Athena is a girl name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Athena means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Athena across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Athena has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Athena is a girl name of Greek origin meaning “goddess of wisdom”. From the Greek goddess of wisdom and war.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 53,118 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 4,156 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 132 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 35 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 49 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 85 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Athena per year, United States (1902 to 2025). United States peaked in 2022 (3,029/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2025 (519/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2025 (24/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2024 (11/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2024 (6/yr).
Athena has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 2022, when it ranked #208 nationally (given to 3,466 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 2020s.
Ethan · Ethen · Athan · Ethyn · Aithana · Athina · Eathan · Athony
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