Athena is a female given name of Greek origin and significance. It is derived from the Greek goddess Athena, who was the daughter of Zeus and the virgin goddess Metis. According to Greek mythology, Athena sprang fully grown and armored from her father's forehead after he swallowed Metis who was pregnant with her at the time.
The name Athena means "mind" or "intelligence," which reflects the attributes of wisdom, courage, and strategic warfare that were associated with the goddess in Greek mythology. She was revered as the patron goddess of various cities across ancient Greece, most notably Athens, where she was believed to have been born.
Throughout history, the name Athena has been used by several notable figures, including members of royal families such as Queen Athena of Georgia (18th century) and Princess Athena of Denmark (20th century). Today, it continues to be a popular choice for girls' names around the world.
The name Athen has seen a varied trend in popularity over the past three decades in the United States. In the early 90s, there were only 5 babies named Athen each year. However, by the late 90s and early 2000s, this number began to increase steadily, reaching a peak of 48 births in 2012.
Interestingly, the popularity of the name Athen has shown some fluctuation since then. After reaching its peak in 2012, the number of babies named Athen decreased to 33 in 2013 and continued to fluctuate throughout the following years. In recent years, the number of births with the name Athen has stabilized around 20-25 per year, with a slight increase to 26 in 2021.
Despite these fluctuations, the total number of babies named Athen in the United States over this period is significant, with a cumulative total of 648 births from 1991 to 2023. This demonstrates that while the popularity of the name Athen may not have been consistent throughout the years, it has remained present and relatively stable in recent times.