What Does the Name Athena Mean?
Athena is a girl's name of Greek origin meaning “of uncertain meaning; the goddess of wisdom.”
Updated June 2026
| Name | Athena |
|---|---|
| Gender | female |
| Origin | Greek |
| Meaning | of uncertain meaning; the goddess of wisdom |
| Variants | Athene, Athenais, Thena |
| Popularity | A rising US girls' name that entered the top 100 in the early 2020s. |
The meaning and origin of Athena
The name Athena means “of uncertain meaning; the goddess of wisdom” and has Greek origins. Athena is the name of the Greek goddess of wisdom, warfare, and crafts, and the patron deity of Athens; its ultimate etymology is uncertain and pre-Greek. Long known from mythology, it entered wide use as a given name in the modern era.
Variants and related names
Athena is related to several other names you may recognize: Athene, Athenais, Thena. These share a common root or are spelling and language variants of the same name.
How popular is the name Athena?
A rising US girls' name that entered the top 100 in the early 2020s.
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Open the name generator →Frequently asked questions
What does the name Athena mean?+
The name Athena means “of uncertain meaning; the goddess of wisdom” and is of Greek origin.
What is the origin of the name Athena?+
Athena originates from Greek.
Is Athena a popular name?+
Yes — see the popularity note above for how Athena has trended in the US over time.
Athena by gender
More girl's names
Sources
- Behind the Name — Etymology and history of first names — Behind the Name
- US Social Security Administration — Popular baby names by year — Social Security Administration
- A Dictionary of First Names — Oxford Reference — Oxford University Press