Athena

Athena - A very unique female name

Athena appeared on the charts for the first time in 1915 on position #1438. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Athena and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Athena? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Athena. The baby girl name Athena was given to 2,467 baby girls in 2025, ranking #109 on the national girl baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 528 baby girls were given this name - making this a very unique female name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Athena peaked in popularity 3 years ago in 2023 on position 76.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Athena, 1-5?

Athena is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Athena is currently topping the baby name charts in Alaska at position #18 - and is the least popular in Alabama at position #239.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Athena is where you live.

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Athena origin and meaning

Greek — name of the goddess Athena, origin unknown

Unknown — Athena is a pre-Greek name; she is the Greek goddess of wisdom, war and craft

Athena's name predates Greek records — its etymology is genuinely unknown — and belongs to the patron goddess of Athens. As an American given name it grew steadily through the 2010s and sits at #109, just off its 2022 peak.

Origin uncertain

Athena is a 6 letter name with 3 syllables.

To see famous people named Athena, pop culture references for the name Athena and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Athena

We've found the following names that sound similar to Athena, sorted by popularity.

Autumn / Aitana / Adina / Aidan / Ayden / Autum / Aiden / Adam / Aithana / Atiana /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Athena

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Athena a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique female name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Athena?

3 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

ah-THEE-nah · /əˈθiːnə/

Around the world

• Athina (Greek) — The modern Greek form

Spellings and nicknames

• Athina — The modern Greek spelling

Nicknames: Thena

Famous bearers

• Athena — Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare, patron of Athens (Mythological) Fictional
• Athena Karkanis — Canadian actress, Manifest (b. 1981) Contemporary

Style

MythologicalInternational

Why parents choose it

Athena gives parents a goddess name that signals intelligence and strength rather than sweetness. It is mythological without being obscure.

Worth knowing

• A big-mythology name sets a high bar some families find heavy
• Occasionally misspelled Athenna or Athenae