I recently came across this name and was very intrigued by it. Does anyone with a good knowledge of Greek know anything about its etymology?
“[name_f]Anthe[/name_f]” is, I’m fairly sure, from anthos, “flower” or “flowering” (a popular element in Greek names-- think Rhodanthe, [name_f]Iolanthe[/name_f], Chrysanthe, [name_f]Ianthe[/name_f], Melanthe, [name_f]Evanthe[/name_f], etc). Many people say the “[name_f]Mari[/name_f]-” part is a reference to the Virgin [name_f]Mary[/name_f], so something like “flower of [name_f]Mary[/name_f],” but the name is pre-[name_m]Christian[/name_m] and the [name_f]Mari[/name_f]- element was not introduced to Greece nor was it given in names until Christianity came along. I have also heard that it’s a corruption of myr, as in “myriad,” so therefore “a multitude of flowers.”
Any way you slice it, it’s pretty, and I wondered if someone could settle the question.