Tag Archives: Mythological Names

Despoina, Despina

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Greek/Romanian
Meaning: “miss; damsel; lady.”
(des-PEE-nah)

This popular Greek name started off in Greek Mythology as both an epithet for Persephone as well as the name of a separate goddess who was considered the sister of Persephone and second daughter of Demeter. According to legend, after Persephone had been kidnapped by Hades, Demeter went out to look for her when she caught the attention of the god Poseidon. Poseidon was completely enamored with Demeter. In order to avoid him, Demeter transformed herself into a mare while Poseidon followed suit by transforming himself into a stallion. Demeter could not fight off his advances and she ended up conceiving and giving birth to twins: Despoina, and a beautiful stallion by the name of Arion. Demeter was very angry and took the name Erinyes, meaning raging. In some renditions of the myth, the name of the child is not mentioned and was only revealed to the initiates of Demeter, and Despoina was just a generic term to describe the girl child as in “the Lady”. Despoina was worshipped in the Arcadian region, her temple being in the town of Lykosoura, where she became an even more important goddess than her mother. The name is also borne by a saint and a Romanian queen. It is the name of one of the moons of Neptune. The designated name day in Greece is August 15. In Romanian, it is often rendered as Despina.

Laima

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Lithuanian/Latvian
Meaning: “luck”
(LYE-mah)

Limey Laima! The name has a rather acidic sound, but its associations and meaning in Baltic culture is rather interesting. The name is associated with the Latvian and Lithuanian words for luck or fate, in Baltic mythology, it was borne by the goddess of childbirth and midwifery. Known as one of the three fates, her sisters were Dekla and Karta and it is often believed by scholars that Laima is related to the Hindu goddess, Lakshmi Mata, the goddess of luck and wealth. Since the Baltic languages are some of the very few European tongues that still retain a lot of ancient Indo-European roots, both linguistically and culturally, Baltic mythology had very strong similarities to modern Hindu religions. The three sisters, known as the Laimas, or the fates so to speak, were a sort of trinity that was in charge of the future and destiny of each and every individual. It is believed that they were actually one in the same being, Laima being the most powerful personification. Laima was also associated with two other goddesses, Laimė and Dalia, both of whom were considered consorts to the more powerful Laima. Laima was often associated with the cuckoo and it was believed that she was the one in charge of deciding who young maids would marry. She was also in charge of dispensing destiny to newborns. Even after the advent of Christianity, Laima still plays a significant role in Latvian and Lithuanian folklore. She is often the subject of folksongs, any song to do with a cuckoo and a lime tree are usually in reference to her (the lime tree was sacred to her). She even inspired a Latvian chocolate company to take her name. The company is such a big household name throughout the Baltic States that in Riga there is a clock commissioned by the company entitled the Laima Clock. It is one of Riga’s prized centre pieces and it is a popular meeting spot for friends, lovers and tourists. Despite its chocolatey associations, the name is still considered a rather ordinary female name in both Latvia and Lithuania. Its designated name day is August 12. Other forms include the Lithuanian forms of Laimona (lye-MOH-nah) and the male version of Laimonas.

Helara

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Greek/Latvian
Meaning: unknown.
Lat (HEL-uh-ruh); Grk (ay-LAH-rah).
The name is borne in Greek mythology by a daughter of a Orchomenus. She was impregnated by Zeus and gave birth to the hut god Tityus. Zeus had to hide her away from the wrath of Hera by concealing her under a mound of earth. The name is sometimes listed as Helare and it is most often used in Latvia where its designated name day is Aug 7th.

Lada

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Czech/Polish/Croatian
Meaning: unknown.
(LAH-dah)

Lada or Lado is the name given to a folkloric Polish/Czech goddess of merriment, youth, love and beauty. During Slavic Revivalism, she was a sort of invention, a direct response to the Greco-Roman goddess Venus/Aphrodite. In reality, Lada never existed in the true pre-Christian Slavic pantheon. Often regarded as Slavic Fakelore, during the Renaissance when the rest of Europe was exploring its ancient mythologies for artistic inspiration, many Slavic writers, such as the Polish Jan Dlugosz and the Czech historian Cosmas of Prague tried to do the same, but with one obstacle: Slavic Mythology hadn’t been as well recorded as Greco-Roman. With a lack of such poets as Virgils and Ovids, Dlugosz and Cosmas had no other resort but to make up romanticised gods out of thin air. Mostly inspired by Greco-Roman myths, they came up with the idea that the ancients Slavs worshipped Mars and Jupiter. Lado and Lada were terms often heard in Polish, Croatian and Czech folk songs that retained pre-Christian elements. It was assumed by Dlugosz that Lado must have been a god, possibly Cupid or Mars and its feminine sounding element Lada must be Aphrodite or Venus. However, later historians were unable to associato “lado” or even “lada” with any sort of god. All that is known is that its a term or refrain that appears quite a bit in midsummer folk songs. One theory is that “lado” or “lada” is merely an explanation, somewhat an equivalent of “hey, hey hey” or “Ooo yeah” in many modern pop and rock songs we hear today. These expressions really have no meaning other than to add rhythm to the song being sung. In any case, Lada caught on as a popular female name, especially in the Czech Republic. It is also the name of a Russian car, no doubt, named for the fictional Slavic goddess. Its name day is Aug 7.

Melissa, Melitta

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Greek
Meaning: “honey bee.”
 Μελισσα, Μελιττα
 (meh-LIS-sah); (meh-LIT-tah)

Melissa feels dull and rather dated, though it should not be overlooked that Melissa actually has a cool meaning and a pretty interesting mythological story behind it. Melissa comes directly from the Greek word for a honey bee. Some sources insist that the Greek word Melissa is a bastardization of an ancient Hititte word for honey, though I was unable to confirm this. In Greek mythology, Melissa was a Cretan princess who served the god Zeus honey. Out of appreciation, he transformed her into a honey bee. In 1984, Melissa had a peak, where it came in at # 8. It currently stands at # 134. Though Melissa has run her course, the ancient Attic variation of Melitta might be a far more refreshing alternative. Melitta has been in usage in Germany for quite awhile. In fact, its the name of a German coffee company. The company was named in honour of the wife of the company’s founder, Melitta Bentz (1873-1950).

Zora

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Old Slavonic
Meaning: “dawn.”
(ZOH-rah).

She is exotic and mysterious, zesty and modern. Earlier, I had posted about the Slovenian name Zarja (ZAHR-yah). Zora is its original Old Slavonic counterpart, meaning “dawn” It is used in vitually every Slavic speaking country, though it has yet to catch on in Poland. It is even used in Hungary. Due to its easy pronunciation and spelling, the name is due to catch on in English speaking countries.
The name has somewhat of an ancient history, in Slavic mythology, it was borne by the three guardian goddesses known as the auroras. Their names were numerous, including, Zvezda, Zory and Danica. Included are, Zorya Utrennyaya also known as Zvezda Danica, Zvezda Zornitsa and Zwezda Dnieca. She is responsible for opening the heavenly gates so that the sun chariot can enter each morning, giving the world sunlight in the day time. She is often associated with horses and the planet venus, and is known as a great warrior woman. Zorya Vechernyaya is the goddess associated with the evening star, also known as Zwezda Wieczernica, she is responsible for closing the gates behind the sun as it leaves each evening. Then we have Zorya Polunochyaya, the goddess of the midnight star. It is in her arms that the sun curles up and dies each night and is brought back to life at dawn. She is known as the goddess of rebirth, death and mysticism. In some myths, Zorya is a chief goddess, and is considered to be the wife of the moon god Myesyats. In other legends, the zoryas are considered the protectors of the constellation Ursa Minor. If it breaks from the chain, the doomsday dog will eat it, and then the world will end. In other myths, Myesyats is a goddess and the zoryas are her virgin attendants. In this form, they are associated with marriage, exorcism and protection.
In other myths, we have Zaria or Zarja, (Old Slavonic for “sunrise”). She was known as the goddess of beauty and was named the “heavenly bride,” by her worshippers. She was often associated with the morning. She is most likely a variation of the zoryas. In Croatia and in Slovakia, the name day is July 19.

Camilla

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Unknown
(kah-MIL-lah)

Camilla, a little stodgy, a little dramatic, and a little British nobility, most of the English speaking world would probably associate her with Camilla Parker-Bowles, now the legitimate wife to Prince Charles.

Then we have Camille, a classy French feminine name that brings to mind pastellic landscapes and Claude Monet, but wait, Camille is actually a masculine name!

The origins of Camilla goes back to the very foundations of Rome itself.

In Roman mythology, Camilla of the Volsci was a pre-Roman princess. Her father, Metabus, was deposed by his own people; running for his life, along with his infant daughter, he tied Camilla to a spear and consecrated her to the goddess Diana, in hopes that the goddess would intercede for his only child’s life. In exchange, he promised that Camilla would be Diana’s loyal servant and forever remain a virgin in the goddess’ honour. Attached to the spear, Metabus threw Camilla to the otherside of the River Amasenus, and Camilla survived unscathed.

In Virgil’s the Aeneid, it is confirmed that Camilla is the loyal servant of Diana, but also a great warrior. It is said that she is so swift, that she can run across a body of water without getting her feet wet. She allied herself with the other pre-Roman peoples in order to defeat the Trojans who had recently taken refuge in Rome and were gradually taking power.Camilla was killed by Arruns in battle, and Diana in rage had another servant of hers, Opis, kill Arruns to avenge Camilla’s death.

In later years, Camilla became a Roman cognomen being masculinized to Camillus. The exact origins and meaning of the name are unclear. It is believed that it is of Etruscan origins and that its meaning has been lost to history.

In France, Camille was a male name, (and still is considered a male name but has recently become more common on females). It wasn’t until the turn of the century that its usage on females arose. In France’s top 100 female names of 2006, Camille came in at # 7. Even so, for the sake of policy, this blog will list Camille as a masculine name.

Notable males with this include, Camille Saint-Saëns, a famous composer. Camille Nimr Chamoun, former president of Lebanon. Nicholas Camille Flammarion, a French astrononomer. Camille Desmoulins, a close associate of Georges Danton, (he was a journalist who played a role in the French Revolution), as well as French impressionist painter, Camille Passarro.

Its notable female bearers cannot go unignored. It was borne by French sculptor, Camille Claudel, and it is also borne by American feminist, Camille Paglia.

Camilla has other masculine forms. In Polish and Czech it is Kamil (kah-MEEL) and it is fairly popular name in both countries, as is its feminine counterpart, Kamila.

Lebanese Christians also favor this name because it works well in the Arabic language, yet fits into the edicts of their faith. While St. Camillus de Lellis, (whose feast day is July 14), is a popular Catholic saint, Kamil also coincides with the Arabic word meaning “whole; complete; or perfect,” so for many Middle Eastern Christians, its a 2-for-1 name.

There is also the Italian male form of Camillo and the Spanish Camilo.

Camellia is often times seen as a cognate of Camilla. Its actually a botanical name that really has no etymological relations to the ancient name. It was named for botanist Rev. George Joseph Kamel.

Other forms of the name include:

  • Kamilia (Bielorusian)
  • Kamila (Bosnian/Czech/Slovak/Polish)
  • Camilla (Danish/English/German/Italian/Latin/Norwegian/Swedish)
  • Kamilla (Finnish/Icelandic/Hungarian)
  • Kamilė (Lithuanian)
  • Kamilija (Lithuanian)
  • Kamilijana/Kamilijona (Lithuanian)
  • Camila (Spanish/Portuguese)

Masculine forms include:

  • Kamil (Czech/German/Polish)
  • Camille (French)
  • Kamill/Kamilló (Hungarian)
  • Camillo (Italian)
  • Camillus (Latin)
  • Kamilas/Kamilis (Lithuanian)
  • Kamilijus (Lithuanin)
  • Camilo (Spanish/Portuguese)

Possible nickname options are Cammie, Cam, Milla, and Millie.



Iphigenia, Iphigénie

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Greek
Meaning: “strong born.”
(if-fih-JEN-yah); (EE-FEE-ZHAY-NEE)

Iphigenia is a latinized version of the Greek, Iphigeneia, which is composed of the elements iphios (ιφιος), meaning “strong, stout” and genes, (γενης), meaning “born”

The name is borne in Greek mythology by the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, when Agamemnon had offended Artemis by hunting a deer in her sacred grove, it was decided that it appeasement, Iphigenia had to be sacrificed.

In Homer’s the Illiad, her name is Iphianassa which may be of the same etymological root.

It is also the name of a French opera which is based on the above legend.

In Boccaccio’s the Decameron, it is the name of a beautiful damsel, loved by the unlettered and ignorant Cypriot youth by the name of Cymon.
Through the power of love, however, Cymon becomes a polished and literate nobleman and marries Iphigenia.

This tale was the inspiration of many artists, most notably, Benjamin West, John Everett Millais and Frederic Leighton.

Other forms of the name include: (Note: Keep in mind that some of these forms are not widely used in their home countries)

  • Ifigènia (Catalan)
  • Ífigeneia (Czech)
  • Iphigénie (French)
  • Ifigenia (German/Italian/Polish/Romanian/Scandinavian/Spanish)
  • Iphigenie (German)
  • Ifigeneia Ἰφιγένεια (Greek: Modern)
  • Ifigenija (Lithuanian)
  • Ifigénia (Portuguese: European)
  • Ifigênia (Portuguese: Brazilian)

Its designated name day in France is July 9.

Possible nickname options are Iffy and Genie.

Kólga, Kolka

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  • Gender: Feminine
  • Origin: Old Norse/Icelandic
  • Meaning: “the cool; cool wave; heavy clouds.”
  • Swe/Nor. (KOOL-gah); O.N. (KOLE-gah); Ice. (KULL-kah)

The name is borne in Norse Mythology by one of the nine sea maidens born of the goddess Ran. In modern Iceland, the name has evolved into Kolka, its older rendition often used as a horse name and literally meaning heavy clouds, or overcast in modern Icelandic. The term Kólga was often used in Norse poems to describe the waves. It was a favorite term in kennings. With the revival of Old Norse names in Sweden and Norway, it is possible that Kolga could catch on. The other 3 sisters of whom I will not go into anymore detail are Hefring (Riser); Blodguhadda (Bloody-hair) and Udr (frothing wave) which in Modern Icelandic is Unnur (UN-nur). Hefring and Blodguhadda were never used as names outside the myths.

Dúfa

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Old Norse/Icelandic
Meaning: “pitching one; pigeon; dove.”
(DOO-vah).

In old Norse the name means “pitching one.” It was the name of one of the nine daughters of the sea goddess Rán. In modern Icelandic, the name is interchangeable with the word for dove or pigeon. It is still a common female first name in Iceland.

Another offshoot of the original old Norse form is the Frisian Dufina (doo-FEE-nah) and the Dutch Dyveke.