ancient Greece and associated with Aphrodite, the goddess of love, as well as...

Nafsika Feminine Greek Greek

Nafsika is a modern Greek female name derived from the ancient Nausicaa (also spelled Nausikaa). In Homer's epic the Odyssey, Nausicaa is the daughter of King Alcinous of Phaeacia who discovers the shipwrecked Odysseus a...

Nana 1 Feminine Greek Greek

Nana 1 is a Greek diminutive of Ioanna, the Greek form of the name Joanna, which itself derives from the Hebrew name Yohanan (meaning “God is gracious”). Although Nana is often used as an independent name in many culture...

Natalia Feminine Georgian Bulgarian +14 Georgian Bulgarian Danish Dutch English +11

Natalia is a Latinate form of Natalie, derived from the Late Latin name Natalia, meaning "Christmas Day" (from Latin natale domini, "birth of the Lord"). The name is used across numerous languages and cultures, including...

Natasa Feminine Greek Greek

Natasa is a Greek diminutive of Anastasia, derived from the Greek name Anastasios, meaning "resurrection." The root Anastasia became popular due to Saint Anastasia, a 4th-century Dalmatian martyr who died during the Dioc...

Nefeli Feminine Greek Greek

Nefeli is a modern Greek feminine name derived from the ancient Greek mythological figure Nephele. The name Nephele itself comes from the Greek word nephos (νέφος), meaning "cloud." In Greek mythology, Nephele was a clou...

Nektaria Feminine Greek Greek

Nektaria is a Greek feminine given name, derived as the female equivalent of the male name Nektarios. The name Nektarios itself comes from the Greek word νέκταρ (nektar), meaning "nectar" — the divine drink of the gods i...

Nektarios Masculine Greek Greek

Nektarios is a Greek masculine given name derived from the Greek word νέκταρ (nektar), meaning "nectar, the drink of the gods" in ancient mythology. The name thus carries connotations of divine sweetness and immortality,...

Neofytos Masculine Greek Greek

Neofytos is the Modern Greek transcription of the name Neophytos. This name is derived from the Greek elements νέος (neos) meaning "new" and φυτόν (phyton) meaning "plant", thus conveying the sense of "new plant" or "new...

Nicolaos Masculine Greek Greek

Nicolaos is an alternate transcription of the Greek name Νικόλαος (Nikolaos). It is a common given name in Greece.Nikolaos derives from the Greek elements νίκη (nike) 'victory' and λαός (laos) 'people', thus meaning 'vic...

Nik Masculine English Greek +1 English Greek Slovene

Nik is a short form of the names Nikolas, Nikolaos, Nikolaj, or Nikola 1, commonly used in English, Greek, and Slovene. It is ultimately derived from the Greek element νίκη (nike) meaning "victory," which also comes from...

Niki 1 Feminine Greek Greek

Niki 1 is a modern Greek feminine name derived from Nike, the ancient Greek goddess of victory. The name Nike comes from the Greek word níkē (νίκη), meaning "victory." In modern Greek usage, Niki serves as a direct adapt...

Nikiforos Masculine Greek Greek

EtymologyNikiforos is a modern Greek transcription of the ancient name Nikephoros, which is derived from the Greek elements nike meaning "victory" and phero meaning "to carry, to bear." The full meaning is "carrying vict...

Nikitas Masculine Greek Greek

Nikitas is a modern Greek transcription of the ancient name Niketas. The name Niketas itself is derived from the Greek word νικητής (niketes), meaning "winner, victor". This etymology ties the name directly to the concep...

Nikodimos Masculine Greek Greek

Etymology and OriginNikodimos is the modern Greek form of the ancient Greek name Nicodemus, itself derived from the Greek name Nikodemos (Νικόδημος). The name is composed of two elements: nikē (νίκη) meaning “victory” an...

Nikol Feminine Bulgarian Czech +1 Bulgarian Czech Greek

Nikol is a feminine given name used in Czech, Bulgarian, and Greek, serving as the form of Nicole in those languages. As with Nicole, it ultimately derives from the Greek name Νικόλαος (Nikolaos), meaning "victory of the...

Nikolaos Masculine Greek Ancient Greek Greek Ancient Greek

Nikolaos is a Greek given name, a direct form of the name Nicholas. In Ancient Greek it is Νικόλαος (Nikolaos), derived from νίκη (nikē), meaning "victory," and λαός (laos), meaning "people," thus meaning "victory of the...

Nikolas Masculine English Greek English Greek

Nikolas is a given name that appears in both English and Greek usage. It serves as a variant of Nikolaos (Greek) or Nicholas (English). The name ultimately derives from the Greek νίκη (nike) meaning "victory" and λαός (l...

Nikoleta Feminine Bulgarian Greek +1 Bulgarian Greek Slovak

Nikoleta is a feminine given name used in Bulgarian, Greek, and Slovak, among other languages. It is a form of Nicolette, which is a Diminutive of Nicole, itself the French feminine form of Nicholas. The name Nicholas ul...