Mesmerising Merfolk 🌊

Name Advice
1

Following Fantastic Flora & Glittering Gems & Colours, I present to you my third segment in the series, named Mesmerising Merfolk! The concept came to fruition due to the success of The Little Mermaid and my own search for a name for my mermaid doll. These are names pertaining to merfolk from folklore and pop culture, sea deities and the vast ocean.

I will be linking any similar posts I make in the future, and they will be under one collective. Note that my astronomy triad is unrelated and seperate to this series. I am going to keep the format simple and not go deep into detail. For now, here’s a look at some of the names that I’ve gathered:

  • Aallotar - F - “water nymph”

From Finnish aalto, meaning “wave”, combined with feminine suffix -tar.

  • Adella - F - “noble”

A sister of Ariel in the Little Mermaid. AdĂŠlie is a similar name belonging to a species of penguin.

  • Aegir - M - “ocean”

Ægir was the Norse god of the sea, honored and feared by sailors, who believed he would sometimes take ships from the surface down to his home at the bottom of the ocean.

  • Alana - F - “child; awakening”

A sister of Ariel in the Little Mermaid.

  • Alphard - M - “the solitary one”

Alphard is the brightest star in the constellation Hydra – the great water serpent.

  • Amphitrite - F - “sea goddess”

She was said to be the personification of the sea water itself and was said to be present at the birth of Apollo.

  • Anahita - F - “immaculate”

Anahita is the name of the water goddess who rules, among other things, fertility and wisdom.

  • Andrina - F - “manly”

A sister of Ariel in the Little Mermaid.

  • Aquareine - F - “queen of water”

The name of a mermaid queen in L. Frank Baum’s novel ‘‘The Sea Fairies’’.

  • Aquarius - M - “bearer of water”

This is a constellation in the zodiac, between Capricornus and Pisces.

  • Aquata - F - “water”

A sister of Ariel in the Little Mermaid.

  • Aramoana - F - “pathway of the sea”

Maori in origin.

  • Arethusa - F - “swift water”

In Greek mythology, Arethusa is a Naiad who was changed into a spring.

  • Ariel - U - “lion of God”

Ariel enjoyed a considerable burst of popularity with the 1989 release of Disney’s The Little Mermaid: in 1991 it peaked at #66, while Shakespeare used it for a (male) sprite in The Tempest.

  • Arista - F - “the best”

A sister of Ariel in the Little Mermaid.

  • Attina - F - “wise”

A sister of Ariel in the Little Mermaid, possibly named after her mother Athena.

  • Aukai - M - “seafarer”

Hawaiian in origin.

  • Caspian - M - “white”

The geographical name of the large salty sea between Asia and Europe.

  • Cleodora - F - “gift of glory”

The name of a nymph in Greek mythology, one of the prophetic Thriai, who divined the future by throwing pebbles. She was a lover of the sea god Poseidon. The name also belongs to a species of butterfly.

  • Cordelia - F - “heart; daughter of the sea”

  • Cyan - M - “greenish-blue”

It is derived from the Greek ‘kyanippos’ or ‘cyanippus’.

  • Delphine - F - “dolphin”

It could alternatively mean “from Delphi”.

  • Eidothea - F - “sea-nymph”

In Greek mythology Eidothea was a prophetic sea-nymph daughter of the shape-shifting marine god Proteus.

  • Ephyra - F - “daughter of Oceanus”

Ephyra was one of the 3000 Oceanids, daughters of Oceanus and Tethys. Ephyre was an Nereid, daughter of Nereus and Doris, although the two may be one and the same. Ephyra is also the name of the larval forms of jellyfish that can inhabit the planktonic range.

  • Halimede - F - “sea-goddess of good counsel”

Halimede was a Nereid, daughter of Nereus & Doris. Halimede lends her name to one of the outer moon’s of Neptune as well as a genus of crab.

  • Ianthe - F - “purple flower”

In the ancient myth, she was the daughter of Oceanus, supreme ruler of the sea, and also a Cretan woman so beautiful that when she died the Gods made purple flowers grow around her grave.

  • Ianassa - F - “queen of violets”

One of the Nereids, daughter of Nereus & Doris.

  • Jamaina - F - “land of wood and water”

The name of an ocean Goddess, often represented as a mermaid, who is worshipped by the Bakairi people of Brazil.

  • Killick - M - “small anchor”

A small anchor or weight for mooring a boat, sometimes consisting of a stone secured by pieces of wood. It is also a nautical slang for the leading seaman.

  • Kinvara - F - “head of the sea”

Kinvara, gateway to the Burren in County Clare, is County Galway’s only prominent sea village on the southern shores of Galway Bay.

  • Kuroshio - M - “black current”

A warm ocean current that flows northeastwardly off the coast of Japan into the northern Pacific ocean.

  • Laomedeia - F - “ruleress of the people”

Laomedeia is one of the Nereids, after whom an irregular satellite of Neptune is also named.

  • Leucothea - F - “white goddess”

Leucothea was a sea goddess who came to the aid of sailors in distress.

  • Lir - M - “the sea”

Lir is the Irish god of the sea, the equivalent of the Welsh Llyr.

  • Mariner - M - “sea-farer”

  • Mazu - F - “eternal mother”

In Chinese mythology, Mazu is the goddess of the sea.

  • Melody - F - “song”

The daughter of Ariel in the Little Mermaid.

  • Melusine - F - “strong in work”

The name of an otherworldly creature in European mythology, a type of water-spirit or freshwater mermaid, who is often portrayed as half-woman and half-fish or half-serpent – sometimes even half-dragon.

  • Merliah - F - “sea beauty”

Merliah Summers was the main character in Barbie in A Mermaid Tale as well as its sequel.

  • Morvoren - F - “mermaid”

Morvoren is sometimes used as the name of the mermaid of Zennor.

  • Muirgen - F - “born of the sea”

Muirgen in Irish mythology was turned into a mermaid and then brought back to land after 300 years and transformed back into a woman.

  • Neptune - M - “god of the sea”

Neptune is the Roman god of the sea, fresh water springs, and horses, identified with the Greek Poseidon. A planet was named after him.

  • Nerida - F - “sea-nymph; mermaid”

It may alternatively mean “water lily”.

  • Nerissa - F - “from the sea”

Nerissa was used by Shakespeare for Portia’s witty confidante in The Merchant of Venice.

  • Nixie - F - “water nymph”

A water spirit in Germanic mythology and folktales.

  • Okeanos - M - “ocean”

In Greek mythology, Okeanos was the Titan who personified this body of water. Oceanus is a variation.

  • Ondine - F - “little wave”

Mythological spirit of the waters; spelled Undine, she was an Edith Wharton heroine.

  • Pavati - F - “clear water”

Native American/Hopi in origin.

  • Poseidon - M - “lord of the earth”

In Greek mythology, Poseidon was the unruly god of the sea and earthquakes, the brother of Zeus.

  • Reef - M - “a ridge of rocks”

  • Salacia - F - “salt”

Salacia was the goddess of the sea in ancient Roman mythology — the divine personification of the calm, sunlit saltwater. She was also a wife of Neptune.

  • Sedna - F - “goddess of the sea”

The name of the Inuit goddess of the sea, marine animals, and the underworld. There is also a dwarf planet in the outer solar system called 90377 Sedna, discovered in 2003 and named after the goddess because: “Our newly discovered object is the coldest, most distant place known in the Solar System, so we feel it is appropriate to name it in honor of Sedna, the Inuit goddess of the sea, who is thought to live at the bottom of the frigid Arctic Ocean.”

  • Selkie - F - “seal folk”

In Scottish folklore, selkies are mythical creatures that resemble seals in the water but assume human form on land.

  • SÇ˝fari - M - “traveller of the seas”

  • Tethys - F - “grandmother”

In Greek mythology, this was the name of a Titan associated with the sea. She was the wife of Oceanus.

  • Thalassa - F - “the sea”

Thalassa is the ancient personification of the sea, particularly the Mediterranean, who is sometimes considered the mother of Aphrodite. In 1991, a newly discovered moon of Neptune was dubbed Thalassa.

  • Vaiana - F - “sea cave”

From the Tahitian phrase vai ana o te mato teitei , meaning “water from the cave of the high rock”. The Disney heroine Moana is called Vaiana in most European countries.

  • Varuna - M - “water god”

The god Varuna was believed to have a high power over all the water in the world, from oceans and lakes to rivers and rain clouds. He is the equivalent of Poseidon.

We’ve reached the end! I hope you loved reading this as much as I did when I created this. Are there any names you loved from this? Anything I’d missed? I will see you on the next post, till then, farewell dear readers!

Other Posts

Fantastic Flora :hibiscus:
Glittering Gems & Colours :gem:

10 Likes
2

This is such a comprehensive and beautiful list, [name_f]Scarlet[/name_f]. :star_struck:

I especially love that you’ve included [name_u]Ariel[/name_u], her daughter, and all of her sisters’ names. 🫶🏼 I was a huge [name_f]Arista[/name_f] fan as a child, for some reason!? Warms my heart to see even her on this list. Also shout-out to Merliah!

[name_u]New[/name_u] ones to me that are my favorites:
[name_f]Cleodora[/name_f]
Killick
[name_m]Lir[/name_m]
[name_f]Morvoren[/name_f]
[name_f]Muirgen[/name_f]
[name_f]Selkie[/name_f]
I’d consider all of these when naming a mermaid or any fantastical character, myself! A D&D goldmine.

The only ones I can think to add are: [name_f]Moana[/name_f] (“ocean”), [name_u]Madison[/name_u] (the mermaid from Splash - I loved that movie as a child), and [name_f]Aquamarine[/name_f] (another absolutely phenomenal mermaid movie)!

1 Like
3

This is so fascinating!!

[name_f]My[/name_f] favourites are:
[name_f]Adella[/name_f] (The penguin fact is very fun!)
Alphard (I mostly like this one for the connection, which I think is a really cool and unique way of looking at it)
[name_u]Ariel[/name_u]
[name_f]Arista[/name_f]
[name_m]Caspian[/name_m]
[name_f]Cleodora[/name_f] (:heart_eyes:)
Ephyra
[name_m]Lir[/name_m]
[name_u]Mariner[/name_u] (I think this one is experiencing quite the popularity surge here on nameberry)
Sǽfari (:star_struck:)

1 Like
4

Wow!!! I love this list soooo much :shell: :bubbles: :mermaid: Cleodora, Cordelia, Ariel, Alana, Ianthe, and Melody are some of my favorites, & Aquareine, Amphitrite, Reef, and Nerida are new found loves
:ocean:

The only name that automatically came to my mind that I didn’t see in your list is Marina , which I love and is one of my personal favorites :heart_hands:

1 Like
5

What a wonderful list :heart:

[name_f]My[/name_f] favourites are: [name_f]Aramoana[/name_f] (this is such a joy to say), [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] (gorgeous), [name_f]Cleodora[/name_f] (love this), [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f], [name_f]Delphine[/name_f], Halimede, [name_f]Kinvara[/name_f] (a fave), [name_u]Mariner[/name_u] (yay, a fave), [name_f]Melody[/name_f], [name_f]Nerida[/name_f], [name_f]Nerissa[/name_f], [name_f]Nixie[/name_f], [name_f]Ondine[/name_f] (love [name_f]Undine[/name_f] too), [name_u]Reef[/name_u] (a fave), [name_f]Selkie[/name_f], Sǽfari (oooh, intriguing - any idea how to pronounce it?), Tethys, [name_f]Thalassa[/name_f].

There’s something about ocean-y names I think…

I’ll add in [name_f]Meraud[/name_f] :slight_smile:

1 Like
6

Wow, this is a great list! So many beautiful names :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: I love Cordelia, Eidothea, Melusine, and Ondine! I’d also add to the list Rusalka, a Slavic mythological figure similar to mermaids, as well as the title character of the opera Rusalka, which is about a water nymph who falls in love with a human.

This is gorgeous!

1 Like
7

What an exciting list! Such a fun topic too :mermaid:t2::merman:t5:

I actually was just looking at the names of mermaids in a mermaid company just yesterday, and I was intrigued by the names the ladies chose. The performers go to events and parties dressed like mermaids! Here are their names and a little from their bio

:mermaid:t6: [name_f]Lulu[/name_f]

  • “a bodacious chocolate mermaid from the mouth of Congo”

:mermaid:t3: Alkmoini Kalliopi nn [name_f]Kalli[/name_f]

  • “a half siren warrior of the Mediterranean”

:mermaid:t2: [name_f]Illyria[/name_f]

  • “adventures away from her home with the manatees in [name_f]Crystal[/name_f] [name_m]River[/name_m] to experience the stories she’s so often heard and read about”

:mermaid:t3: Elloline nn Ello

  • “travels around the ocean finding hidden pirate treasures to collect and guard”

:mermaid:t2: [name_f]Svetlana[/name_f]

  • “calls the frozen seas of the [name_m]North[/name_m] Pole her home, where her family has watched over the creatures of the area for generations”

:mermaid:t5: Oni

  • “a deep sea jellyfish mermaid, as brightly colored as her personality”

:mermaid:t4: Tephra

  • “born near the Samoan Islands, and has traveled much of the world’s seas”

I discovered that company because I took my daughter to a mermaid story time yesterday, and I found this webpage when I was looking up the mermaid we saw (who does a solo practice and uses her given name of Cassie)

1 Like
8

This is a lovely list! I love too many to choose a favorite.

Id add [name_f]Meretlein[/name_f]- [name_m]Little[/name_m] pearl & Sumarlidi- summer sailor

1 Like
9

I adore [name_f]Kinvara[/name_f] & Merliah the most! [name_f]My[/name_f] other favorites are Alphard, [name_f]Anahita[/name_f], [name_f]Ariel[/name_f], [name_m]Caspian[/name_m], [name_f]Cleodora[/name_f], [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f], [name_f]Delphine[/name_f], [name_f]Ianthe[/name_f], Ianassa, [name_m]Mariner[/name_m], [name_f]Melody[/name_f], [name_f]Melusine[/name_f], [name_m]Neptune[/name_m], [name_f]Nerida[/name_f], [name_f]Nerissa[/name_f], [name_f]Ondine[/name_f], [name_m]Poseidon[/name_m], [name_f]Selkie[/name_f], [name_f]Thalassa[/name_f] (a new favorite), and [name_f]Vaiana[/name_f].

I admire the hard work and attention that you put to each segment of the series! I cannot wait for the next one. :heart_eyes:

1 Like