Girl · Greek · International
Athena
AthenaSay it uh-THEE-nuh
- Meaning today
- Wise, goddess of wisdom
- Original meaning
- "the Greek goddess Athena; the name's derivation is not known" Liddell-Scott-Jones, s.v. Ἀθήνη
- Say it
- uh-THEE-nuh
- Other spellings
- Athina, Athene
Athena
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Athena meaning
Athena is an international girl's name of Greek origin.
Meaning today
Wise, goddess of wisdom
Original Greek meaning
"the Greek goddess Athena; the name's derivation is not known"
Source: Liddell-Scott-Jones, Greek–English Lexicon (1940), via Logeion, s.v. Ἀθήνη · entry Ἀθήνη · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
Athena is the name of the Greek goddess whom the Middle Liddell lexicon describes as the goddess of wisdom, of warlike prowess and of skill in the arts; Homer often calls her Pallas Athena. She was the patron goddess of Athens, whose great temple, the Parthenon, was built in her honour. Name lists give Athena as "wise", which reflects what the goddess stood for rather than what the word means: the Greek dictionaries offer no derivation for her name, and its origin is not known. Athena is pronounced uh-THEE-nuh in English and is easy to say with Indian surnames.
References: Logeion, Ἀθήνη (LSJ, Middle Liddell, DGE)
Famous namesakes
- Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom and patron of Athens
Popularity abroad
- #109 United States, girls 2025 (down 19 from 90 in 2024)
US Social Security Administration - #90 England and Wales, girls 2025
Office for National Statistics
Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.
Spellings
Athena · Athina · Athene