Today’s most popular Greek dog names obviously came from mythology such as Apollo, Ares, Athena, Clio, Rhea, Ophelia, and Zeus. So if you have a new dog and you are into everything Greek, this article is for you.
One of the oldest countries in the world, Greece can provide some pretty epic puppy names, especially if you like Greek mythology. Greek names are a unique and beautiful choice for a dog since they have a global appeal and recognize an incredible culture. Whatever your pup’s personality, there is certainly a Greek dog name for them that accentuates their strength, power, sweetness, or stateliness.
When you choose a name for your dog, it can be a great time to show appreciation for your heritage. If you happen to be Greek, or at least a fan of Greek culture or ancient Greece, you will have a plethora of names to decide between including Greek gods and goddesses, Greek food, historical sites, and everything else the culture encompasses. Here are a few of my best Greek dog names that will definitely be a reflection of your Greek heritage or love of Greek culture. I have great picks for just about any type of dog, whatever their characteristics and personality may be.
Quick Tips for Naming a Dog
The ancient Greek historian Xenophon was an avid dog owner, being a master of breeding and training hounds to hunt, track, and basically everything else dogs were expected to be able to do at the time. He advised that dog names were to be simple yet highly meaningful, and so recommended names for dogs that were descriptive of a central characteristic, from basic “job names” like Watch, Keeper, Trooper, Forester, and even Counsellor; to names that describe their attitude or temperament: Fury, Blazer, Pluck, Hurry, Bloomer, and Prowess. Or you could be a bit more poetic and give them figurative names like Sunbeam, Psyche, Spigot, and Lance. Of course, he used ancient Greek word equivalents to these English ones.
While Xenophon’s advice is sound at its core, his recommendations can strike one as a bit antiquated. After all, he raised working dogs thousands of years ago. Here’s my advice: Choose a name that best fits the personality of your puppy. Think about dog names that are only one or two syllables making it easier for your new puppy to hear as well as understand. Try to avoid dog names that can sound like a command or anything that may be hard to pronounce. And remember, you want something that your vet, family members, and friends can easily say and spell.
Aside from research, try to find names for dogs that come from your own family tree, as well as other important ties you may have to Greek culture such as a favorite dish, traditional clothing, art, and history. Just remember to seek compromise between your pet’s personality and the things that you are interested in. When naming your dog, remember that you’re just starting your life together, and that their name is going to stick with them for the rest of theirs. They have to respond well to the name, too. Try to test out a few Greek dog names and have fun with it. See which one sticks and seems like it’s the right one for him.
Classic Greek Names FROM GREEK MYTHOLOGY AND ANTIQUITY
- Harmonia – The goddess of harmony
- Hades – The god of the underworld
- Helios – The god of the sun
- Hecate – The goddess of magic
- Polyhymnia – A muse
- Poseidon – The god of the ocean
- Asclepius – The god of medicine and health
- Apollo – The god of the sun
- Pan – The god of the woods
- Doris – Sea nymph
- Morpheus – The god of sleep and dream
- Lachesis – A fate
- Gaia – The goddess of earth
- Hygea – The goddess of hygiene and cleanliness
- Euterpe – A muse
- Rhea – The goddess of nature
- Eos – The goddess of dawn
- Zephyrus – The god of the west wind
- Urania – A muse
- Tyche – The goddess of prosperity and fortune
- Zeus – The god of thunder and lightning
- Pheme – The goddess of gossip and fame
- Cerus – A bull in the Taurus constellation
- Ceto – A goddess and sea monster
- Maia – The goddess of the fields
- Erebus – The god of the dark
- Hermes – The gods’ messenger
- Ares – The god of war
- Hesperus – The name of an evening star
- Ate – The goddess of mischief
- Cybele – The goddess of all wild animals
- Khione – The goddess of snow
- Demeter – The goddess of harvests
- Melpomene – A muse
- Hestia – The goddess of fertility and home
- Notus – The god of the south wind
- Crios – A crab in the Cancer constellation
- Eileithyia – The goddess of childbirth
- Clotho – A fate
- Chronos – The god of time
- Hebe – The goddess of youth
- Dionysus – The god of pleasure and wine
- Artemis – The goddess of hunting and the moon
- Atropos – A fate
- Tartarus – The god of the underworld
- Persephone – The goddess of the spring
- Alectrona – The goddess of the sun
- Eurus – The god of the east wind
- Selene – The goddess of the moon
- Zelus – The god of jealousy
- Nemesis – The goddess of vengeance
- Achelois – A goddess of the moon
- Kratos – The god of power and strength
- Astraea – The goddess of justice
- Aether – A god of light
- Eros – The god of love
- Calypso – A sea nymph that Odysseus held prisoner
- Uranus – The god of the sky
- Circe – The goddess that transformed all her enemies into beasts
- Oceanus – The Titan god of the sea
- Iris – The goddess of rainbows
- Heera – The goddess of the day
- Nyx – The goddess of the night
- Pollux – A Gemini twin
- Boreas – The god of the north wind
- Mania – The goddess of insanity
- Momus – The god of poets, satire, and writers
- Hercules – According to Greek legend, he is the strongest man on earth
- Alastor – The god of family feuds
- Calliope – A muse
- Castor – A Gemini twin
- Thanatos – The god of death
- Peitha – The goddess of persuasion
- Hephaestus – The god of fire
- Cronus – Father of all the Titans
- Antheia – The goddess of gardens
- Erato – A muse
- Athena – The goddess of wisdom
- Amphitrite – Poseidon’s wife
- Aeolus – The god of the winds and air
- Hypnos – The god of sleep
- Typhon – The god of monsters
- Hephaestus – The god of fire
- Plutus – The god of wealth
- Atlas – The Titan that carries the weight of the world
- Terpsichore – A muse
- Hymenaeus – The god of weddings
- Aphrodite – The goddess of beauty and love
- Eris – The goddess of strife
- Caerus – The god of opportunity and luck
- Nike – The goddess of victory
- Bia – The goddess of force
- Hera – The goddess of women and goddesses
OTHER Dog Names Inspired by Greek Mythology
- Dennis
- Adrian
- Cora
- Alexis
- Galen
- Saphira
- Adonis
- Dina
- Xander
- Tessa
- Deacon
- Griffin
- Alpha
- Tadd
- Quinn
- Bronte
- Niles
- Tyrone
- Basil
- Meg
- Electra
- Phoenix
- Corban
- Muse
- Arianna
Greek Names for a Male Dogs
- Constantine
- Achilles
- Cole
- Adonis
- Cicero
- Adrian
- Caesar
- Alesandro
- Belen
- Basil
- Dennis
- Demetrius
- Deacon
- Darius
- Damon
- Cy
- Corban
- Jace
- Icarus
- Homer
- Griffin
- Gregory
- Giles
- Felipe
- Ezio
- Evan
- Eugene
- Estevan
- Egan
- Owen
- Otis
- Othello
- Orien
- Odysseus
- Niles
- Neo
- Miles
- Maximus
- Leo
- Kosmos
- Kal
- Sander
- Xander
- Ulysses
- Tyrone
- Titan
- Timon
- Theo
- Tadd
- Spiro
- Sirius
Greek names for female dogs
- Bernice
- Asteria
- Arianna
- Aretha
- Antigone
- Angela
- Anastasia
- Ambrosia
- Amara
- Alexis
- Alexandra
- Alexa
- Agnes
- Agatha
- Cora
- Clio
- Cleopatra
- Chloe
- Celena
- Cassia
- Carissa
- Calista
- Daphne
- Hermione
- Harmony
- Evangeline
- Elena
- Electra
- Effie
- Dora
- Dina
- Dido
- Demi
- Delta
- Delia
- Muse
- Meg
- Medea
- Lyra
- Lilah
- Libra
- Leora
- Ilene
- Phoebe
- Penelope
- Pandora
- Olympia
- Niki
- Neri
- Zoey
- Tessa
- Tansy
- Sophie
- Saphira
- Rue
Gender Neutral GREEK DOG NAMES
- Indigo
- Hero
- Galen
- Echo
- Dorian
- Dionne
- Bronte
- Alpha
- Quinn
- Perry
- Omega
- Lyric
- Lexus
- Lex
- Topaz
- Phoenix
- Greek History Inspired Dog Names
- Sparta
- Socrates
- Plato
- Kyon
- Iliad
- Homer
- Dogma
- Darius
- Aristotle
- Aesop
Greek Dog Names Inspired by Food
- Arni
- Tzatziki
- Tarama
- Pita
- Ouzo
- Olive
- Kalamata
- Gyro
- Frappe
- Feta
- Baklava
Greek Dog Names Inspired by Travel
- Thera
- Athens
- Kamari
- Chania
- Milos
- Kamari
- Symi
- Santorini
- Rhodes
- Oia
OTHER Greek Dog Name Options
- Spiro
- Kal
- Olympia
- Icarus
- Asteria
- Calista
- Gregory
- Effie
- Felipe
- Demetrius
- Jace
- Carissa
- Leora
- Angela
- Otis
- Estevan
- Constantine
- Dido
- Lyra
- Evan
- Miles
- Elena
- Odysseus
- Antigone
- Neo
- Achilles
- Bernice
- Ulysses
- Demi
- Chloe
- Belen
- Hero
- Clio
- Ilene
- Orien
- Othello
- Anastasia
- Sirius
- Giles
- Perry
- Libra
- Penelope
- Cleopatra
- Hermione
- Lexus
- Dorus
- Darius
- Daphne
- Dorian
- Ambrosia
One of the most beautiful countries in the world, Greece is a great place to look for names for dogs, whether you want to hearken back to a mythological past, pay homage to your heritage with a traditional name, or just get a short, cool-sounding name derived from ancient Greek culture. Whether you prefer the name of an ancient Greek god or Greek goddess, or want to evoke the memory of the mortals they played with, there are tons of options when it comes to Greek dog names for your male or female dog.
Top 5 Female Greek Dog Names
- Hera
- Ophelia
- Venus
- Iris
- Athena
Check out more options on our huge list female dog names.
Top 5 Male Greek Dog Names
- Nike
- Atlas
- Titan
- Apollo
- Zeus
FAQs
What are good Greek dog names?
Some of the most popular Greek dog names are Greek mythology names such as:
Adonis – If you have a very handsome dog, naming him Adonis is entirely appropriate since he is the Greek god of beauty.
Apollo – Apollo is the Greek god who was skilled in medicine, music, prophecy, and poetry, but your dog doesn’t have to be an artist to be worthy of the name. He was also the god of the sun, so as long as your dog shines like a sunbeam, the name Apollo would definitely fit him.
Athena – For a dog who seems like they’re on the fast track to an ivy league school, Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom as well as warfare and handicraft.
Hypnos – For lazy and sleepy dogs, Hypnos is the Greek god of sleep, which is perfect for a dog that likes to sleep the day away.
Iris – Iris is the Greek goddess of rainbows — great for dogs whose eyes shine with dazzling colors, or better yet, a heterochromic one.
Nike – If you have a female puppy that loves to play and run around your yard (you may want to get a wireless dog fence if they get a bit too wild!), Nike is the perfect name for her. Most often associated with sports, Nike is also the name of the Greek goddess of victory.
Olympia – Olympia comes from Olympus, which is the name of the mountain upon which the gods and goddesses of Greek mythology resided and held council. Olympia itself means “of Olympus”, so by naming your dog Olympia, you make it sound like she rubs shoulders with the most important deities of Greek mythology, like Poseidon, Zeus, and Hera!.
Persephone – Known as the queen of the underworld and the goddess of vegetation, Persephone is an adorable name for a pretty pup that looks particularly vibrant, like an orchard in bloom.
Titan – A great name for a very large dog, or a hilarious name for a small dog, Titans were powerful and strong deities that were said to rule the earth before the Olympians.
Zeus – Obviously, the best known of all the gods in Greek mythology, Zeus not only ruled the sky but also thunder and lightning, which is funny since it’s pretty common for a dog to be afraid of thunder and lighting. But if your dog is the type to not let that kind of thing bother him, Zeus is a perfect name for him.
Who is the Greek god of dogs?
The Greek goddess of dogs is Hecate. She is also the goddess of crossroads, entryways, and magic. She has typically depicted three heads, which often appear like the heads of dogs, serpents, boars, horses, or cows. Usually, though, Hecate is described with either a dog head or that she has dogs with her.
What was the name of Zeus’ dog?
Kuon Khryseos (literally “The Golden Hound”) is the dog of Zeus. According to the Greek myth of creation, he had it since childhood, given to him by his mother Rhea to guard his crib. This dog was stolen by Pandareus from Hephaestus, from Zeus’ temple in Crete. It was carried to Tantalus where Zeus to get the dog back, but Tantalus said it wasn’t in his possession, but the animal was taken by force and given to Zeus.
