Girl name · Greek
Athena
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: meaning unknown; the Greek goddess of wisdomAthena is a girl's name that comes from Greek and means "meaning unknown; the Greek goddess of wisdom". It is used in English and Greek.
- Meaning
- Meaning unknown; the Greek goddess of wisdom
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #109 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Athena
As a girl's name, Athena comes from Greek and means "meaning unknown; the Greek goddess of wisdom". It is used in English and Greek.
In Greek, say ah-THEE-nah. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
Athena on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Athena on 6 lists.
“Named for the Greek goddess of wisdom”
From Nicknames for ChatGPT, wise and mentor-style names
“Greek goddess of wisdom and war strategy”
From Female cat names, strong female cat names
“Greek goddess of wisdom and battle strategy”
From Girl dog names, strong female dog names
“Goddess of wisdom, crafts and war strategy; patron of Athens”
From Goddess names, greek goddess names
“The goddess who challenged a weaver and won”
From Spider names, famous spider names and spider in other languages
“Meaning unknown; Greek. Goddess of wisdom and war, patron of Athens. Say ah-THEE-nah”
From Greek girl names, greek goddess names for girls
How popular is Athena?
- US rank in 2025
- #109
- 2,477 babies, 1,541 per million girls
- Best rank
- #76 in 2023
- Most babies: 3,029 in 2022
- Babies since 1902
- At least 53,118
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 6 per million |
| 1910s | 22 per million |
| 1920s | 35 per million |
| 1930s | 23 per million |
| 1940s | 14 per million |
| 1950s | 41 per million |
| 1960s | 83 per million |
| 1970s | 167 per million |
| 1980s | 173 per million |
| 1990s | 177 per million |
| 2000s | 334 per million |
| 2010s | 1,046 per million |
| 2020s | 1,700 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #142 | #127 | #117 | #104 | #107 | #98 | #78 | #76 | #90 | #109 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Athena
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- AntheaFlower, blossom (Greek, girl)
- AbenaBorn on Tuesday (Akan, girl)
- AtienoBorn at night (Luo, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- MiriamForm of Mary, meaning uncertain; perhaps Egyptian beloved (Hebrew, girl)
- ElenaForm of Helen, probably from Greek torch (Greek, girl)
- SofiaWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- SophieWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- AaronProbably Egyptian, meaning unknown; Hebrew theories say exalted (Hebrew, boy)
- AlanMeaning uncertain; perhaps little rock, or from the Alans (Brythonic, boy)
- LiaItalian, Portuguese and Greek form of Leah (Hebrew, girl)
- AgataGood, from Greek agathos (Greek, girl)
- SophiaWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- TheaA goddess (Greek, girl)
Middle names for Athena
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
- BelleBeautiful (French, girl)
- EsmeEsteemed, loved (Old French, girl)
- HonorEsteem, dignity (Latin, girl)
- JaneGod is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
- JuneSixth month, named for Juno (Latin, girl)
- NaomiPleasantness, sweetness (Hebrew, girl)
- PoppyPoppy flower (Old English, girl)
- WrenSmall brown songbird (Old English, unisex)
More girl names from Greek
- AlexandraDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- IrenePeace, tranquility (Greek, girl)
- IrisA rainbow (Greek, girl)
- ZoeLife, living (Greek, girl)
- AnastasiaResurrection, rising again (Greek, girl)
- ChristinaFollower of Christ (Greek, girl)
- NicoleVictory of the people (Greek, girl)
- PetraRock, stone (Greek, girl)
- RitaA pearl (Greek, girl)
- AgnesPure, chaste (Greek, girl)
Athena: common questions
What does the name Athena mean?
Athena comes from Greek and means "meaning unknown; the Greek goddess of wisdom". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Athena a boy or girl name?
Athena is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Athena come from?
Athena comes from Greek and means "meaning unknown; the Greek goddess of wisdom". Today it is used in English and Greek.
How popular is the name Athena?
Athena ranked #109 in the US in 2025, with 2,477 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Athena?
Names spelled like Athena include Anthea, Abena and Atieno.
What middle names go with Athena?
Middle names that flow well with Athena include Belle, Esme, Honor, Jane and June. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.