Ancient Greeks had one name, and it usually meant something: Nikias is victory, Philippos is lover of horses, Theodoros is gift of god. To tell people apart they added their father's name or their city. This Ancient Greek name generator uses real Greek names, shows their meanings, and builds full names the Greek way.
How Greek names worked
A Greek was known by a single personal name. Formally, a citizen added their father's name and, in Athens, their deme (district): the historian Thucydides introduces himself as Thucydides son of Olorus, an Athenian. Outside their city, Greeks were known by their home: Herodotus of Halicarnassus, Thales of Miletus.
Many names were built from two meaningful parts, just like Anglo-Saxon ones: Nik- (victory), -andros (man), Hipp- (horse), Theo- (god), -kles (glory).
Reading the meanings
- Horses were a sign of wealth, so aristocratic families loved names with hippos: Philippos, Xanthippos, Hipparete.
- Gods appear in names like Demetrios (of Demeter) and Diodoros (gift of Zeus).
- Virtues and victory: Nikias, Aristides, Agathon.
Names are given in their Greek forms (Philippos rather than Philip); the meanings are the usual translations of their parts.
Using the names
- For a citizen, use the father's name format: it's how they'd sign a decree.
- For a traveller, use the city: away from home, where you came from was what mattered.
- For the Romans, see the Roman Name Generator.