I am [name_m]Christian[/name_m], but I love the names of Greek goddesses for girls. However, I am concerned that it goes against my religious beliefs to ever name a child the name of an unchristian deity. Is it the same as naming a child a secular name with no religious meaning (like [name_f]Emily[/name_f] or [name_f]Scarlett[/name_f]) or would it be awkward?
Thanks in advance!! 
(Not expecting, I just love names!:))
I donāt think there is anything wrong with it.
I donāt think that thereās anything wrong with it either. A lot of people donāt know the etymology of their names so may date back to the [name_m]Pagan[/name_m] era yet they donāt mind. If you love a name then it shouldnāt matter. Iām a [name_m]Christian[/name_m] and I absolutely love Greek goddess names! Not all of the Biblical names have great meanings either eg [name_f]Mara[/name_f] meaning bitterness so names have many dimensions so I donāt think it matters. X
Many names of Greek and [name_m]Roman[/name_m] mythology also happen to be [name_m]Christian[/name_m] saint names so I donāt think it would be a problem. We have to remember that before their conversions to Christianity, many people were pagans or worshipped gods and goddesses. I would suggest you take a look at the list of saints on the web if youāre interested and see if one jumps out at you. Personally, I wouldnāt name a child [name_f]Scarlett[/name_f] just because of the negative associations with the name (scarlet woman, scarlet fever). [name_f]Emily[/name_f] IS a saint name so that name wouldnāt be a problem for any [name_m]Christian[/name_m]. I like [name_f]Persephone[/name_f] but since she was the queen of the underworld and the daughter of [name_m]Zeus[/name_m], I would hesitate to use it. I guess itās very subjective and it depends on your comfort level. What kind of names do people in your church choose for their children?
Itās okay in my opinion. [name_f]Athena[/name_f] is my fave Greek name. I like [name_f]Penelope[/name_f] a lot too.
I donāt see a problem with it. So many mythological and biblical names have become common place that many people probably wonāt notice or care. For instance, Iām Catholic, and [name_f]Diana[/name_f] (a [name_m]Roman[/name_m] [name_f]Goddess[/name_f]) is one of my favorite picks for a girl. And if I met a [name_f]Sarah[/name_f] or [name_f]Mary[/name_f] who was nonreligious, I probably wouldnāt bat an eye.
When it comes to name - the names used in the bible were likely used before they became a [name_m]Christian[/name_m] name too and only became associated with Christianity after being mentioned in say the bible or being canonized as saints.
I donāt think it would be strictly appropriate, but I guess it depends how religious you are. You might not want to choose a name that people immediately associate with another religion.
[name_u]Artemis[/name_u], [name_f]Aphrodite[/name_f] or [name_f]Athena[/name_f] for example are major deities & make most people think of the Greek goddesses right away.
[name_f]Selene[/name_f], [name_f]Cybele[/name_f] or [name_f]Rhea[/name_f] are less commonly known deities or titans or whatever, and people donāt immediately make the connection to the mythology so those might be more appropriate choices for a religious person.
Iām a christian and I named my daughter [name_f]Lily[/name_f] [name_f]Rose[/name_f] [name_f]Athena[/name_f]. I think itās alright to do, I just wouldnāt name my children anything with a bad meaning.
Thereās nothing in the Bible that says you canāt.
Iāve always been really leery toward it. When I first really seriously got interested in names, I didnāt want to go near them at all. I felt like (and still feel like) itās hypocritical to say that I love and follow the one God of the Universe, but that I would name my child after (what I believe to be) a false god/goddess. I like some names from Greek mythology, as much as the next person. Ariadne, Penelope, Calliope, Maia, Clio, Daphne, Thaliaā¦ but I wouldnāt use them. I just donāt feel that itās right. But obviously some disagree with me. Iāve made an exception for Arianne (my second pick for a girl!) because itās not Ariadne outright, and it means āvery holy oneā, which I think is a great meaning for a Christian. Iāve also made an exception for Penelope because, wellāsheās not a goddess (not that I know of, anyway!), and because sheās in Homerās The Odyssey and not just a collection of Greek myths, it feels more literary than just another goddess. Plus, I think sheās a great example of commitment to oneās spouse/partner, and the way she never gives up on Odysseus is a lot like the verses in the New Testament talk about supporting oneās husband.
Meh, itās probably hypocritical, haha. I try to stay away from Greek mythology names, but I do really love Penelope, Ariadne, and Daphne, and would be most tempted to use those. I seem to keep coming back to Daphne, but it never seems to stick because I feel guilty about using it, when my faith is so obviously forefront in my life! It just doesnāt seem right to do, but if I met a little girl named Daphne or Penelope in my church, I wouldnāt have a problem with it. One of the little old ladies in my church actually has a granddaughter named Daffeny, and Iāve never thought less of her parents. I am happy to hear āDaphneā every so often, even though I greatly dislike the spelling!
When it comes down to it, I think itās mostly just a personal choice (like many things are when youāre a Christian!). Christians are so varied on so many subjects that itās hard to judge, especially when the Bible doesnāt have anything to say about it. I donāt really feel comfortable using a Greek mythology name, but some Christians wouldnāt even bat an eye at it. I certainly wouldnāt be offended if I came across a Persephone or an Athena or an Adonis or an Apollo within the church (although I would find it quite jarring, as they are such big names in Greek mythology!), not like Iād be offended if I came across a Messiah or a Trinity (which I do find very bothersome).
Well, it depends on how you see Greek myths. Are they simply stories, or are they lies created by Satan to mislead people? I know different sects of Christianity have different opinions. I personally donāt see anything wrong with it, and I wouldnāt hesitate to give my child a Biblical or mythological name if I really loved the name.
Speaking as a practicing [name_m]Pagan[/name_m] of the Greek pantheon, and a Priestess, this is only my community of pagans, but it might be the same for most others. I would find it weird and sort of inappropriate for you to name your child the name of a major deity. You claim to worship one god and that heās the only god and he commanded you not to worship other gods or idols, but isnāt naming your daughter [name_f]Athena[/name_f] or [name_f]Aphrodite[/name_f] sort of against the things he wants? If I wanted to name my son [name_m]Jesus[/name_m] (said like the Christians do, not Spanish) how many Christians would tell me how wrong and inappropriate that was?
I think the lesser mythological names are better ā [name_f]Penelope[/name_f], [name_f]Callisto[/name_f], [name_f]Clio[/name_f] etc ā because they arenāt major deities that large groups of Pagans still worship and respect. I find it a bit disrespectful considering we arenāt using [name_m]Jesus[/name_m] and itās the same thing.
Now, the ones that are also [name_m]Saint[/name_m] names, thereās nothing to be done there. You feel free to use the god/goddess names that are also the names of saints.
This exactly. Except I would expect people to hesitate depending upon which god/goddessā name they chose, because what child wants to have the name of a god/goddess whom hundreds upon thousands of babies were āsacrificedā to. That would be horrible. As for myself, I wouldnāt use any such name unless, as previous posters said, the name in question was also linked to a Saint and ergo, Christianity.
I am also [name_m]Christian[/name_m], though Iām not super religious but I wouldnāt have a problem naming a future child [name_f]Athena[/name_f] or [name_f]Persephone[/name_f]. I do really admire the greek myths, and I like what the deities stand for, but that doesnāt have to mean they have religious significance to me. In the end, I think you shouldnāt let it mean any more than you want it to; just a beautiful name for a beautiful child.
I am a practicing, devout [name_m]Christian[/name_m] and I feel dantea said it perfectly. I think there are a lot of Greek names not associated with the gods/goddesses that would work without naming your child [name_f]Athena[/name_f]. [name_m]Just[/name_m] my two cents.
@ashthedreamer - There was a [name_m]MALE[/name_m] saint [name_m]Arian[/name_m] , a governor of Thebes, who converted to Christianity after witnessing the martyrdom of Sts. Apollonius and [name_m]Philemon[/name_m] so [name_f]Arianne[/name_f] would be quite acceptable as the female version of his name. Come to think about it, there was also a martyr in the 2nd century named St. [name_f]Ariadne[/name_f] so I wouldnāt worry about that name either. 
I had hoped youād post on this thread, dantea, because I knew youād bring a great perspective to it.
On the worshipping other gods or idols point, I think itās inoffensive to most Christians on this thread because we view these names as they would literary character names. In fact, Greek myths are often taught in American schools as part of literature classes, so many American Christians may come to view these deities as characters that they like, admire, and/or become fascinated with, so they might want to honor a deity like [name_f]Athena[/name_f] in that way, just like you mentioned you wanted to honor Samwise Gamgee in your Tolkien thread. [name_m]Christian[/name_m] theology isnāt really taught this way to people of all faiths, so that may be why non-Christians using [name_m]Jesus[/name_m] might seem odd or offensive to some, while Greek mythology names donāt necessarily carry that stigma because they are taught as stories and become familiar to a wide range of people from many different religions.
I think it comes down to your own personal belief on this matter. Not very helpful, but very true. If you feel that naming your child after a Greek God or [name_f]Goddess[/name_f] somehow goes against your religious beliefs - then donāt do it. However, I am not aware of any āruleā saying that [name_m]Christian[/name_m] people can not name their children with a name that was once used for a Greek God or [name_f]Goddess[/name_f]. It is similar to naming your child [name_f]Mara[/name_f], the meaning of the name is ābitterā, does that mean you think your child is bitter? Or you are bitter about you child? No, of course not!
It all goes back to you. If you were actually pregnant, I would say ponder it on your own for a bit. Consult your SO. Talk about your concerns. And then come to a conclusion together. [name_m]Just[/name_m] because you choose not to name your child [name_f]Athena[/name_f], it does not mean you feel it is wrong to do so, it just means you have decided against it for you own child. Since you are not actually pregnant, I would still say ponder it. What would you say if a person came up to you and asked about your childās name? What would you say? What if someone asked you why you chose a name, as you are [name_m]Christian[/name_m] (though that would be INCREDIBLY rude)? What would your response to that be?
These are exactly my thoughts, I just couldnāt get them into words!
My faith in [name_m]Christ[/name_m] is very very prominent in my life, so although I like the names, it just wouldnāt be right in my soul to name a child something like that.
Thanks so much, [name_u]Ash[/name_u]! Iāve been trying to vocalize my opinion on this for the longest time, and I couldnāt have said it better myself!!