We know how important getting the right name for your baby boy is.
For a start, you might want it to sound nice and go with your surname. You also want it to be something that reflects who your boy is and what they mean to you.
Greek boys’ names have been a source of inspiration for baby names for generations, but some may still be new to you and are unusual enough to make your boy stand out – in a good way, because they’re so cool.
We especially like the ones that end with the letter ‘x’. If you’re looking for a name for your baby boy with history and a story behind it, a Greek baby name could well fit the bill.
Check out this list of Greek baby names for boys for some ideas and see if you don’t find the perfect name for the newest member of your family.
A-H Names
Many Greek baby names have been passed down through the centuries and are now classics that come from Ancient Greek mythology and the ancient gods’ adventures. Some names for boys are from the epic poems The Illiad and The Odyssey, written by Homer, while others still are from actual places in Greece.
If you go to Greece, you may well find yourself talking to an Aristotle or Socrates.
Achilles: [Ah-kil-ees] Achilles was the warrior hero of The Illiad, an ancient Greek poem. This boy name comes from the ancient Greek word for pain.
Adonis: According to Greek mythology, Adonis was the human lover of the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite. In modern parlance, it’s come to mean a good-looking man.
Adrastos: The name of a mythological king of the ancient Greek city of Argos. This boys’ name means ‘inescapable’.
Adrian: Means ‘one who is rich’.
Aeolus: Means ‘changeable’, like the wind, which Aeolus was the god of, according to the Ancient Greeks.
Agamemnon: This Greek name means ‘one who sticks to their values’.
Andrew: Comes from the Greek word ‘andros’, which means ‘man’ or ‘manly and strong’. The Greek version is written as Andreas.
Apollo: In Ancient Greek mythology, Apollo was the god of many things, including archery, poetry and music. This Greek boy name means ‘beautiful man’.
Ajax: Although the name comes from the Ancient Greek word for ‘alas’, Ajax was a warrior hero, whose exploits are told in the epic poem The Illiad.
Alexander: The name means ‘to protect’. This Greek boys’ name was originally popularised by Alexander the Great, a king of Macedonia in the 3rd century BC.
Angelino: The Greek origin of this name is ‘ of the gods’ and comes from the Greek word for ‘angel’.
Ares: A warrior son of Zeus, the king of all the Ancient Greek gods, who had a reputation for being a bit brutal in battle. The name means ‘ruin’ and has been in the top 1,000 boys’ names in the USA since 2013.
Argus: In Ancient Greek mythology, Argus was a monster with a hundred eyes, so this Greek baby name has come to mean ‘watcher’.
Aristaeus: The Ancient Greek god of farming, Aristaeus is another name that has recently entered the top 500 names for baby boys in the USA. It means ‘excellence’.
Ariston: From the Greek word ‘aristos’, which means ‘the best’.
Aristotle: A great philosopher in Ancient Greece. With the same root word as Ariston, this Greek boy name also means ‘the best’.
Atlas: According to the Ancient Greeks, Atlas was condemned to forever hold up the heavens, including our planet Earth, so it’s no wonder this boys’ name means ‘strength’.
Atticus: Perhaps best known these days as the name of the hero lawyer, Atticus Finch, in To Kill A Mockingbird, but the original meaning of this boys’ name is ‘someone from Athens’.
Brontes: [Bron-tez] From the Greek word for thunder. When it’s spelled without an s at the end (Bronte – pronounced Bron-tay) it’s used as a girl’s name.
Calix: This Greek boy name means ‘cup’.
Castor: In Ancient Greek mythology,the beautiful Helen of Troy had two brothers, Castor and Pollux. They can be seen today as stars in the constellation of Gemini.
Cepheus: [Sef-ee-us] Many Greek baby names come from the ancient myths, like this one. Two kings, a grandfather and grandson, both had this name in Greek mythology and today they’re remembered in our night sky as the constellation of Cepheus.
Cephalus: [Sef-a-lus] Cephalus comes from the Greek word for ‘head’. The first Cephalus, in the Greek myths, was hailed as a loyal husband.
Chariton: This Greek baby name has its origins in the Ancient Greek word for generosity.
Charon: Why not choose this baby boy name from our list? It means’bright’.
Christian: This Greek boy name means ‘a follower of Jesus’.
Christopher: A boy name that means ‘the bearer of Jesus’.
Chryses: [Cry-see-us] A name that means ‘golden’.
Daedalus: In Greek mythology, Daedalus was a clever artisan and this Greek baby name means ‘smart worker’.
Damocles: This name means ‘the people’s glory’.
Damian: A name that means ‘calm’.
Damon: This Greek name means ‘to tame’.
Dardanos: A Greek name that means ‘to eat’.
Darius: Some Greek names have more than one meaning. This baby name mans ‘rich’ and ‘king-like’.
Demetrios or Dimitri: Means ‘one who follows the goddess Demeter’.
Dionysius: Another Greek baby name that comes from the gods, this time the Ancient Greek god of wine and fertility.
Dorian: Means ‘one who comes from Doris’, but also ‘gift’.
Dyson: A shortened version of the Greek baby name Dionysius, it means ‘one who follows Zeus’.
Elias: The Greek version of Elijah, which means ‘God is lord’.
Erasmus: This one might sum up how you feel about your baby, as it means ‘loved’.
Erebos: A Greek name that means ‘dark’.
Eros: Give your baby a name that means ‘love’.
Euandros: For a name your baby will grow into, this Greek boy moniker means ‘a good man’.
Euclid: A Greek baby name that means ‘wonderful’.
Eugene: Give your baby boy a name that means ‘noble’.
Euphranor: This Greek name means ‘delight’.
Evander: The Anglicised version of Euandros (see above). It means ‘a good man’.
Gennadios: A baby name that means ‘generous’.
Georgios or George: These Greek names means ‘one who works the earth’ or ‘farmer’.
Glaucus: Means ‘shimmering’.
Hector or, more rarely, Hektor: A boy name that means ‘to hold back’.
Helios: This Greek name means ‘sun’.
Hercules: In the myths, Hercules was the name of Greek god Zeus’s son, who was known for his extraordinary strength and bravery.
Hero: A Greek boy name that means ‘brave’.
Hermes: This baby name means ‘good luck’.
Herodotos: A boy name that means ‘presented’.
Homer: The name of the writer of the famous poems The Illiad and The Odyssey. It means ‘pledge’.
I-O Names
Some of the most popular names in English have Greek origins. As you search through this list of Greek baby names, it may surprise you that some of the more familiar names come from this ancient civilisation.
Some of the most popular Greek boys’ names in the UK today are Alexander, Elias, Jonas, Lucas and Sebastian. In Greece, popular Greek boys’ names include Yiorgos, Yiannis and Dimitri.
Icarus: [Ick-ar-us] From the Greek myth of the father and son who tried to fly away from the island of Crete with wax wings. Icarus was the son and his name means ‘confidence’.
Jerome: A baby name that means ‘holy’.
Jonas: This Greek boy name means ‘message from God’.
Judas: This Greek boy name means ‘praised’.
Koios: [Kee-osh] The meaning is more a question: ‘what sort is it?’
Kosmos: Why not give your boy this name that means ‘beautiful’?
Kyros: The name means ‘lord’ and comes from Ancient Greek.
Leander: Leander was a character in a Greek myth who would swim across a strait every night to visit his love. This Greek baby name means ‘strength’.
Leon: A derivative of this name is Leo and both names mean ‘lion’.
Leonidas: This Greek baby name means ‘son of a lion’.
Linush or Linus : Linus was a son of the Ancient Greek god Apollo. The name means ‘flax’ or ‘linseed’.
Loukas or Lucas: This boy name means ‘someone from Lucania’.
Lycus or Lykus: Means ‘wolf’.
Melanthios: Means ‘dark flower’.
Morpheus: Means ‘shape’.
Nikolaos or Nicholas: This Greek baby boy name means ‘victorious people’.
Odysseus: A famous Greek hero.
Okeanos: Means ‘source of all water’.
Origen: Means ‘born’.
Orion: Means ‘one who lives on a mountain’.
P-Z Names
If you’re looking for a cool, unusual name for your baby boy, there are plenty of those with Greek origins. Search our list for classical names, mythical names, popular names, but also a number of rarer Greek baby boy names to choose from so that your child can make it their own.
These days, many parents try to give their child a name he won’t share with anyone else in his class.
Paion: [Pi-yon] Means ‘one who heals’.
Panayiotis: Often shortened to simply Panos. Means ‘holy’.
Paris: Though sometimes used these days as a girl’s name – think Paris Hilton –it is more commonly a boy’s name. The original Paris was the warrior prince who stole Helen of Troy from her husband in the Greek myth.
Pegasus: The winged stallion of Greek mythology.
Pericles: [Pear-a-cleese] Means ‘glory’.
Perseus: [Per-see-us] From the Greek word for ‘ruin.
Peter: Means ‘rock’.
Philander: Means ‘lover’.
Philemon: Means ‘loving’.
: Means ‘lover of horses’.
Phoenix: Means ‘maroon’, as in the colour, but is also the name of the mythical bird that rises from the ashes.
Proteus: Means ‘first’.
Pyrros: Means ‘fire’.
Sebastian: Means ‘respected’.
Solon: Means ‘wise’.
Spyro or Spiro: Means ‘grain carrier’.
Stavros: Means ‘the cross’, as in the one used for the crucifixion.
Stefanos: Means ‘crown’.
Tassos: Means ‘resurrection’.
Thales: Means ‘to flower’.
Thanos: Made famous by the Marvel Comics character, it’s a shortened form of Athanasios and means ‘immortal’.
Theodoros or Theodore: Means ‘given by God’.
Theseus: Famous for killing the Minotaur, the half-man, half-bull on the island of Crete in the Greek myth. The name means ‘to place’ or ‘to set down’.
Theron: Means ‘hunter’.
Timothy: Means ‘to honour God’.
Ulysses: A variant form of Odysseus.
Vangelis: Means ‘angelic’.
Xander or Zander: A short form of Alexander, but also used on its own. Means ‘defender’.
Xanthos: [Zan-thos] Means ‘yellow haired’ or ‘blond’.
Xerxes: [Sir-see] Means ‘hero’.
Zeus: [Zoo-se] Originally meant ‘sky’ and was the name the Ancient Greeks gave to the ruler of all their gods.
Zopyros: Means ‘glow’.
Zotikos: Means ‘lively’.
Second image credit: Olga Donchuk / Shutterstock.com
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