Athena

[vikinggoddess]

My husband and I are thinking to name our baby Athena if it's a girl (we have a feeling). Any thoughts on naming a child after the goddess of wisdom and war? Seems like a very serious name to live with. Athena is also what some of my friends started calling me.

[Theres]

not just war, but the skills of battle, which is not quite the same thing.
She is also a Goddess of crafts.

here's more...
http://altreligion.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theoi.com%2F

[Cobalt Cobra]

Athena is one of my patron goddesses, so of course I'm a little biased towards the name ;)

But honestly I think it's an awesome name to live with. Pallas Athena ^_^

[amathera]

I think it is wonderful. I have a cousin named Venus who gets lots of attention and seems to definetely hold a lot of the characteristics that go with the name. Creative and skillful seems great to me.

[Mnemosyne]

I think that Athena is a lovely name. Athena is my patron and she gives me a lot of strength. I think that it's great that your daughter would have a name with such great strories behind it.

[TYRRHENUS]

Don't worry about it. Athena is still a very popular name in Greece today.

[Athena-Nadine]

Athena is the goddess of Wisdom, Art, and War, and the protector of cities. Her Wisdom usually extends to Justice; She often decides verdicts when there is a deadlock. She is also Counsilor to Zeus. Her Art usually extends to crafts such as weaving, sewing, knitting, etc. As far as War goes, She is the goddess of Tactics and Strategy. Ares handles the berserker aspects of War. However, She will fight when necessary, and will grant no quarter when She does so. Justice, Fortitude, and Balance are sacred to Her. As such, She is often given the task of carrying out Zeus' Justice for Him. Athena has always been the only goddess (in the Greek Pantheon) Who performs tasks generally left to men, and not only sits in on Zeus' councils, but participates.

Athena is a very popular name in Greece, but it wasn't always so. In the Hellenic age, people generally didn't name their children after the gods and goddesses. It was considered hubris to do so.

My name is Athena. *...shrugs...* I don't really know if my name helped to mold my personality as some people think happens. I think my gods had the bigger hand in that. :) Athena has always been a prominent figure in my life, and has helped me face adversity more times than I can count. I'm still convinced that She is the reason I survived September 11th. *...ponders...* I don't know why, or how, I survived, but I suppose the reason will come clear in time (or not *...laughs...*) I have been told, by numerous people, that I was aptly named. *...grins...*

When I was 16, as I am a Hellenic Polytheist (Hellenismos or Recon, if you prefer), I was going to change my name because of the assumed arrogance that goes along with carrying it in my religion. I prayed and asked the gods to help me find a more suitable name for me. In one of only two times that I have ever "dreamt" of the gods while I was awake, Hermes came to me and told me that I didn't need to change it completely, that if I wanted to show proper respect and show that I was not trying to emulate Her, I only needed to add my middle name to my first name. From that day forward, my name has been Athene-Nadine (yes, the 'e' was intentional :)). Next year, I am going to finally change it legally.

Like I said, though, I am not Wiccan. I don't even identify with most Pagans very well anymore. I guess if I had to choose, I'm a Heathen. Changing my name was what was necessary and right for me. Seeing as how there are so many people named Athena in the world, and seeing as how none of them seem to have suffered for it, I don't see anything wrong with naming your child that (other than my own personal feeling, due to my religion). Who knows? Maybe She'll take as active an interest in your daughters life as She did with mine. :) She is not an easy goddess to serve, as She is very demanding, but the internal rewards of serving Her are immeasurable. Even if your daughter is never called by Her, I would think Her name would help to give her strength throughout her life.

[vikinggoddess]

Thanks everyone, especially Nallia, for all the great input.
I like the idea of having a second first name to balance Athena.