When you’re looking for a baby name those that bring about images of legends, mythology, magic, and mystery is always a draw for parents.
They offer parents the opportunity to embrace new cultures and stories while choosing a name for their little ones.
Many names still have very strong ties to the myth or story that they originated from while other names have very much fallen into the basket of normal names, a far cry from their mythological beginnings.
Here are some of our favorite mythical and magical names for both boys and girls along with their meanings.
In this article
Mysterious and Magical Baby Girl Names
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Alisa – Scottish name, meaning ‘elf victory.’ It’s a great alternative to Ashley or Ella.
Aislinn – Of Irish origin and it means ‘dream.’ As it is an old Irish name Aislinn has taken on various spellings throughout the years, such as Ashlyn or Ashlynn.
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Calliope – A Greek name that means ‘beautiful voice.’ In Greek mythology, she was a muse who presided over epic poetry and eloquence.
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Daphne – A Greek name for laurel tree or bay tree. She was a nymph and daughter of Peneus, a river god. The legend is that Peneus saved her from Apollo by turning her into a laurel tree.
Delilah – Hebrew in origin and it means ‘delight’ or ‘to flirt.’ Delilah has the image of being a temptress due to her association with the seduction of Samson.
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Eira – Welsh origins and it means ‘snow.’ A great name for a baby girl born in the winter months.
Elysia – A name with Latin origin and it means ‘from Elysium.’ Elysium is the abode for the blessed after death, in classic mythology, it is a paradise.
Esme – Both French and Persian origins, and it means ‘beloved, esteemed, or emerald.’ The name has grown in popularity in recent years due to its use in the Twilight Saga, Esme Cullen.
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Faye – Of English origin and it means ‘fairy.’ The name has various spellings including dropping the ‘e’ altogether. It can be used as both a first and middle name, as well as even a last name as Morgan le Fay, who was a sorceress in Arthurian legend.
Fenella – A Celtic name that means ‘white shouldered one.’ It made its debut outside of Ireland when it featured in Sir Walter Scott’s novel Peveril of the Peak.
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Gizem – A name of Turkish origin and it means ‘enigma, mystery, or secret.’
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Hulda – A name of Old Norse origin and it means ‘secret.’
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Leto – A name of Greek origin and it means ‘hidden’ or ‘woman.’ It is a deity in ancient Greek legend.
Liraz – Hebrew in origin and it means ‘my secret.’
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Maya – This name has origins in Greek, Sanscrit, and Ethiopian and it means ‘mother, illusion, or eye.’
Mystery – Greek and English in origin, meaning ‘unexplained.’
Mystique – A name with Greek and French origins and it means ‘air of mystery.’
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Najwa – Arabic in origin and it means ‘whisper, secret.’
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Rhinedd – A name of Welsh origin and it means ‘secret.’
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Sybil – Greek origin and it means ‘oracle, prophetess.’
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Whisper – A name of English origin, meaning ‘soft voice.’
Baby Boy Names That Are Mysterious and Magical
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Aelfdene – This name is pronounced as Ay-a-lef-den and comes from English origin and it means ‘from the Elfin valley.’
Aladdin – An Arabic name, meaning ‘height of religion.’ For most people, this name is associated with the Disney film but it is actually an old Middle Eastern tale. The Disney connection may make it less appealing but there are alternatives such as Aldin which may be better suited for the US.
Alvaro – The name was borrowed by the Spanish from the Germanic language where it translates to ‘an army of elves.’ It was also a well-known Spanish saint Alvaro.
Alvin – Is of English origin and it means ‘friend of the elves.’ But this is another name associated with the movie Alvin and the Chipmunks, which is why many parents will skip over it as a possible name.
Ambrose – Comes from Latin and it means ‘immortal one.’ It is a name that conveys a magical spirit and has an upbeat sound to it.
Aslan – Derived from Old Turkish and it means ‘lion.’ The name was made famous by C.S Lewis series Chronicles of Narnia. The books had a very heavy reliance on magic as a theme.
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Bayard – Stems from English roots and it means ‘russet haired.’ But it was also the name of a legendary French bay horse that could alter its size to fit its rider.
Borak – Arabic in origin and it means ‘lightning.’ The name comes from Al Borak who was a legendary horse that is rumored to have taken the prophet, Muhammad, from Earth to heaven.
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Caspian – A name of Iranian origin and is the geographical name of the sea located between Asia and Europe. The name was made more mainstream by The Chronicles of Narnia series where it was the name of the protagonist Prince Caspian.
Cedric – It comes from Celtic origins and it means ‘bounty.’ The name grew in popularity when the handsome wizard Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter played by Robert Pattinson appeared.
Cleon – Greek origin and it means ‘renowned’ or ‘glorious.’ It is the name used for mystical creatures in several video games.
Cosmo – This name is Greek in origin and it means ‘order’ or ‘bounty.’ It is a name with a very intergalactic tone to it.
Cullen – Irish in origin and it means ‘holly tree.’ It has been used as a surname for many years but it wasn’t until its appearance in The Twilight Saga that its popularity skyrocketed.
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Draco – A name with Greek origin and it means ‘dragon.’ A dragon is considered a mystical creature that symbolizes strength and protection. It hit the popularity charts after it appeared in the Harry Potter series.
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Elam – A name of Hebrew origin and it means ‘hidden or eternity.’
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Gellert – A name with Hungarian origins and it means ‘ruler of the spear’ or ‘spear strength.’ This is the Hungarian version of Gerald and gives it both English and German heritage. It is best known as the character in Harry Potter Gellert Grindelwald played by Johnny Depp.
Gil – Stems from the Hebrew and Spanish and it means ‘happiness.’ Gil has a slight magical flair to it.
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Hans – With origins and is a diminutive of Johannes and it means ‘God is gracious.’ It’s a name that will forever be associated with fairytales and is increasingly popular in Scandanavian countries.
Hansel – A German name that means ‘God is gracious.’ It’s a derivative of Hans and also another fairytale name, most famously in Hansel and Gretal.
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Ichtaka – Aztec origin and it means ‘secret.’
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Rune – From Germanic and Old Norse origins and it means ‘secret lore.’
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Yamanu – A name of Egyptian origin and it means ‘hidden one.’ Yamanu was a God in ancient Egyptian mythology.
Boys Names Inspired By Mythology
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Achilles – Of Greek origin and it means ‘pain.’ He was a legendary Greek hero who was famous for both his physical and military strength.
Adonis – A name of Greek origin and it means ‘lord or handsome.’ Adonis was a figure in Greek legend.
Aeneas – Greek origin and it means praised one. He was a hero of the Trojan war and a founder of Rome in both Roman and Greek myths.
Argus – From Greek mythology, Argus is Greek for a watchful guardian. Argus was a creature with one hundred eyes and is also a character in the Harry Potter series, Argus Filch.
Arion – Another name from Greek mythology that means ‘melodious.’ The legend goes that Arion was an immortal horse, which many believed had the power of speech.
Arthur – With both Celtic and Welsh origin, meaning ‘bear.’ Arthur was the name of the Knight of English legend.
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Dylan – Of Welsh origin and it means ‘son of the sea.’ In Welsh mythology, he was a legendary sea god who made the seas between England and Ireland cry when he died.
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Finn – A name of Irish origin and it means ‘fair or white.’ In Irish mythology, Finn MacCool was an intrepid warrior holding supernatural powers.
Flynn – An Irish name that it means ‘son of the red-haired one.’
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Griffin – Of Welsh origin and it means ‘strong faith.’ Griffin is a mythical beast from Welsh legend.
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Hector – Greek in origin, meaning ‘steadfast.’ Another famous hero of the Trojan war.
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Jason – A name of Greek origin that means ‘healer.’ Jason was an ancient Greek hero.
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Perseus – Meaning ‘to destroy’ and of Greek origin. He was a hero from ancient Greece who fought the monster Medusa.
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Theseus – A name of Greek origin, meaning ‘to place.’ Theseus defeated the minotaur in ancient Greece.
Girls Names Based on Mythology
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Antigone – A name of Greek origin, meaning ‘against birth.’ She was a tragic heroine and daughter of Oedipus in Greek legend.
Aphrodite – She was the goddess of love and beauty, born from the sea foam. It’s of Greek origin and means ‘risen from the sea.’
Aria – With both Hebrew and Italian origin and it means ‘air’ or ‘lion.’ She was a nymph in Greek mythology. The name was brought to popularity by the TV series Game of Thrones.
Atlanta – The name comes from Greek mythology and it means ‘a scale’ or ‘balance.’ The legend says that she was a fast-footed maiden who refused to marry anyone who could not beat her in a race. Eventually defeated by Hippomenes, who dropped three golden apples during the race causing her to stop and pick them up.
Athena – Comes from both Greek mythology and English. She was the Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare. Athena was also the patron goddess of the city of Athens and that is likely where her name derived from.
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Branwen – Of Celtic and Welsh origin and it means ‘beautiful raven.’ Branwen was the daughter of the Sea God Llyr in the Welsh mythology of the Mabinogi.
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Calypso – Of Greek and Latin origin and it means ‘she who hides.’ She was a nymph in Greek mythology.
Cassandra – Greek origin and it means ‘shines upon man, entangles man, or prophet.’ Cassandra was a prophetess in Greek lore who faced a tragic fate.
Cian – A name of Irish origin and it means ‘ancient.’ She was the mythical ancestor of the early Irish clan called Ciannachta.
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Elli – A figure in ancient Greek legend, a name with Greek origin.
Enid – Meaning ‘soul, life, and of Celtic origin.’ Enid was a character from Welsh legend.
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Flora – Of Latin origin and it means ‘flower.’ Flora was the name of the Roman goddess of spring and flowers.
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Groa – The name is of Old Norse origin and it means ‘to grow.’ She was a sorceress in Norse mythology.
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Harmonia – Greek origin and it means ‘agreement.’ She is the Greek goddess of order.
Helen – A name of Greek origin and it means ‘bright light or moon.’ Helen was supposedly the most beautiful woman in the world and her infidelity caused the Trojan War.
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Ilmatar – A Finnish spirit and goddess of the air. Ilmatar means ‘air.’
Innana – Of Persian origin and it means ‘lady of the sky.’ She was an ancient Mesopotamian deity of both love and war.
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Kara – A deity of Norse mythology. Kara means curly or wild one and has Old Norse origins.
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Lauma – With both Latvian and Lithuanian origins, meaning ‘fairy, pixie.’ In the Baltic myth, she is a forest spirit who is linked to childbirth.
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Neith – An ancient Egyptian deity of weaving, war, and women. The name means water or divine mother.
Niamh – In Irish mythology, she’s the daughter of a sea god. Niamh is of Irish and Gaelic origin and it means ‘bright.’
Non-Binary Magical, Mythical Baby Names
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Artemis – The ancient Greek goddess of the moon and hunting.
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Hero – Of Greek origin and it means ‘brave or superhuman.’
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Metis – Of Greek origin and it means ‘cunning, wise, shrewd.’ They were a Titan deity in Greek legend.
The Final Thought
Our list consists of some amazing baby names that have wonderful and magical stories behind them.
If you decide to choose a name that comes with its own myth or legend, I don’t think that you can go far wrong. Just make sure that you check out the story behind the name first!
