Naiad Name Generator
Spring, river and lake nymphs from Greek myth
Generate naiad names for the fresh-water nymphs of Greek and Roman myth, from attested figures like Arethusa, Peirene and Juturna to coinages such as Bathyrhoe and Donakis built from Greek water words.
About naiad names
Naiads are the nymphs of fresh water in Greek myth: every spring, river, fountain, lake and marsh had its own. Greek sorts them by their water: krenaiai and pegaiai for springs, potameides for rivers, limnades for lakes and heleionomoi for marshes. Many are daughters of a river god, and the daughters of the Asopos (Aigina, Thebe, Salamis, Sinope, Korkyra) gave their names to islands and cities.
Just under a quarter of this list is attested. It takes in the famous springs (Arethusa at Syracuse, Castalia at Delphi, Peirene at Corinth, Salmacis from Ovid), Homer's Abarbaree, the three who pull Hylas under in Theocritus (Eunika, Malis, Nycheia), the six who bathe Diana in Ovid (Crocale, Nephele, Hyale, Rhanis, Psecas, Phiale) and the Roman Juturna and Egeria. Most of the local nymphs come from Pausanias and Apollodorus.
The rest are coinages with the workings left showing. Some take a real river and the ending the poets used for Asopis and Inachis: Strymonis, Paktolis, Tiberinis. Others are Greek water words given the shape of a name: Bathyrhoe (deep-flowing), Eukrene (fair spring), Donakis from donax, a reed, Drosis from drosos, dew. A few are the names of real Greek springs and lakes, such as Hippokrene and Kopais. Treat the coinages as new names in an old style, not as figures from the myths.
How to choose naiad names
- Match the name to the water. Eukrene or Pidakis suits a spring, Strymonis or Eridanis a river, Limnanthe or Kopais a lake, Helodia or Telmatis a marsh.
- For a nymph tied to a place of your own, use the byname pattern: take the river's name and add -is or -ias, as the poets did with Inachis and Alpheias.
- Use an attested name when you want the myth to come with it. Arethusa brings her flight from the river god Alpheios and Salmacis her pool, so read the story before you borrow the name.
- Pick one register and keep it. Greek spellings with k, ai and ou (Kreousa, Aigina, Lousias) read as older and stranger than Latin ones like Castalia and Juturna.
- Class words make good titles: a story can have a Krenaia of one spring and a Limnas of one lake without giving either a personal name.
Frequently asked questions
Which names on this list come from real myths?
Just under a quarter. Arethusa, Castalia, Peirene, Salmacis, Telphousa, Kallirhoe, Okyrhoe, Juturna and Egeria are all named in ancient sources, as are the daughters of the river Asopos such as Aigina, Thebe and Sinope. Names built on a plain water word, like Bathyrhoe, Eukrene, Drosis or Kalamanthe, are coinages made for this list.
Why is it Kallirhoe and Aigina but Castalia and Salmacis?
Each name appears once, in one spelling. The best-known names and the nymphs from Latin poets keep their familiar Latin form (Arethusa, Castalia, Salmacis, Crocale), and the rest use a direct Greek transliteration with k, ai and ou (Kallirhoe, Aigina, Kreousa). If your setting wants one register it is easy to convert: k to c, ai to ae, ou to u.
What is the difference between a naiad and a nereid?
Naiads belong to fresh water: springs, rivers, lakes, fountains and marshes. Nereids are the fifty daughters of Nereus and live in the sea, and the Oceanids are the daughters of Okeanos. This list keeps to fresh water, so it leaves the sea nymphs, the tree nymphs and the mountain nymphs to their own pages.
How were the invented naiad names made?
From real Greek words, put together the way Greek names are. Ovid did the same for Diana's attendants: Rhanis is a drop, Psecas a drizzle, Nephele a cloud and Hyale crystal. Here Donakis comes from donax (reed), Ombria from ombros (rain) and Melanydra from a Homeric word for a dark-watered spring, while river bynames like Strymonis and Paktolis follow the attested Asopis and Inachis.
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All 500 naiad names
A: 57 names
- Abarbaree
- Achatis
- Achelois
- Acheloodora
- Acherousias
- Aedonis
- Aenaia
- Aganippe
- Aglaorhoe
- Aigina
- Aigle
- Aisepis
- Akalarhoe
- Akerate
- Akraia
- Aktis
- Albula
- Albunea
- Alexirhoe
- Alkyonia
- Almonis
- Alpheias
- Amenanis
- Amnisis
- Amphrysis
- Anauris
- Anchirhoe
- Aniena
- Anigris
- Anna Perenna
- Anthrakia
- Antiope
- Antraia
- Apidanis
- Apsorhoe
- Arachthis
- Ardeskis
- Ardousa
- Arethusa
- Argennis
- Argyris
- Argyrodine
- Argyrokrene
- Argyrorhoe
- Arne
- Aroanis
- Artakie
- Askania
- Asopis
- Asopodora
- Astakis
- Asterionis
- Astyoche
- Atmis
- Atremia
- Aufida
- Axias
B: 20 names
- Balyra
- Bandusia
- Baphyris
- Bathydine
- Bathykrene
- Bathylimne
- Bathyrhoe
- Batrachis
- Benthis
- Blysis
- Blyzousa
- Boagris
- Boibeis
- Bolbe
- Borysthenis
- Bourina
- Boutomis
- Bryoessa
- Byblis
- Byze
C: 14 names
- Camena
- Carmenta
- Castalia
- Chalkis
- Charadris
- Chariessa
- Chariklo
- Cheimarhoe
- Chelidonis
- Chrysauge
- Chrysokrene
- Chrysorhoe
- Clitumna
- Crocale
D: 20 names
- Daphne
- Daulis
- Delphousa
- Diaphane
- Diauge
- Digentia
- Dineessa
- Dirkaia
- Dirke
- Donakeia
- Donakis
- Dorkeia
- Drosanthe
- Drosera
- Drosia
- Drosine
- Drosis
- Drosoessa
- Drosope
- Dyptis
E: 24 names
- Echedoris
- Egeria
- Elektris
- Empedo
- Enhydris
- Enipeis
- Ephydrias
- Erateine
- Eremia
- Eridanis
- Erigonis
- Erineis
- Erodia
- Erymanthis
- Euadne
- Euboia
- Eudia
- Eudine
- Eudrosos
- Euenis
- Eukrene
- Eunika
- Eurhoe
- Euydra
G: 10 names
- Galaesis
- Galenaia
- Galenope
- Gangetis
- Glaukia
- Glaukis
- Glaukorhoe
- Glykera
- Granikis
- Gygaia
H: 46 names
- Habrorhoe
- Hagne
- Hagno
- Haliakmonis
- Harpasis
- Harpinna
- Hebris
- Hedyle
- Hedyosme
- Hedyrhoe
- Heleia
- Heleionome
- Helike
- Helissonis
- Helodia
- Heloris
- Heoia
- Heptaporis
- Herkyna
- Hermodora
- Hierokrene
- Hieromneme
- Hierorhoe
- Himeraia
- Himeroessa
- Himerte
- Hipparis
- Hippokrene
- Hippouris
- Homichle
- Hyale
- Hyaline
- Hyalope
- Hydaspis
- Hydranthe
- Hydria
- Hydrias
- Hydrocharis
- Hydrochoe
- Hydromedousa
- Hydrophore
- Hydrothea
- Hyetis
- Hylike
- Hypanis
- Hypereia
I: 15 names
- Iasis
- Iaspis
- Ikmas
- Ilissis
- Imbrasis
- Inachis
- Inachodora
- Inopis
- Ionis
- Ismene
- Ismenis
- Ismenodora
- Istria
- Istrodora
- Iteia
J: 1 name
- Juturna
K: 65 names
- Kachlazousa
- Kakyparis
- Kalamaia
- Kalamanthe
- Kalamine
- Kalaminthe
- Kalamoessa
- Kaliadne
- Kallichoron
- Kallidine
- Kallidrosos
- Kallikrene
- Kalliphaeia
- Kallipotame
- Kallirhoe
- Kalpis
- Kardamine
- Karesis
- Karnionis
- Kassotis
- Katarrhaktis
- Kathara
- Kaystris
- Kebrenis
- Keladonis
- Keladousa
- Kelaryzousa
- Kephisodora
- Kerkinitis
- Keteis
- Kissoussa
- Kleite
K, continued
- Kleochareia
- Kleodora
- Kleone
- Klepsydra
- Klethre
- Klonia
- Kokytis
- Kolymbis
- Kopais
- Korkyra
- Korykia
- Krathis
- Krenaia
- Krenanassa
- Krenanthe
- Krenias
- Krenis
- Krenocharis
- Krenothea
- Kreousa
- Krimisis
- Krinanthe
- Krouneia
- Krounis
- Krystalle
- Krystalline
- Kyane
- Kyanis
- Kyanorhoe
- Kydnis
- Kyknis
- Kynadra
- Kypeiris
L: 39 names
- Lalage
- Lamis
- Lampousa
- Lara
- Leibethris
- Leibousa
- Leirioessa
- Lerne
- Lethais
- Leukasia
- Leukokrene
- Leukorhoe
- Libadia
- Libas
- Ligyra
- Ligyrhoe
- Lilaia
- Limnaee
- Limnaia
- Limnanassa
- Limnanthe
- Limnas
- Limnocharis
- Limnogeneia
- Limnonome
- Limnope
- Limnothea
- Limyris
- Liriope
- Loibe
- Lotanthe
- Lotoessa
- Lousias
- Loutris
- Lychnitis
- Lygaia
- Lykormis
- Lympha
- Lysimeleia
M: 24 names
- Maiotis
- Maira
- Malis
- Mareotis
- Margaris
- Marica
- Marmairousa
- Marmaryge
- Meilichis
- Melanokrene
- Melanorhoe
- Melanydra
- Melite
- Melpousa
- Memphis
- Messeis
- Metope
- Mincia
- Minthe
- Misgankeia
- Mormyris
- Mormyrousa
- Mykene
- Myrike
N: 24 names
- Naia
- Naias
- Nais
- Namaia
- Namatis
- Narkissa
- Neaithis
- Neda
- Neilis
- Neilodora
- Nemea
- Nephele
- Nephelis
- Nessa
- Nessonis
- Nestis
- Nikaia
- Niphas
- Niphoessa
- Notis
- Numicia
- Nycheia
- Nymphaia
- Nymphodora
O: 13 names
- Oanis
- Ochthaia
- Oeroe
- Oinanthe
- Oinoie
- Oinone
- Okyrhoe
- Olmeia
- Ombria
- Onochonis
- Ornia
- Orontis
- Orthria
P: 57 names
- Pachne
- Padusa
- Paktolis
- Pamisis
- Pannychis
- Parthenis
- Pegaia
- Pegasis
- Pegazousa
- Peirene
- Pellanis
- Periboia
- Perke
- Permessis
- Perseia
- Phaeine
- Phasias
- Phellia
- Pheneatis
- Phiale
- Philodike
- Philokrene
- Philydra
- Physadeia
- Pidakis
- Pideessa
- Pimpleia
- Pinaris
- Pitane
- Plataia
- Platyrhoe
- Pleistis
- Poieessa
- Polydine
- Polydrosos
- Polykrene
- Polypidax
- Polyrhoe
- Porphyris
- Potamanthe
- Potameis
- Potamis
- Potamocharis
- Potamodora
- Potamogeneia
- Potamonome
- Potamothea
- Potime
- Praeia
- Prasias
- Praxithea
- Prochoe
- Prosymna
- Psecas
- Psephis
- Psithyre
- Psychrorhoe
R: 9 names
- Rhanis
- Rheithris
- Rheousa
- Rhesis
- Rhodias
- Rhodoessa
- Rhothia
- Rhyakis
- Rhyndakis
S: 36 names
- Sagaritis
- Salamis
- Salmacis
- Samia
- Sappheiris
- Sarnis
- Schoinis
- Schoinousa
- Sebethis
- Selenaia
- Selinis
- Selinoessa
- Selinousia
- Selleis
- Simoeisia
- Sinope
- Sisymbria
- Sithnis
- Skiera
- Skioessa
- Smaragdis
- Sparte
- Spelaia
- Spercheis
- Stagonis
- Stalaktis
- Stazousa
- Stilbe
- Stilbope
- Stilbousa
- Strymodora
- Strymonis
- Stymphalis
- Symaithis
- Synallasis
- Syrinx
T: 22 names
- Tachyrhoe
- Tanagra
- Tanaitis
- Telmatis
- Telphousa
- Tenagis
- Tereine
- Thalere
- Thallousa
- Thebe
- Theisoa
- Thermodontis
- Thespeia
- Thryoessa
- Thyamis
- Tiberinis
- Timavis
- Titaresia
- Trechousa
- Trichonis
- Tritonis
- Typhe
V: 1 name
- Venilia
X: 1 name
- Xynias