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.
- Greek Mythology
- English
- Icelandic
- French
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 →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Greek Mythology
- English
- Icelandic
- French
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. The name hit its high-water mark in 2022: 3,025 births, good for #78 nationwide. About 35% of every Athena on record arrived during the 2020s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Athena ranks #81 for baby girls with 2,993 births, gradually rising (+14%). All told, over 57K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1900s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Athena
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Athena. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
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?
What is the origin of the name Athena?
How popular is Athena in 2026?
When was Athena most popular?
In which U.S. states is Athena most popular?
Is Athena a unisex name?
What names go well with Athena?
What are nicknames or variants of Athena?
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
- Top names of 2022 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "A" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.