Girl · #81 in 2026

Athena

Athena is a feminine given name of Greek origin, often used in reference to the Greco-Roman goddess Athena, the goddess of wisdom, strategic warfare, and handicraft.

Current Rank
#81
Peak Rank
#76 (2022)
Total Babies
57K
5-Yr Trend
+14%
1902
First Year
2026
Last Year
2022
Peak Year
#76
Peak Rank
57K
Total Count
117
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Athena

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Athena is a feminine given name of Greek origin, often used in reference to the Greco-Roman goddess Athena, the goddess of wisdom, strategic warfare, and handicraft.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Athena

Athena first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1902, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2022, when 3,025 Athenas were born — ranking #78 that year. As of 2026, Athena ranks #81 for baby girls with 2,993 births, gradually rising (+14%). In total, more than 57K Athenas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Notable people named Athena

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

  • Athena the Gladiator , stagename of Karenjeet Kaur Bains
  • Athena Andreadis , aka Athena , an Anglo-Greek musician
  • Athena Tibi , aka Athena , a Filipino singer & actress based in Japan
  • Athena (wrestler) , ring name of U.S. pro-wrestler Adrienne (Reese) Palmer
  • Athena Aktipis , U.S. psychologist
  • Athena Andreadis , an Anglo-Greek musician
  • Athena Cage (born 1970), U.S. singer
  • Athena Chu (born 1971), Hongkong actress

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Names that sound like Athena

Phonetically similar names — useful when Athena is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Athena

What does the name Athena mean?
Athena is a feminine given name of Greek origin, often used in reference to the Greco-Roman goddess Athena, the goddess of wisdom, strategic warfare, and handicraft.
How popular is Athena in 2026?
In 2026, Athena ranks #81 among girls' names in the U.S., with 2,993 babies given the name that year.
When was Athena most popular?
Athena reached its peak popularity in 2022, ranking #76 that year with 3,025 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Athena most popular?
Athena has historically been most popular in U.S. Territories, New Mexico, Nevada. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Athena.
Is Athena a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Athena is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Athena?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Athena include Addie, Lulu, Genevieve. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Athena

Athena is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1902 and has accumulated 57K births in the dataset. Athena's peak popularity came in 2022 when it ranked #76. Use the chart and map above to compare Athena's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.