Ancient Greek male names. Greek male names: a list of beautiful modern and ancient names of Greek origin

Many names that seem originally Russian are actually Greek: Stepan, Timofey, Fedor, Makar, Vasily, Alexey. The list of famous Greek male names can be continued for a long time. People like greek names, because in meaning they mean positive characteristics person: wisdom, kindness, reliability, courage, masculinity. But these are precisely the qualities that society expects from a man.

History of the origin of Greek male names

How did you get to us? male names Greek origin? Partly through mythology, but mainly from religion. The Greeks had a tremendous influence on world culture and everyday life

With the spread of Christianity, ancient Greek words entered our everyday life and became intertwined with it so closely that it is difficult to immediately determine where the word is Slavic origin, and where is the Greek.

The Gospels and Epistles of the Apostles were distributed in Greek. Russian Orthodox Church At one time it was called the “Greek Catholic” or “Greek Rite Church.” The Greek names themselves (before they came to us) came from ancient Greek and Latin.

Interesting information: among the Greeks, when a woman gets married, she takes not only her surname, but also her husband’s patronymic.

List of beautiful names for a boy

All of them are beautiful, just some are unusual to the ear, but others are especially sonorous:

Aristarchus translated means “ best leader" Life credo: “If you hurry, you will make people laugh”;
Arkady. The name comes from the name of the region of Arcadia (Greek territory);
Artemy is interpreted as “healthy”;
Arseny - “mature”, “courageous”, which is the most valuable qualities for a man;
Georgy - “farmer”;
Evsey is translated as “pious,” that is, highly moral, resistant to temptation;
Elisha is a variant of the name Odysseus ("angry"). Yes, the translation is formidable, but it sounds beautiful and such a person has a good character: he is reliable, smart, fair;
Leonidas is “son of the lion” both in translation and in personal qualities;
Rodion was formed from the ancient Greek Herodion (“hero”, “heroic”);
Sevastyan - “highly revered”;
Felix is translated from Greek as “prosperous.” This is the case when appearances are deceptive: people may consider Felix careless, but in fact he is firm in his intentions, sets goals for himself and goes towards them;
Philip - “horse lover”. For the Greeks, the horse represents courage and power.

Rare male names of Greek origin

We will consider rare names that are found in 10 or fewer newborns per month in the registry office statistics:

Gerasim - “respected”;
Demyan - “submissive”;
Demid is interpreted as “the care of God”;
Eustachius means “fertile”;
Heraclius consists of two words: "Hera" (the name of the goddess) and "kleos" ("glory");
Orestes - "mountain";
Plato translated from Greek means “broad-shouldered”;
Prokhor means “choir manager”;
Pankrat - “all-powerful”;
Trofim is translated as “breadwinner”.

Their rarity may be due to their outdated sound. However, each name meaning is quite pleasant.

Modern popular names and their meanings

Despite the tendency to call children complex, rare names, the usual ones also do not give up their position.

Modern Greek names are as follows:

Artem. He stands firmly on his own, knows exactly what he wants from life, and is extremely hardworking. Respects authorities, but does not subservient to them;
Alexander. Strives to do everything perfectly the first time. Rarely allows himself to show emotions in public. Will not engage in idle chatter, but will competently support a substantive conversation;
Anton is a solid, independent and at the same time quite shy person;
It is not for nothing that Alexey is translated as “defender”; he fully corresponds to this characteristic;
Andrey is the life of the party, and therefore a well-connected person. Representative creative profession;
Victor means "winner". An adventurer, but by no means frivolous, because he has developed sense responsibility;
Vasily is distinguished by limitless patience and balance. Strong intuitive, but bases judgments on logic and facts;
Gregory - from the Greek “awake”. Sensitive nature and capable “techie”. A faithful family man who values home comfort;
Denis is an active and curious boy. Growing up, he becomes neat and diligent;
Evgeniy is a born diplomat: non-conflict, knows how to negotiate and find a compromise;
Egor is a Russian variation of the Greek name Georgiy ("tiller of the earth");
Nikolai is translated as “people's winner.” Nothing can set him off, he is extremely resilient;
Nikita. The key character trait is charm, this attracts many people to him.

Interesting fact: there are Greek names that are on everyone's lips, but their popularity has dropped sharply over the past year. For example, such names include Anatoly, Valentin, Gennady, Valery.

Ancient and forgotten names

Some names are outdated due to the desire to name children in a European way, and some for historical reasons or because of their interpretation, for example:

Nicodemus is translated as “the conquering people.” It has never been popular with the population because it sounds unfriendly;
Agathon - “kind”. Used only in the lower classes;
Anfim means "flower", which by modern standards does not sound very masculine;
Agap, Agapit. Translation from Greek is “beloved”, now the word is forgotten;
Anastasy - “resurrected”, turned into the female name Anastasia;
Efim - “who foretells good.” This was the name of the clergy, but was not used by the people;
Evdokim - “honorable”. This name was given when becoming a monk;
Luke means "light." It has fallen out of use because it is associated with the word “cunning” (insincerity, cunning);
Macarius - “blessed”, but also translated as “blessed”, which in modern society understood as “strange”, “eccentric”;
Potap means “wanderer”. Lost popularity due to its old-fashioned sound.

Have you noticed that pop stars often take such names as their pseudonyms? The words are rare, that is, they add uniqueness to the speaker; At the same time, they are sonorous and well remembered.

How to choose a Greek name for a boy

Believers follow the custom of naming in honor of a saint based on their date of birth or adjacent numbers. Name options for a boy church calendar there are many, several names of revered elders and martyrs. For example, a son was born on January 31st. We open the calendar and see that on this day Kirill, Dmitry, Emelyan are venerated. There will be other options, not Greek.

You can also start from the desired meaning, a certain image that is significant for parents. For example, a woman who has not been able to get pregnant for a long time may name her son Fedot (“ given by God", "gifted") or Chariton ("grace").

It happens that parents want to name their son after a character from myths Ancient Greece so that he is as respected and significant. For example, Zeno (“belonging to Zeus”), Zinovy (“the power of Zeus”), Isidore (“the gift of Isis”), Taras (the son of Poseidon in mythology), Tikhon (in honor of the goddess of luck Tyukhe).

The name should sound consistent with the patronymic. Say it out loud and cut off incompatible, absurd, difficult-to-pronounce pairs: for example, Nestor Alexandrovich is less harmonious than Pyotr Alexandrovich. But combinations sound harmonious where the first name and patronymic begin with the same letter (Vasily Vitalievich) or the same consonant is repeated (Kuzma Mikhailovich).

When choosing a name, remember that a person will have to wear it all his life. How cute does that sound to little boy, but it will create discomfort and will not cause the best associations for an adult man.

Agap (Agapion, Agapit)- loving.
Agathon (Agapon)- noble, virtuous.
Adrian- resident of the city of Adria.
Akakiy (Akasha)- not doing evil.
Alexander- protective husband.
Alexei- defender.
Ambrose (Abrosim)- immortal.
Anatoly- sunrise, east.
Andrey- brave, courageous.
Anisim- execution, completion.
Arius- militant.
Aristarchus (Aristides)- the head of the best.
Arkady- happy country
Arseny (Arsen)- courageous
Artem- perfect health.
Arkhip- lord of horses.
Afanasy- immortal.
Basil- king, royal
Vissarion- forest.
Galaktion- milk.
Gennady- noble, well-born.
Georgy (Egor, Yuri, Zhora, Georges)- farmer
Gerasim- venerable.
Gordey (Gordius)- the name of the Phrygian king.
Gordon- awake.
Gregory- awake.
Demid (Deomid)- thought of Zeus.
Demyan (Damian)- gracious.
Denis- on behalf of Dionysus - the god of nature and wine.
Dmitriy- demetris - dedicated to Demeter, the goddess of fertility.
Dorofei- a gift from the gods.
Eugene- noble, descendant of a noble family.
Evgraf- well-written, well-inscribed.
Evdokim- nice.
Evsey- pious.
Emelyan- flattering, pleasant in words.
Ermolai- messenger of the people.
Erofey- sacred.
Efim (Efimy)- pious.
Zinovy- living a godly life.
Zosima- alive.
Jerome- sacred.
Ilian- sunny
Hilarion- cheerful, joyful.
Hippolytus- unharnessing horses.
Irakli- glory to Hera, goddess of marriage and conjugal love.
Isidore- gift of Isis, ancient greek goddess agriculture.
Kirill- Lord.
Kondrat- broad-shouldered.
Xanth- fiery, red.
Kuzma- mobile.
Leo (Leon)- from gr. the word "leo" meaning "lion".
Leonid- son of a lion.
Leonty- lion.
Makar- blissful, happy.
Methodius- detective.
Miron- fragrant oil.
Nestor- returned to his homeland.
Nikanor- seeing victory.
Nikita- winner.
Nikifor- winner.
Nikolay- winner of nations, victory of people.
Nikon- victorious
Nifont - distinguishing feature, sign.
Oles- defender.
Onesimus- useful.
Orestes- mountaineer, one who can conquer mountains.
Pamfil (Panfil)- loved by everyone.
Pankrat- omnipotent, omnipotent.
Paramon- solid, reliable.
Peter- rock, stone.
Pimen- shepherd.
Plato- broad-shouldered.
Porfiry- crimson.
Prokofy- advanced, successful.
Prokhor- choir director, choir leader, singer.
Radium- Sunbeam.
Rodion- resident of the island of Rhodes, heroic, pink.
Sevastyan- highly respected.
Socrates (Stacrates)- maintaining power.
Spartacus- trampling
Stephen- wreath.
Stoyan- strong, unbending, warlike.
Thais- wise, late.
Taras- restless, exciting.
Tigran- hot-tempered.
Tigris- brindle.
Timon- reverent.
Timofey- worshiper of God.
Tikhon- successful, bringing happiness.
Tryphon- luxurious.
Trofim- breadwinner, pet.
Theodosius- God-given.
Philemon- Darling.
Philip- loving ending.
Khariton- generous.
Christian- Christian.
Christopher- bearer of Christ.
Yukhim (Yakim)- complacent
Jason- doctor.

Under the sign of Gemini

Names of Hellenic origin seem to force a person to constantly make metaphysical choices: between good and evil, immortality and death. The choice is made at the level of information, thoughts, knowledge about the world. Astrologers say that bearers of such names need to carefully monitor the purity of their thoughts. A man with a Greek name should be sociable, strive to understand the world and gain new knowledge and sensations. After all, the sign of Gemini is ruled by Mercury, which determines such traits as curiosity, mobility, and sociability.

Men who have Greek names have business acumen and are successful in business and trade. It is believed that Hellenic names have a beneficial effect on the opening creative talents. The ancients believed that a person’s future depended on their name. Therefore, by calling a boy a Greek name, you can believe that he will achieve a lot in life.

In general, the entire culture of Ancient Greece is based on the idea of fate, the dictates of fate. At the same time, heroes who dared to challenge fate were extolled to the skies in this country. Male Greek names reflect not only the history of Greece, but are also a link between the great past of this amazing state and its present. Alas, but in last decades, many Greek families violate historical traditions and give children names that are sometimes not even Hellenistic.

Modern beautiful male names in Greece

Modern Greek male names can be divided into two groups: ancient (or mythological) and Orthodox. Antique, these are names such as Sophocles, Odysseas, Socrates; Orthodox - Georgios, Vasilios. A third group can be distinguished - names of Jewish or Latin origin, for example, Ioannis or Konstantinos. In the twentieth century, Western European names such as Robertos and Eduardos also came into Greek use.

Greek names are used both in formal and colloquial forms. The boy Georgios in the yard will most likely be called Yorgus, Ioannis - Yannis, Emmanuel - Manolis. At the request of the owner, the passport may contain the colloquial form of the name. In general, the Greeks are very democratic about this issue. A person can be officially called one way, but go through life under a completely different nickname, including indicating it on business cards, signing books, articles, etc.

IN modern Greece the most common names are: Georgios, Konstantinos, Ioannis, Dimitrios, Nikolaos, Vasilios, Christos, Evangelos, Panagiotis. This list is based on a survey of one hundred thousand people and claims to be accurate. Accents in Greek names are mandatory: IoAnnis, Nikolaos, Christos. So, before communicating with a Greek, you should clarify which syllable the stress falls on in his name.

Meaning of male Greek names

In Greek names, both male and female, several groups can be distinguished, based on how the name arose. Most of names are determined by some positive external data or character traits. These names arose because parents wanted the child to have only the best traits. Hence the choice of name.

Such Greek male names as Alexander, Vasily, Alexey, Nikolay, Gennady, Evgeny. These names are very common in Russia, so let's take a closer look at some of them.

Name Alexander was formed from two Greek words meaning “man” and “protector”. The main qualities of the Alexandrovs were assumed to be courage, sharp mind, determination, but at the same time, greater sensitivity. Alexander can be quick-tempered and even impudent, but he is always the life of the party. Agree, this description is very reminiscent of the surviving descriptions of Alexander the Great.

Alexei translated from Greek language, as "assistant". A person bearing this name must have seriousness, assertiveness, desire to know the truth and achieve perfection. At the same time, Alexey is calm and respectful. According to astrologers, people with this name always know what they need from life. You may not believe in the “magic of a name,” but numerous examples from history confirm that most often Alexey is a person ready to help.

Basil- “royal”. It is implied that Vasily is a powerful, stubborn person who can stand up for himself. Vasily strives for power, for glory. Hardworking, optimistic. But sometimes he has selfish traits.

Names derived from the names of pagan gods and plant names

As is known, the ancient Greeks were pagans and they worshiped a whole host of all kinds of deities. In addition, mythological characters were held in high esteem, many of whom were deified. The meaning of some Greek names is semantically related to the names of the “inhabitants of Olympus”. For example, these are names such as Denis, Dmitry, Artem.

Name Dmitry translated means “fruit of the earth.” This word is an indirect interpretation the name Demetris, semantically related to the name Demeter. As is known from ancient greek myths, - goddess of fertility. Parents who name their child Demetriss (Dmitry) hope that their son will be businesslike, thorough and talented.

Name Artem (Artemy), translated as “unharmed.” Formed based on the naming of the goddess, the patroness of hunters. Artem knows what he wants from life, but he will never “go over his head” for the sake of a career. Flexible and loyal.

There are male Greek names that come from the names of plants, animals, some objects or concepts, for example, Peter and Nikon. Peter means "stone". The boy was expected to have a strong character. Nikon - “victory”. Parents who called their son this name believed that he would be successful in any field.

Good afternoon, dear readers! In this article we will look at Greek male names that are common in the Russian-speaking space, and their meanings, as well as names that are especially popular in Greece itself.

It is also possible that this article will help you choose a beautiful Greek name for a boy, who knows! So let's begin...

Popular Greek male names

Greek names came to us along with Christianity. Many of them were paired, some (Evgeniy - Evgeniya, for example) are still in use today. And there are also those that are almost never found. So, if the name Anastasius (paired with Anastasia) can be heard, it is only in monasteries.

Most names have Ancient Greek origin, which means they are closely related to the culture and history of Greece. Let's start with those names that are related to ancient Greek mythology.

Male names and myths of Ancient Greece

Name Dmitriy or Demetrius (Δημήτριος) associated with the ancient Greek goddess of fertility Demeter (Δημήτηρ) and translated as “dedicated to Demeter.”

Denis (Διόνυσος) was originally a shortened form of the name Dionysius. It comes from the name Διόνυσος. Dictionaries indicate two meanings: the first, in fact, is the name of Dionysus himself, greek god winemaking, and the second is a synonym for the word Διονυσιακός, which means “belonging to Dionysus.”

Another name supposedly associated with mythology is Artemy (Αρτέμιος). Today, its colloquial form is more common - Artyom. According to one version, the name means “ dedicated to Artemis» ( Artemis - Ἄρτεμις- goddess of hunting and female chastity). According to another, more probable, it came from the ancient Greek word ἀρτεμής - “healthy, unharmed.”

The word νίκη - “victory” is found in many names: Nikolai (Νικόλαος)- νίκη + λαός - “people”, Nikita (Νικήτας)-- from the Greek νικητής - “winner”, Nikifor (Νικηφόρος)- from the ancient Greek νικηφόρος - “victorious” and others. And also Nika (Νίκη)- the name of the ancient Greek goddess of victory.

Male names and place names

There are also names that come from the name of a locality.

For example, Anatoly (Ανατόλιος) derived from ανατολικός, which means “eastern” (ανατολή - “east”, “sunrise”). Anatolia is one of the names of Asia Minor.

Name Arkady derived from the word Ἀρκάς (form genitive case- Ἀρκάδος), which translates as “resident of Arcadia.” Arcadia (Αρκαδία) is a region in Greece on the Peloponnese peninsula. IN ancient times Cattle breeding was developed there, hence figurative meaning named Arkady - “shepherd”. The name of this area is presumably associated with the name of the son of Zeus and the nymph Callisto, whose name was Arkad (Arkas - Ἀρκάς).

Residents of Arcadia national costumes. Each of them is Arkas. Photo www.arcadiaportal.gr/

“Talking” names

Among the Greek names there are many that mean something positive quality- wisdom, strength, nobility.

Alexander (Αλέξανδρος)- perhaps the most common name. It was formed from two ancient Greek words: ἀλέξω - “to protect” and ἀνδρός - the genitive form of ἀνήρ - “man”. So this name is translated as “protector of men.” The name has a similar meaning Alexey (Αλέξιος) from ἀλέξω - “to protect”, “to repel”, “to prevent”.

A name with a similar meaning - Andrey (Ανδρεας). It comes from the Greek word ανδρείος - “brave, courageous.”

Here are two more “manly” names: Leonidas (Λεωνίδας)- means “like a lion”: λέων - “lion”, είδος - “similar”, “kind” and Peter (Πέτρος)- translated from ancient Greek as “rock, stone.”

A good example of “speaking names” is Evgeniy (Ευγένιος). It is derived from the ancient Greek word εὐγενής - “noble”, “noble” (εὖ - “good” and γένος - “kind”). A name of similar meaning is Gennady (Γεννάδιος). It goes back to the ancient Greek word γεννάδας - “of noble birth.”

Kirill (Κύριλλος) comes from the word Κύρος “power”, “authority”, which was derived from the ancient Greek κύριος - “lord”.

Another “noble” name - Vasily (Βασίλειος). It goes back to the ancient Greek word βασίλιος (βασίλειος) - “royal, royal” from βασιλεύς - “king, ruler”.

Name George (Γεώργιος) derived from the ancient Greek word γεωργός - “farmer”. The names Yuri and Egor are its derivatives; in the 1930s they were recognized as independent names. Another derivative is the word “to deceive” - “to deceive”. This word has a curious etymology: on St. George, in the fall, transactions and tax collection were carried out, peasants could move from one owner to another. Literally it meant “to deceive on Yuryev (Yegoryev) day.”

Don't confuse it with the name Gregory (Γρηγόριος)- from γρηγορέύω - to stay awake, to be vigilant, to hurry, as well as γρήγορος - fast, nimble, alive.

Here's an unexpected example. What do most Russians associate the name Kuzma or Kuzya with? With a cartoon about a brownie. 🙂 But it’s not that simple. The original form of this name is Kozma (Kozma - Κοσμάς) and it comes from the Greek word κόσμος - “space, universe, order.” It’s also interesting that in Russian there is a word “(pod)kuzmit”. Its meaning is almost the opposite - to plot, deceive, let down.

Name Fedor (Theodore - Θεόδωρος) means “God’s gift” from θεός - “God” and δῶρον - “gift”. This name is not the only one in which the word θεός appears. For example, popular in last years Name Timofey (Τιμώθεος)- translated as “honoring God” - τιμώ - “honor” and θεός - “god”.

By the way, Fedot is also a Greek name - Θεοδότης , that is, given to God.

Male names most popular in Greece itself

At one time, a study was conducted on 60 thousand Greek male names, and it gave an interesting result. As it turned out, almost half of the country’s male population (47%) are bearers of only six names!

The most common name is Γεώργιος (Yorgos, George), 11.1 percent of men wear it.

Ιωάννης - Yannis, John 8.55%
Κωνσταντίνος – Konstantinos 7.97%
Δημήτρης - Dimitris, Dmitry 7.65%
Νικόλαος - Nikolaos, Nikolai 6.93%
Παναγιώτης – Panagiotis 4.71%

All the rest make up a motley picture of more than five hundred names of the of different origins. Another 30 names from the most common:

Βασίλης - Vasilis 3.60
Χρήστος - Christ 3.56
Αθανάσιος – Athanasios 2.43
Μιχαήλ — Michael 2.27
Ευάγγελος — Evangelos 1.98
Σπύρος - Spyros (Spyridon) 1.98
Αντώνης - Antonis 1.87
Αναστάσιος – Anastasios 1.64
Θεόδωρος – Theodoros 1.57
Ανδρέας — Andreas 1.54
Χαράλαμπος - Charalambos 1.54
Αλέξανδρος – Alexandros 1.45
Εμμανουήλ - Emmanuel 1.37
Ηλίας - Ilias 1.34
Σταύρος — Stavros 1.02

Πέτρος - Petros 0.94
Σωτήριος - Sotiris 0.92
Στυλιανός — Stylianos 0.88
Ελευθέριος - Eleftherios 0.78
Απόστολος - Apostolos 0.75
Φώτιος — Photios 0.68
Διονύσιος - Dionysios 0.65
Γρηγόριος - Grigorios 0.64
Άγγελος - Angelos 0.62
Στέφανος — Stefanos 0.59
Ευστάθιος - Eustathios 0.59
Παύλος - Pavlos 0.56
Παρασκευάς - Paraskevas 0.56
Αριστείδης - Aristidis 0.56
Λεωνίδας — Leonidas 0.50

Ancient Greek names

Of the five hundred most common names in Greece, 120 are ancient Greek. If we talk about the share of such names in the total mass, then they are no more than 5 percent. Most common names Αριστείδης (Aristides) And Λεωνίδας (Leonidas), they are in the list in 35th and 36th places, respectively.

Below are the 50 most popular ancient names out of these 120. I am writing the Greek pronunciation, you already know the adapted version or you can come up with it yourself.)

Αριστείδης - Aristidis
Λεωνίδας — Leonidas
Περικλής - Periklis
Δημοσθένης - Dimosthenis
Μιλτιάδης - Miltiadis
Αχιλλέας - Achilleas
Θεμιστοκλής - Themistoklis
Ηρακλής - Iraklis (Hercules)
Σωκράτης - Socrates
Αριστοτέλης - Aristotelis
Επαμεινώνδας - Epaminondas
Ξενοφών - Xenophon
Οδυσσέας - Odysseas
Σοφοκλής - Sophocles
Ορέστης - Orestis
Αριστομένης - Aristomenis
Μενέλαος - Menelaos
Τηλέμαχος - Tilemakhos
Αλκιβιάδης — Alkibiadis
Κίμων - Kimon
Θρασύβουλος — Thrasivoulos
Αγησίλαος – Agisilaos
Αρης - Aris
Νέστωρ - Nestor
Πάρις - Paris

Όμηρος - Omiros (Homer)
Κλεάνθης - Cleanthis
Φωκίων — Phokion
Ευριπίδης - Euripidis
Πλάτων — Plato
Νεοκλής – Neoklis
Φαίδων - Phaedon
Φοίβος - Thebos (Phoebus)
Πλούταρχος - Plutarchos
Σόλων - Solon
Ιπποκράτης - Hippocrates (Hippocrates)
Διομήδης - Diomidis
Αγαμέμνων - Agamemnon
Πολυδεύκης - Polydeucis
Λυκούργος - Lykourgos
Ιάσων - Jason
Κλεομένης - Kleomenis
Κλέων - Cleon
Μίνως - Minos
Αγαθοκλής - Agathoclis
Εκτωρ - Ektor (Hector)
Αρίσταρχος - Aristarchos
Ορφέας - Orpheas
Μύρων — Miron
Νικηφόρος - Nikiforos

In addition to the usual Greek names, there are many borrowed names - from Europe, the Middle East and even Russia.

For example, there is a name Βλαδίμηρος — in my opinion, it’s clear where Vladimir came from.)

There are European names, reinterpreted in the Greek way. Rare name Βύρων (Viron)- a derivative of Lord Byron, the Greeks called him that way. The most common names are

Αλβέρτος - Albert,
Βαλέριος - Valery,
Βίκτωρ - Victor,
Γουλιέλμος - Wilhelm,
Δομένικος - Dominic,
Εδουάρδος - Edward,
Ερρίκος - Eric, Heinrich.

Of course, not all names are described here. But we are not saying goodbye to this topic; there are more Greek ones waiting for us female names, which you will learn about in the next article.

Greece is a country with ancient culture, with which beautiful female and male Greek names of gods and mythological creatures are associated.

History of the origin of Greek names

The origin of most modern Greek male names is closely related to either ancient mythology, or with Christianity.

Before the spread of Christianity in the territory of modern Greece, this country was an empire with centuries-old history and developed mythology. Because Greek names carry special meaning, often associated with ancient legends. This is Aphrodite, Penelope, Odysseus.

Most ancient Greek names had two forms: masculine and feminine. Some of these divisions (for example, Anastasia and Anastasius) have been lost over the centuries, others have survived to this day: Alexander is adjacent to the name of Alexander, Vasily is adjacent to Vasilisa.

A large layer of Greek names is associated with settlements. After the fifth century AD, Christianity began to spread in Greece. They started dating in Greece christian names of both Greek and Hebrew origin, as well as those derived from Latin: George, Constantine, Vasily, Anna.

As a rule, the meaning of the name was very important for the ancient Greeks. Therefore, most names of Greek origin mean something positive: Artemy and its derivative Artem mean “healthy,” Sebastian means “highly revered,” Elena means “saint,” Parfeniy means “chaste.”

But also in Greek culture there were some borrowings. With the advent of the twentieth century, a fashion for English and American borrowings began in the country. But to foreign names did not stand out too much among the Greek ones, they were modified, and as a result, the American Robert became a resident of Athens, Robertos.

List of beautiful names for boys

Unusual to the ear, but no less beautiful, Greek names are borrowed from all corners of the world.

The most euphonious names for boys:

Aristarchus - “leader”.
Arseny is a “courageous defender.”
Georgy – “farmer”.
Evsei - “moral”, “resistant to temptations”.
Elisha - “reliable”, “fair”.
Leonid - “brave winner”.
Rodion is a “liberator”.
Felix - “prosperous”, “firm in intentions”, “purposeful”.
Philip – “courageous”, “powerful”.

The beautiful sound of Greek names has led to their gaining popularity in all corners globe. Even the seemingly native Russians Alexei, Luka, Egor and Kirill have Greek roots.

The most popular Greek names

Many names familiar to our ears, which have long come to the territory of Rus', actually originated in Greece.

From all the diversity we can highlight the following popular names:

Alexis, Alexander – “protector”.
Anatoly – “invaluable.”
Ares - "warrior".
Diomedes - “cunning Zeus”.
Isos – “Lord”.
Linos – “bitter”.
Paris – “risk”.
Ptolemy - "aggression".
Philo - “loving”.
Anton is “independent”.
Victor is the “winner”.
Nikolai – “steady.

Also popular are such beautiful Greek names as Matvey and Valentin, but their popularity has noticeably waned in recent years.

Ancient and forgotten names

Because of the tendency of the Greeks to call their children borrowed European and American names some original Greek ones are gradually forgotten.

Eg:

Agap - “beloved” from ancient Greek.
Anastasius - “resurrected”, on this moment men's uniform The name Anastasia is forgotten and not used.
Efim - “kind”.
Luka – “light”.
Potap - “wanderer”.
Pavlos – “small”.
Priamos - "redemption".
Titos – “clay”.

It is worth noting that ancient greek names They are popular among creative people. They are sonorous, easy to remember and pleasant to the ear.

Names with religious meaning

Greek names are often used in Russia as baptismal names.

The following can be distinguished:

Stepan. The heavenly patron of a boy with such church name Great Martyr Stephen will become, as well as St. Stephen the Blind.
Kirill. This name was mentioned more than once in the Bible, including Cyril of Jerusalem.
Plato. The patron can be the martyr Plato of Antioch.

Most Greek names that appeared after the spread of Christianity in Greece have religious meaning.

How to choose a name for a boy depending on his date of birth

A name cannot determine a person’s fate, but it can leave a visible imprint on his character. Every parent wants their child’s character to help him achieve his goals in the future. In order for the baby to have the most advantageous features, some advise choosing a name in accordance with the zodiac sign. This way you can reduce the influence of negative character traits and enhance positive ones.

Aries: Amon, Kondrat, Jerome.
Taurus: Argos, Cyril, Dorotheus.
Gemini: Ariston, Nikon, Nestor.
Cancer: Dorius, Giannis, Hermes.
Leo: Nicholas, Luke, Constantine, Zeus.
Virgo: Andrey, Artemy, Cyrus.
Libra: Egor, Radium, Oles, Nikita.
Scorpio: Gordey, Ilian, Ionos.
Sagittarius: Bogdan, Jerome, Klaus, Miron.
Capricorn: Sevastian, Arthur, Demid.
Aquarius: Demyan, Plato, Jason.
Pisces: Demid, Pankrat, Creon.

The name can be selected not only by zodiac sign, but also by the season of birth. The tactics remain the same: the child’s character flaws are neutralized, and his strengths are enhanced.

Winter

Men and women born in winter are very talented. They are wise individuals who are not easy to communicate with: they are contradictory, narcissistic and irritable. Therefore, names that will soften their desire to argue with loved ones over trifles are suitable for “winter children.”

Suitable: Kirill, Nikita, Georgy, Sebastian.

Spring

Spring people are mentally gifted, but do not always find the courage to show their abilities. Therefore, they should be given names that are militant and confident. This will give pliable and cautious children a certain amount of courage. After this, the grown-up “spring boys” will not be afraid to show their leadership skills and will definitely achieve their goals.

Names that will give courage: Victor, Alexander, Konstantin, Afanasy, Ariston.

Summer

These are hardworking and mentally gifted, but very impulsive people. They are ready to do a lot for the sake of their loved one, but this does not stop them from lashing out at their loved ones over trifles. If a “summer” man is irritated, with his emotionality he can bring the most persistent ladies to tears. Also, some consider the excessive impulsiveness of such people to be feigned, and do not take them seriously.

These names will bring a little peace and stability: Vasily, Gregory, Irenaeus.

Autumn

The two most bright features « autumn people"- wisdom and a constant feeling of sadness. Even when everything in life is stable and good for the “autumn” person, he sometimes falls into melancholy, from which it is very difficult to get out.

These people are smart and unhurried, so they often do not have time to complete their work and study assignments on time. Slowness also becomes the reason for their constant lateness. “Autumn” people spend their entire lives learning to trust people, and if they are unlucky with a partner once, they never reveal their souls completely.

To save the child from attacks of depression in the future, parents should give the child born in the fall one of the following names: Emelyan, Luka, Dmitry, Egor.