150 Ancient Baby Names That Are Set for a Comeback

If you truly want your child to get back to their roots, then why not reach a little bit farther than the obvious figures on their family tree? 

Ancient cultures can be a great resource for baby names for both boys and girls. Best of all, when choosing an ancient baby name, you will be giving your child a unique and memorable title that is guaranteed to make them stand out amongst their peers!

Interestingly enough though, some ancient epithets seem to regularly resurface over time. For instance, biblical names like Noah and Elijah have been traced back to the times of the Old Testament. 

Related: 75 Old Fashioned Girl Names Making a Comeback

Despite their long history, they are still ranked in the top five boy names on the Social Security Administration’s Top 10 Baby Names of 2021. 

For those looking for the first names in recorded history, the Ancient Sumerians win this award! Kushim is theorized to be the first name ever recorded in history. Two symbols that sound out this name can be seen on an ancient tablet from as early as 3400 before the common era. 

Here are the top 150 ancient baby names that we should bring back!

Ancient Greek Names For Girls

1. Anthea - A Greek name meaning “flowery”.
2. Ariadne - Another Greek epithet, this name means “holy”.
3. Attica - This is a place name that refers to an ancient region of Greece.
4. Cassandra - Of Greek origins, this name means “capricious”. It is also the title of a Trojan priestess.
5. Cassia - A Greek baby girl name meaning “cinnamon”.
6. Demeter - This is the name of the Greek goddess of the harvest.
7. Dorothy - A Greek title that means “gift of God”.
8. Drusilla - This Greek epithet translates to “innocent”.
9. Gaia - Of both Greek and French origins, this name means “earth” and “merry”.
10. Hera - This is the Greek goddess of marriage and she was the queen of Olympus. With that being said, it is unsurprising that this name means “queen”.
11. Hestia - Another Greek deity, this name means “goddess of the hearth”.
12. Ora - This Greek title means “goddess of the dawn”. It also has Spanish, Latin, and Hebrew origins meaning “gold”, “golden”, and “light”.
13. Persephone - In Greek mythology, this was the name of the daughter of Zeus and the wife of Hades. The name means “bringer of death”.
14. Tansy - A Greek and Hopi Indian epithet that translates to ”immortality” or “flower name”.

Ancient Greek Names For Boys

1. Alexander - A Greek name that means “protector of mankind”.
2. Andreas - An Ancient Greek title, this name means “valiant” or “courageous”.
3. Apollo - This Greek title means “manly”.
4. Atlas - While this name refers to a map or chart, it was also the Greek epithet of the titan who supported the earth on his back.
5. Castor - This Greek name means “beaver”.
6. Cosmos - Another Greek epithet that means “likes order”.
7. Evander - In Roman and Greek mythologies, this was the title of a Lycian King and a Trojan Prince. This has both Greek and Scottish roots meaning “good man” and Hebrew roots meaning “life”.
8. Helios - Of Greek origins, this name means “God of the sun”.
9. Homer - A Greek title meaning “promise”. This is the famous title of the Greek author of “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey.” His works are said to have inspired many other famous writers including Shakespeare.
10. Icarus - This Greek epithet means “a legendary figure”.
11. Leander - Meaning “lion man”, this name also has Greek origins. This was also the most popular name in Ancient Roman times.
12. Odysseus - Another Greek title, this name means “full of wrath”.
13. Orion - Of Greek origins, this name means “son of fire”.
14. Orpheus - Another Greek title, this name means “the darkness of night”.
15. Theon - This Greek title means “godly”.
16. Titus - Of Greek origins, this name means “of the giants”.
17. Zephyr - A Greek name meaning “wind” and a Spanish name meaning “flying in the wind”.
18. Zeus - This Greek name means “powerful one”.
19. Zotikos - An Ancient Greek boy name meaning “full of life”.

Ancient Roman Names For Girls 

1. Antonia - Another Roman epithet, this name means “praiseworthy” in Latin. However, in Greek, this title means “flourishing”.
2. Atia - A Latin name meaning “malice”.
3. Aurelia - This beautiful Latin title means “gold”.
4. Camilla - A Latin name meaning “attendant at a religious ceremony”. This epithet is derived from the ancient Roman name Camillus.
5. Claudia - A moniker with Latin and French roots meaning “lame”.
6. Cornelia - This Ancient Latin title means “horn”.
7. Diana - This Latin and Greek name means “divine”. In Roman mythology, this was the Goddess of wild animals, the hunt, fertility, and the moon.
8. Domitia - Of Ancient Roman origins, this name means “tamed”.
9. Julia - A Latin name meaning “youthful”. This title became popular in the second and third centuries AD.
10. Kon - Of Latin origins, this name means “loyal”. This is also the epithet of the god of rain and wind in pre-Incan mythology.
11. Octavia - Another Latin epithet, this name means “eighth child”.
12. Renata - A Latin name meaning “reborn”.
13. Sabina - Of Latin origins, this name means “Sabine woman”. These ancient people were around before the founding of Rome!
14. Tarquinia - A place name, this was a popular epithet for royal women in Roman times.
15. Tullia - This was a popular Roman title amongst the royalty of this age. The Latin translation is “heavy rain” or “downpour”.
16. Valeria - A Latin moniker meaning “strong”.
17. Verena - This Latin title means “true” or “truthful”. It also has Slavic origins meaning “faith” and Teutonic roots meaning “defender”.

Ancient Roman Names for Boys

1. Amadeus - A Latin name meaning “love of God”.
2. Antony - This Latin and Greek name means “priceless” or “flourishing”. This is the surname of the famous Roman politician, Mark Antony.
3. Atticus - Of Latin origins, this name means “from Athens”.
4. Augustus - This is another famous Latin title that means “exalted”.
5. Caesar - Everyone knows the famous Roman ruler Julius Caesar. This Latin epithet means “a fine head of hair”.
6. Caligula - A Latin nickname meaning “little boots”.
7. Cassius - This Latin name means “vain”.
8. Cato - Another Latin title that means “all-knowing”.
9. Claudius - This Latin name means “lame”.
10. Constantine - A Latin moniker meaning “constant” or “steadfast”.
11. Domitian - Of Roman origins, this emperor's name means “tamed”.
12. Flavius - Another name of Latin origin, this epithet means “blond” or “yellow-haired”.
13. Felix - A Latin name that means “happiness”.
14. Gaius - Yet another ancient Roman name meaning “to rejoice”.
15. Julius - This is both a Latin and English name that means “youthful” and “love’s child”.
16. Lucius - A Latin and English name meaning “light” or “bringer or light”.
17. Marcus - Meaning “war-like”, this name also has Latin origins.
18. Maximus - This Latin name means “the greatest”.
19. Neptune - A planet name, this is the Roman God of the sea.
20. Nero - A Latin name meaning “strong”.
21. Nova - While this Latin unisex name has ancient Roman origins, this title that means “flowering” or “blooming” also has “Italian, French, Spanish (Florián), Polish, Czech, and Slovak (Florián), Slovenian (Florjan, Florijan), German (Austrian), Hungarian (Flórián), and Romanian” ties as well.
22. Remus - Of Latin origins, this name means “swift oarsman”. This is the name of one of the twin founders of Rome.
23. Romulus - The city of Rome’s name came from this famous epithet. This was the title of the other twin founder of this ancient city. It also has Hebrew origins meaning “strong” and “powerful”.
24. Rufus - Of Latin origins, this name means “red-haired one”.
25. Severus - This is a Roman emperor name that means “stern”.
26. Silas - A Latin title meaning “wood” or “woodman”.
27. Tiberius - This Latin title means “of the Tiber”. This is a river that runs through Rome.
28. Trajan - Another Ancient Roman title, this name means “enduring”.
29. Valentine - A Latin name meaning “strong”.
30. Vitus - This Latin title means “winning”.

Ancient Egyptian Names For Girls

1. Akila - Of Egyptian origins, this title means “intelligent”.
2. Bahiti - This Egyptian name means “fortune”.
3. Bennu - From Egyptian mythology, this name refers to a bird deity that is tied to rebirth, creation, and the sun.
4. Chione - This Egyptian name translates to “daughter of the Nile”.
5. Ife - Of Egyptian origins, this title means “love”.
6. Iset - This is a name that means “of the throne” and was the title of one of the Great Royal Wives, or principal wife, of Pharaoh Thutmose II.
7. Isis - A name meaning “throne”. She was the Egyptian Goddess of healing and magic.
8. Keket - The name of the Egyptian Goddess of darkness.
9. Layla - This is an ancient Egyptian name that means “dark beauty” in Hebrew and African. This is similar to its Arabic meaning, which is “dark as the night”.
10. Masika - Meaning “born during rain”, this name also has Ancient Egyptian origins.
11. Naunet - Another ancient goddess name, this is the deity of the ocean.
12. Neferet - An Ancient Egyptian name meaning “beautiful”.
13. Neith - This Egyptian girl's name means “divine mother”.
14. Nubia - Of Egyptian origins, this name means “gold”.
15. Serket - This is the title of the ancient Egyptian goddess of scorpions. She was said to heal venomous stings.
16. Zahra - This Egyptian, Arabic, and Swahili title means “white”, “flowers”, “shining”, and “luminous”.

    Ancient Egyptian Names For Boys

17. Anhur - This is the name of the ancient Egyptian god of war and hunting.
18. Asim - This Ancient Egyptian and Arabic name means “protector”.
19. Chisisi - An Egyptian name meaning “secret”.
20. Darius - Of Persian and Greek origins, this name means “king” or “wealthy”. This is the name of one of Egypt’s pharaohs.
21. Gyasi - This masculine title has Egyptian origins and means “wonderful”.
22. Heka - Another godly title, this is the name of the Egyptian deity of magic.
23. Horus - This is one of the most recognizable ancient Egyptian gods, known for his falcon head. He is the God of the sky and war.
24. Khepri - Meaning “to develop”, “create”, and “morning sun”, this is another Egyptian epithet.
25. Khonsu - A name that means “traveler”, this is the title of the Ancient Egyptian God of the Moon.
26. Khufu - This Egyptian title means “name of a pharaoh.” Khufu was the pharaoh of Egypt in 2575 B.C.E.
27. Osirus - Of Egyptian origins, this name means “mighty” and “with strong eyesight”.
28. Ramses - This pharaoh's name means “son of God” in Egyptian

Ancient Egyptian Names For Boys

1. Anhur - This is the name of the ancient Egyptian god of war and hunting.
2. Asim - This Ancient Egyptian and Arabic name means “protector”.
3. Chisisi - An Egyptian name meaning “secret”.
4. Darius - Of Persian and Greek origins, this name means “king” or “wealthy”. This is the name of one of Egypt’s pharaohs.
5. Gyasi - This masculine title has Egyptian origins and means “wonderful”.
6. Heka - Another godly title, this is the name of the Egyptian deity of magic.
7. Horus - This is one of the most recognizable ancient Egyptian gods, known for his falcon head. He is the God of the sky and war.
8. Khepri - Meaning “to develop”, “create”, and “morning sun”, this is another Egyptian epithet.
9. Khonsu - A name that means “traveler”, this is the title of the Ancient Egyptian God of the Moon.
10. Khufu - This Egyptian title means “name of a pharaoh.” Khufu was the pharaoh of Egypt in 2575 B.C.E.
11. Osirus - Of Egyptian origins, this name means “mighty” and “with strong eyesight”.
12. Ramses - This pharaoh's name means “son of God” in Egyptian.

Other Ancient Names For Boys and Girls

1. Abelia - Of Hebrew origins, this girl's name means “breath”.
2. Agrippa - This Hebrew boy's name means “one who causes great pain at birth”.
3. Aine - This is the title of the Irish goddess of summer.
4. Allani - Of Mesopotamian origins, this is the name of the goddess of the underworld.
5. Allegra - An Italian name that means “quick”, “lively”, or “cheerful”. This is the feminine form of the name Allegro.
6. Anahita - This Ancient Persian name means “pure”.
7. Apu - Of Sanskrit origins, this title means “divine” or “virtuous”. This is also the name of the Incan God of the sun.
8. Avalon - This Latin girl's name has Arthurian origins and means “island”.
9. Beulah - A Hebrew girl’s name meaning “married”.
10. Bharat - Of Hindi origins, this boy's name means “universal monarch”.
11. Boaz - This is a Hebrew boy’s name that means “swift” and “strong”.
12. Boudicca - This ancient Irish name means “victory”. The feminine title is likely derived from the Gaelic word “bodega”, which translates to “bringer of victory”.
13. Bronwen - For a boy, this name has Welsh origins that mean “dark and pure”. However, for a girl, this title means “a fiery spirit distilled from wine” in Dutch and “sweet nectar” in American.
14. Chaac - This ancient boy's name is the title of the Mayan God of thunder, lightning, and rain.
15. Charbel - This is a unique boy name of Aramaic origin that means “God’s story”.
16. Clotilde - Of German origins, this strong male name means “famous warrior”.
17. Cyra - A Persian girl name that means “throne” or “sun”. However, this also has masculine Greek origins that mean “lordly”.
18. Cyrus - Of Irish and Persian origins, this male moniker means “crag” and “the sun”.
19. Dominica - This Old French name means “belonging to God”.
20. Egbert - A unique English and German title meaning “intelligent” or “formidably brilliant”.
21. Enoch - This boy's name has Hebrew origins that mean “trained and vowed”, “dedicated”, and “profound”.
22. Isolde - Of Old English origins, this feminine title means “fair”.
23. Jasper - A Persian title that means “treasure bearer”. This masculine moniker also has French origins, referring to the red, brown, or yellow stone.
24. Jeconiah - This is a biblical boy name that means “God will establish”
25. Kukulcan - A Mayan title, this is the name of their feathered serpent god.
26. Lazarus - Of Hebrew origins, this name means “God’s helper”.
27. Lemuel - A boy name of Hebrew origins, this title means “devoted to God” or “belonging to God'“.
28. Leota - This Old German epithet means “of the people” and is a unique choice for a little girl.
29. Mael - A Celtic and French boy’s name that means “chief” or “prince”.
30. Mahala - This Hebrew girl's name translates to “tenderness”.
31. Nakon - Another Mayan deity, this is the title of the God of war.
32. Odin - This is the name of the Norse god of war and the dead.
33. Signe - A little girl’s name with Swedish origins, this epithet means “a sign” or “victorious”.
34. Supay - This is an Ancient Incan name meaning “god of evil death”.
35. Tepeu - Of Mayan origins, this name means “sovereign”. It was the moniker of their God of the sky who was partially responsible for all creation.
36. ​​Thor - This Old Norse boy's name means “thunder”.
37. Tulsi - A Hindi girl name meaning “basil”.
38. Umberto - Of German origins, this boy's name means “famous giant”. In Italian, this title means “famous German”.
39. Wolfgang - A Teutonic male name meaning “wolf strife”.
40. Xerxes - Of Persian origins, this ancient boy name means “prince”, “ruler”, or “leader”.
41. Yareli - This feminine title meaning “small butterfly” or “water lady” has Native American origins.
42. Zaccai - A gender-neutral Hebrew name meaning “fair” or “just”.

Despite these recurrences, popular naming trends of the present day are shown to circle around originality. It is likely that pop culture subtly influences these decisions. Many TV shows like “Vikings” and “Game of Thrones” feature these older epithets, making what is old new again.

When looking for these types of venerable titles, all you need to do is look back at the oldest civilizations of our world.

Looking for more ancient baby name ideas? Consider these Old Testament names for boys and girls!

For more baby name inspiration check out these popular baby name lists:

• Top 1000 Most Popular Baby Girl Names in the U.S.
• Top 1000 Most Popular Baby Boy Names in the U.S.
• The 100 Coolest Baby Names in the World