Mythical Names

If you are looking for fantasy names and names inspired by mythical beings, you’re in for a treat.

Below you will find a small but intriguing collection of names found in Greek mythology and other ancient cultures.

Names of Nymphs

Nymphs are minor deities in Greek mythology. They live in bodies of water, forests and mountains. Interestingly, there are different types of Nymphs. Here are the names of some of them:

• Dryads and Hymadryads – nymphs of the trees

• Naiads – nymphs of water (springs and lakes)

• Nereids – sea nymphs

• Oreads – nymphs of the mountains

• Oceanids – these deities did not have a specific function (see below for more information)

Demeter Greek Goddess of Harvest and Fertility

• Doris (Oceanid)

• Thetis (Nereid)

• Amphitrite (sea goddess)

The Oceanids are the three thousand daughters of the titans Oceanus and Tethys.

These are the names of some of these mythical creatures:

• Acaste
• Admete
• Aethra
• Alfeios
• Amphiro
• Asia
• Calypso
• Daira
• Dione
• Electra
• Europa
• Eudore
• Eurynome
• Hippo
• Ianira
• Ianthe
• Leuccipe
• Lysithea
• Metis
• Philyra

No, we’re not talking about the star cluster of the same name. The Pleiades are the seven daughters of the Titan Atlas and the Oceanid Pleione. They are:

• Alcyone
• Asterope
• Celaeno
• Electra
• Maia
• Merope
• Taygete

Named after their father, Nereus, these creatures are sea nymphs in Greek mythology. Some of them are:

• Erato
• Eucrante
• Eunice
• Galatea
• Galene
• Glauce
• Halie
• Nisaea
• Sao
• Thoë

Here are more names of other mythical beings. These come from the mythological traditions of different cultures.

Aeval – Name of the fairy queen of Southwestern Munster.

Demeter – Goddess of the harvest in Greek mythology.

Ferries - Name of the Shetland and Ocadian fairies.

Fetes – Name for the fates in Upper Brittany.

Kachina - Name of ancestors spirits among the Pueblo Indians.

Mermaid – mythical sea creature. This word comes from Old English mere (sea) and maid(woman).

Ondines (alson known as undines) – These are water nymphs in European folklore.

Sirens – The name of mythological creatures in Greek mythology. They were portrayed as bird-like women who seduced unwitting sailors with their songs.

Further reading:

Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths by Bernard Evslin

Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by Edith Hamilton

The Complete World of Greek Mythology by Richard Buxton