Greek names and their meaning. Greek female names and their meanings

Beautiful Greek names for girls have always been very popular. They were actively borrowed by other peoples, harmoniously merging into national naming systems. Today people living in different corners globe, continue to name their daughters with Greek names. Moreover, many of them do not even suspect that they are using the tradition of naming another country. Maria, Karina, Anastasia, Ekaterina, Adriana - all these female names have Greek origin. However, they have been used by other peoples for so long that they have long deserved national status.

Features of modern female Greek names

In Greece itself, two forms of names for girls are used. The first one is of an official nature. She represents full version Greek girl name. The second form is conversational. Most often, an abbreviated or simplified version of the full name is used. He, just like official version, may be indicated in the passport and other documents.

In general, female Greek names and their meanings are very diverse. The bulk of them are native national. Many names are taken from. They belong to the holy great martyrs. Some of the modern Greek girl names are even more ancient. They have been preserved since ancient times. The meaning of such names is almost always associated with mythology.

It is worth noting that many modern Greeks, when deciding what to name their daughters, they focus not only on ancient traditions, but also on modern tendencies naming name. They determine the meaning of beautiful female Greek names according to the horoscope, calculate their correspondence to the child’s zodiac sign and carry out numerological calculations.

List of the most beautiful Greek names for girls

• Anastasia. Translated from ancient Greek language means "resurrected to life"
• Anfisa. Women's Greek name meaning "blooming"
• Varvara. From the Greek "foreigner"
• Veronica. Interpreted as “the one who brings victory”
• Cleopatra. Female Greek name meaning "glory of the father"
• Larisa. From the Greek "seagull".
• Monica. Translated into Russian it means “the only one”
• Patricia. Greek girl name meaning "noble"
• Pelagia. Translated into Russian it means “sea”
• Penelope. Odysseus' wife from Greek mythology
• Tatiana. Female Greek name meaning "founder"
• Theresa. Translated into Russian it means “protector”
• Faina. Interpreted as “light”/“shining”
• Erast. Greek girl name meaning = "dearly beloved"

Russian female names of Greek origin

Many modern Russian female names are of Greek origin. This circumstance is directly related to the history of our people. After the adoption of Christianity, female Greek names were used for the baptism of children. Their importance and distribution grew every year. As a result, many girls’ names have merged so harmoniously into Russian culture that they have become difficult to distinguish from their original national names. A striking example are such names as Ekaterina, Maria, Irina, Ksenia, Evgenia, Evdokia, Tatyana, Taisiya. They all have Greek roots.

Greece is a colorful country, the cultural cradle of Europe. Therefore, many Greek female names are associated with myths and legends, the names of goddesses.

History of the origin of Greek female names

The ancient Greeks were careful when choosing names, because each of them carries special meaning and is often closely related to ancient legends.

Before becoming a stronghold of Christianity, Greece was an empire with a powerful mythological history. It is with it that most of the names that have been preserved since antiquity are associated. Some of them were divided into female and masculine. This division has been preserved to this day: Alexander - Alexandra, Evgeniy - Evgeniya, but not always: you can no longer meet men named, for example, Elen. Some of the names were formed from the names settlements. The name Larisa, popular in Russia, is also Greek, and is derived from the name of the same name Greek city, and Lydia was the name of women from Asia Minor.

Another large layer of names of Greek origin appeared due to the spread of Christianity. This happened after the fifth century AD, when the eastern branch of the religion came to Greece. After the collapse of the ancient Roman Empire, Byzantium appeared in its place, which became the center of Orthodoxy. Then the Greek names began to acquire Christian meaning.

But even such an ancient and diverse culture was not without borrowings. In the twentieth century, the fashion for foreign names. Then the Greeks began to call the children American and English names in his own way, for example, Robert became Robertos.

List of beautiful names for girls

Names that seem to us to be originally Slavic (for example, Alexey, Dmitry, Ksenia) also have Greek roots, which is not surprising, because in this country children were named very melodiously. Therefore, such names later became widespread throughout the world.

From the variety of beautiful Greek names, you can choose the one that is most pleasant for everyone:

• Aminta – “protector”;
• Ariadne – “pure”;
• Astreya - “star”;
• Diona – “goddess”;
• Dana – “burnt”;
• Delphinia – “who came from Delphi”;
• Io – “princess”;
• Calypso – “secretive”;
• Cassandra – “attraction”;
• Xanthia – “yellow”;
• Leda – “woman”;
• Melantha - “flower in the dark”;
• Nephthys – “lady”;
• Sapphire – “azure”;
• Sophia – “wise”;
• Tai – “prosperous”;
• Feydra – “bright”;
• Eirin – “peace”;
• Electra – “shining”.

Unfortunately, many beautiful Greek names have come down to us only in the form historical monuments. It is rare to find a Greek woman named Cassiopeia, although hundreds of years ago the name was one of the most common.

Rare Greek female names

If parents, when choosing a name for their newborn, settled on one of the rare female names with Greek roots, they should think carefully about its pronunciation. If the name is too “tricky”, the child who is named by it may have problems with peers who will “incline” him this way and that. It would not be amiss to inquire about the meaning of the name, because the ancients claim that each of them leaves a certain imprint on a person’s fate.

So, the best options would be:

• Anfisa - “flower”. Anfisa is gentle and beautiful, and, if desired, can attract many fans. But romantic games are not the central thing in Anfisa’s life. She is brave and courageous, and determined enough to achieve success without outside help.
• Demeter - "mother". As a rule, Demeter is kind and generous, she has an active life position. At the same time, she is distinguished by excessive seriousness in things that are important to her. If something doesn't have special significance for Demeter, she can change her opinion about this several times a day.
• Dana – “tender”. Dana is confident in herself and easily gains the authority of those people who are interesting to her. Loyal and reliable, never breaks promises.
• Joanna - “good”. Joanna is energetic and strong in spirit. She is always ready to become a defender of the weak and lend a hand to those in need. She is equally gentle with loved ones and strict with strangers.
• Lita – “independent”. From an early age, a girl is able to make informed decisions, as if peering into the future.

Thus, Greek names were often based on personal qualities, not appearance.

There are few names in Greece that mean “beautiful”; for the ancient Greeks, courage and creativity were much more important.

Modern names

Most of the names common in the territory of modern Greece are divided into the following groups by origin:

• that came down to us from Ancient Greece;
• and Orthodox Christian names.

Another part of the common names are borrowed, of Hebrew and Latin origin.

The most popular female names in Greece today:

• Maria – “fair”;
• Eleni, Elena – “bringer of light”;
• Anastasia – “alive”;
• Ekaterini, Ekaterina - “virgin pure”;
• Vasiliki, Vasilisa – “royal”;
• Gospel, Gospel - “good news”;
• George – “earth”;
• Chloe – “hunter”;
• Sophia – “wise”;
• Joanna – “giver of mercy”;
• Demeter, Dimitra - “mother”.

Greek names are popular far beyond Greece. Depending on the country, they change slightly in sound, becoming more euphonious for local residents, but in general the name remains recognizable. Helena - a true Greek name - transforms into Helena, Helena, Helenika. And even the name Jane, at first glance originally English, is actually a derivative of Eugenia. The name Alexander has acquired so many derivatives that it would take more than one line to list them.

But special connoisseurs prefer ancient, almost forgotten names, often associated with the names of goddesses from ancient Greek myths:

• Galatea is the name of a Nereid from mythology;
• Harmony – “agreement” – beautiful daughter goddess Aphrodite;
• Hestia – “warmth” – the guardian of family happiness;
• Iris – “rainbow” – messenger;
• Calypso – “glory” – nymph;
• Clio – “bringer of light” – the muse of history;
• Mirra - “fragrant” - a maiden from mythology who lay down with her own father and gave birth to Adonis;
• Nemesis – “justly angry” – goddess of retribution;
• Thalia – “blooming” – goddess of comedy;
• Urania – “sky” – the muse of astronomy;
• Themis – “law” – the muse of fairness and justice.

Unlike female names of other nations, Greek ones do not glorify only the beauty and grace of young maidens. In the interpretation of Greek names there is a place for strength, and for courage, and for justice. The reasons for this lie in the ancient Greek civilization and its unique mythology, where not only men are brave, but also women are independent.

In this article we will look at Greek female names: the meaning and origin of the most popular, as well as rare, ancient Greek names. You can read about male Greek names.

Which female names came to us from Greece? Let's figure it out.

Greek female names: meaning and origin

Female names and myths of Ancient Greece

Name Galina comes from the ancient Greek word γαλήνη - “calmness, serenity.” One of the Nereids (sea deities similar to mermaids) was named Galena.

Another example is a name Irina (Εἰρήνη- peace, quiet). Irini (Eirene) is the name of the ancient Greek goddess of peace. Irini is the daughter of Zeus and Themis.

But it’s beautiful, but narrower rare name Apollinaria. It is believed to be of ancient Roman origin (from the Latin Apollinaris - “belonging to Apollo”, “solar”), but it comes from the name ancient Greek god Apollo. Polina is a shortened form that has now become an independent name. Other versions of its origin have been put forward - for example, the French one (Pauline).

Name Maya (Μαϊα) translated as "mother". It comes from the name of the Greek goddess (Pleiades) Maya, mother of Hermes. True, this is only one of the hypotheses of the origin of the name - there is both Latin (from Majus - “may”) and Hebrew (from מים‎ - mayim - “water”). By the way, the Greek word μαία (read mEA) means “midwife”, “one who takes birth.”

On behalf of the goddess of victory Niki (Νίκη) the name Nick comes from. This is an independent name, although it often happens that other names are shortened to Nike, for example, Veronica (from the ancient Greek Φερενίκη - “bringing victory”: φέρω - “bring” and νίκη - “victory”). The analogue of the name Veronica is Berenice.

Zinaida (Ζηναις)- another name associated with mythology. Presumably, it is associated with the name of Zeus (Ζεύς, form genitive case - Ζηνός).

Female names and place names

Even before our era (in the 7th century) in Asia Minor there was a country called Lydia (Λυδία), from which the female name Lydia came.

Name Larisa derived from the name of the Greek city Larissa (Larissa). Λάρῑσ(σ)α is translated from Greek as “seagull”. In Greek mythology, Poseidon, the god of the sea, had a granddaughter, Larissa, a nymph. There is a hypothesis that the city was named after her. Her image can be found on ancient coins:

Near the city of Argos there is the Larisa fortress:

• "Talking" names

  If male names The Greeks sang such qualities as nobility, courage and strength, then women - chastity, beauty, fertility and so on. Now most of them are quite rare.

  For example, Agnia(from the ancient Greek ἁγνὴ) means “pure”, “immaculate”. Agni Parthene (Αγνή Παρθένε) - Pure Virgin - a hymn to the Most Holy Theotokos.

  Zoya (Ζωή) translated from ancient Greek as “life”. Sofia (Sofia) comes from the Greek σοφία - “wisdom”. Name Pelageya (Pelagia) derived from πέλαγος - “sea”.

  Name Angelina (Αγγελίνα) comes from ἄγγελος - “messenger” (angel).

  And here is an example of a name that speaks of beauty - Anfisa (Ἀνθούσα- sounds like “Antusa”). It comes from the word ἄνθος, which means “flower”.

  Anastasia - pair name to Anastasius (Ἀναστάσιος). The word ἀνάστασις from which it comes means “resurrection.” Καλή Ανάσταση! (Happy Resurrection of Christ!) - this is how the Greeks congratulate each other on Easter.

  Other paired names: Vasilisa (βασίλισσα)- from Vasily, translated as “queen”, Eugenia, Alexandra, Kira (Κύρα). They have the same meanings as the male versions.

  Name Paraskeva (Praskovya) comes from the word παρασκευή - “Friday”. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa is the patroness of women in Slavic Orthodox mythology. There are many sayings associated with it, as well as prohibitions: on Friday it was forbidden to plow, spin and sew (on Fridays men do not plow, women do not spin).

  There are names whose etymology still cannot be accurately determined. For example, Catherine (Αικατερίνη). There is no consensus on the origin of this name. The most common version is from the word καθαρή - pure, immaculate. However, some experts (for example, the famous lexicographer M. Vasmer) disagree with her. There is another hypothesis that it is formed from the name Hecate (Ἑκάτη), ancient greek goddess moonlight and witchcraft, but it is also quite controversial.

  

  Everyone has heard about the legendary Helen of Troy. At the name Elena (Ἑλένη) there is also no clear etymology. According to one version, it is associated with the name Helios (Ἥλιος), god of the Sun. The second version claims that the name is consonant with the word Ἕλληνες - Hellenes (that is, Greeks), the third - that it comes from the word ἑλένη (ἑλάνη) - “torch”. None of the hypotheses have been truly confirmed.

  

  At the name Ksenia (Ξένια) two translation options: from the ancient Greek ξενία - “hospitality” and ξένος - “stranger”, “foreign”. The names Aksinya and Oksana are derivatives and are now used as independent names. The name Varvara, which has a similar meaning, comes from βαρβαρικός - “foreign”.

  And finally - quite unexpected given name Thekla (Θέκλα) . At first glance it looks like ours, Russian... but no. Same ancient Greek origin, and it is translated as “God’s glory”: θεός - “God” and κλέος - “glory”.

  Now you know about common (and not so common) female names of Greek origin in Russia and their meanings.

  Female names popular in Greece itself

  Here, by a large margin (who would doubt it!) is in the lead Maria - Μαρία, with 9.82%. That is, almost every tenth Greek woman bears this name!

  It is followed by a large margin by the name Ελένη - Elena, from 6.72%.

  On the third place Katerina - Κατερίνα from 4.69%, in fourth place Βασιλική – Vasiliki from 3.45%. The top five is completed Παναγιώτα – Panayiota from 2.69%.

  In the next five - Sofia (Σοφία) from 2.53%, Angeliki (Αγγελική) from 2.24%, George - (Γεωργία) with 2.153% and almost the same result Gospels - (Ευαγγελία) from 2.15%. And completes the top ten most popular female names Irini - (Ειρήνη) from 1.92%.

  Enough popular names Dimitra (Δήμητρα), Joanna (Ιωάννα), Konstantina (Κωνσταντίνα), Anastasia (Αναστασία), Paraskevi (Παρασκευή), Christina (Χριστίνα), Stavrula (Σταυρούλα), Despina (Δέσπ οινα), Kalliopi (Καλλιόπη) are included in the second ten of the list and each of them has an indicator of less than 2%. The names are not far from them Photini (Φωτεινή), Alexandra (Αλεξάνδρα), Chryse (Χρύσα), Athena (Αθηνά), Theodora (Θεοδώρα).

  Ancient Greek female names

  We find such names in myths and poems, many of them have survived to this day and are not used as often as the names given above.

  • Αριάδνη - Ariadne: the most innocent,
  • Ακτίς - Actis: this was the name of the daughter of the astronomer Eudoxus,
  • Aλκηστις - Alkistis: the joy of family, hearth,
  • Ανδρομάχη - Andromache: fighting on the outskirts,
  • Αφροδίτη - Aphrodite: born from sea foam,
  • Αρσινόη - Arsinoe: sublime,
  • Αρετή - Areti: virtue,
  • Εριφύλη - Erifili: the most excellent of women,
  • Ευδοξία - Eudoxia: glorious,
  • Ελπινίκη - Elpinika: hope for victory,
  • Ευρυδίκη - Eurydice: very fair,
  • Ηλέκτρα - Electra: shining with charm,
  • Ηρώ - Ira (Hera): personification of Hera,
  • Ίρις - Iris: messenger of the gods,
  • Ιφιγένεια - Iphigenia: very strong,
  • Καλλιόπη - Calliopi (Calliope): beautiful-eyed,
  • Καλλιρρόη - Callirhoe: fresh, like spring water,
  • Κλεοπάτρα - Cleopatra: glory of the Motherland,
  • Μελπομένη - Melpomene (Melpo): tender with her singing,
  • Μυρτώ - Myrto: pleasant as myrtle,
  • Ναυσικά - Nafsika: glorified by sailors,
  • Νεφέλη - Nefeli: offering living water,
  • Ξανθίππη - Xanthippe: blonde horsewoman,
  • Πηνελόπη - Penelope: a skilled weaver,
  • Πολυξένη - Polyxena: very hospitable,
  • Φαίδρα - Phaedra: bright, shining,
  • Χλόη - Chloe: grass. One of the names of Demeter, as the protector of the plant world.

  Of course, it is impossible to cover the entire variety of female names in one article. But I hope that you learned something new for yourself. Did any fact become a discovery for you? Share in the comments.

Ancient names with Greek roots are unique. All of them are not only very harmonious (both in pronunciation and hearing), but also carry a special meaning. The ancient Greeks were very wise and named their children with names that often emphasize positive traits person, and have a beautiful literal translation– “pure”, “young”, “wise”, “kind”, “tender”, etc.

Many researchers agree that Greek tradition helped preserve most of these names. The fact is that the Greeks have strict canons in naming. For example, the first daughter in a family should bear the name of her paternal grandmother, and the first son should bear the name of her paternal grandfather, etc. Thus, by passing on names from generation to generation, the Greeks managed to preserve this part of the culture of their people.

Greek names can be represented in two groups. The first is ancient names, these are the names of gods and all kinds of mythical characters of Ancient Greece. The second is the Greek names of the Orthodox heritage, which came mainly from Christian mythology.

These are the names of many goddesses, nymphs, charites ancient greek mythology and today are quite common both in Greece itself and beyond:

In the 5th century, Greece became the leader of Eastern Christianity. And after the death of the ancient Roman Empire and the emergence of powerful Byzantium, it was Greek lands began to be considered the center of the spread of Orthodox Christianity. And it is quite natural that from that time on Christian mythology also became a source of replenishment of the Greek nomenclature:

• Anastasia– resurrected;
• Angelina– messenger;
• Gospels– good news, Gospel;
• Evdokia- God's will;
• Catherine– pure, immaculate;
• Elena– torch;
• Euphrosyne- joyful, well-meaning;
• Zoya- life;
• Sofia– wise;
• Thekla- God's glory;
• Feodosia- given by God.

How did they appear in Russian?

At the end of the 10th century, Christianity was adopted in Rus', and close contacts with Byzantium provided the Slavs with the opportunity to learn ancient culture. And along with culture, science, and medicine, the Eastern European peoples began to adopt many Greek names.

For a long time, Slavic rulers gave children two names at once - pagan and church(baptismal). As a rule, the latter was Greek. Very soon traditional for the Slavs pagan names almost completely replaced by baptismal ones. Following the local nobility, peasants also began to give these names to newborns. After a fairly short time, almost all Russian names were Orthodox with Byzantine-Greek roots.

Thanks to close ties with Byzantium, the Russian name book was replenished not only with Greek names, but also with the names of almost all of humanity, since Jewish, Greek, Roman and other names came to us with the Orthodox calendar. After all, the Byzantine Greeks, in turn, adopted best names peoples of the East and Western Europe, with whom at that time they maintained excellent trade and cultural relations. Among the Byzantine names there were also ancient Egyptian, ancient Persian, Syrian...

Often today under Christian name you can consider images of more ancient cultures and religions. But over time, these names have merged so much with the local ones that it is now difficult to believe in their foreign roots.

So, for example, often found in Russian folklore, legends and fairy tales (Elena the Wise, Elena the Beautiful) feminine name Elena, not Russian, but Greek in origin. Many will agree with this, remembering the one with whom “ light hand"The Trojan War broke out.

However, the name became widespread not thanks to the mythological Helen. The credit here goes not to mythology, but to Christianity. Because Helen was the name of the mother of the Byzantine ruler Constantine. After her death, the church equated the Queen of Constantinople with the apostles for missionary work, thereby perpetuating a name that has only been gaining popularity ever since. It is widespread not only in Russia, but throughout the world.

Another interesting name for a girl with Greek roots - Zoya. It is translated as "life". Researchers believe that this name appeared in an attempt to literally translate the name of the first earthly woman- Eve.

It did not immediately take root in the Russian language - this name can be found in only a few sources, and only since the 18th century. Until now in Russia it is considered quite rare. Despite its simple and easy sound, parents for some reason avoid this name.

Irina is a name familiar to Russian ears, with roots in the Hellenistic era. and comes from the name of the mythological goddess Eirene. According to legend, she was the daughter of the goddess of justice Themis and the god Zeus. Eirene was a guardian peaceful life. Antique statue imagines her with a baby in her arms. This little boy is the young god of wealth - Plutos. The statue once stood in a crowded shopping area, and symbolized the ability of people to bargain and negotiate for personal gain.

In Byzantium, this name was widespread and had a high social status: Among the bearers of this name are the wives of Byzantine rulers, one of whom, Empress Irina, became the sovereign ruler of the state at the end of the 8th century. After her death, she was canonized by the church for being able to restore icon veneration in the country. From Greek the name Irina is translated as “peace”, “harmony”, “peace”.

Already in the Middle Ages, girls of various classes were called Irins.. True, among the merchants and peasants such a form of name as Arina was more common. Irins were called special noble classes. In the early 90s of the twentieth century, this name was extremely popular, now it is chosen a little less often.

Meaning

In the list below you will find the most beautiful female names of Greek origin, as well as those mentioned in the legends and myths of Ancient Greece and their meanings:

Of course, only the parents decide what to name the baby. But if you choose a Greek name, you will not go wrong at all - these names are beautiful in sound, easy to pronounce and carry incredibly positive energy. And the mythological names of Ancient Greece have amazing magnetism and attractiveness, creating the illusion of contact with the world of wizards and fairy-tale heroes.

In addition, the Greek name is universal. Its analogues can be found in any European languages. Therefore, a child with this name will feel comfortable in any country. In general, trust the wisdom and knowledge of the ancient Greeks, and your baby will definitely tell you: “Thank you for the name!”

During the period of Ottoman rule (until the beginning of the twentieth century), Greek names for women, following the Muslim model, consisted of a proper name with the addition of a patronymic. A modern female Greek name consists of a personal name and a surname; the middle name is usually used only on identity cards and other official documents.

Most families have naming norms for greek girls quite strict - the first is named after the father's mother, the second - in honor of the maternal grandmother. The following girls are called more freely, but also by the names of relatives. This often leads to the appearance of numerous full namesakes in the family. The abundance of Greek borrowings in world cultures, as a rule, allows Greek women in diasporas to use beautiful Greek female names that are not exotic for the dominant ethnic group in the region.

Greek names

Very ancient Greek female names include, for example, such as Ἑλένη (Eleni - there is not even a generally accepted opinion what it means) or βασίλισσα (Basilissa - queen). The names were also widely used greek goddesses- Δήμητρα (Dimitra - in honor of the goddess of fertility) or Ἀθηνᾶ (Athena - goddess of military strategy).

At the beginning of our era, the popularity of most Greek names from the pagan period fell due to the advent of Christianity. They were replaced by such names of Greek women as Χριστίνα (Christina - dedicated to Christ) or Θεοδώρα (Theodora - gift of God). However, some pre-Christian names of Greek women entered the canonical Orthodox name book thanks to outstanding bearers of the early Christian period, for example, Εὐφροσύνη (Euphrosyne - goddess of joy). In the 20th-21st centuries, with an increase in the number of non-believers and pagans, a tendency appeared to revive pre-Christian traditions, but in most cases, pagan Greek female names are rare today.

Names of foreign origin

The proximity to Romance-speaking peoples, and especially several centuries of Roman rule, left a mark in the form of Greek names for girls of Latin origin. For example: Κωνσταντίνα (Constantine, from constans/constance, constancy), Αντώνηα (Antonia, from the name of the ancient Roman family Antonius), Βικτώρια (Victoria, from Victoria - victory), Στέλλα (Stella, from stella - star).

Along with Christianity, the Greeks adopted many biblical names Jewish origin. Of the names of this type, you can most often find ᾿Ιωάννα (John, from יוחנן/Yohanan - God had mercy), Άννα (Anna, from חַנָּה - favor), Μαγδαληνή (Magdalene, from the nickname of the mother of Jesus המגד לית/Magdalite - born in the city of Migdal-El) , as well as many others.

The names of other peoples of Europe and Asia are also used: Όλγα (Olga - from the Scandinavian Helga through Russian Olga), Ελβίρα (Elvira, from Old Germanic dialects), Αλίκη (Aliki, from Old French Alis), Σουλτανα (Soultana, from Semitic, and later Islamic שולטנא/سلطان/sulṭān - title of ruler). Under the influence of world literature, cinematography, and show business, a modern Greek girl can sometimes receive the most unexpected and completely unconventional name for Greece.

Greek names among other peoples

Female names of Greek origin are found in almost all peoples of the world, and among the Slavs they make up a significant part of the name book. For example, the name Ἑλένη (Eleni) in different languages took the form Elena, Alena, Olena, Elena, Lina, Helen, Elina, and Αικατερίνη (Ekaterini) - Ekaterina, Katsyaryna, Kotyarikka, Kachyri, Catherine, Katrina, Katalin, Kati, Catharina, Katarzyna.

In the Russian women's name book, such names as familiar to the Slavs as Alexandra (from Αλέξανδρος/Alexandros - protector of people), Anastasia (from Αναστασία - resurrected), Varvara (from βάρβαρος / Varvaros - foreign), Galina (γα) have Greek origin. λήνη/galini - calmness ), Ksenia/Oksana (from Ξένια/Ksenia - hospitable), Lydia (from Λυδία/Lydia - region in Asia Minor) and many others. Some names are tracings, for example, the popular today Faith, Hope and Love are formed by a direct translation of the corresponding Greek names Πίστις (Pistis), Ελπίς (Elpis) and Ἀγάπη (Agape) and they primarily became popular thanks to the acts of Greek saints.

Below you can find a list of Greek female names, where among the well-known options you can find names that are rare for the Russian-speaking environment, but no less beautiful.