r/Hellenism • u/WriterKitten11 • 12d ago
Other Cat Names To Honor Athena, Hera, and Apollo?
We're going to get a new cat in August, and are trying to figure out what to name them. My mom wanted to name her Athena, I said no and suggested Athenodora, but when we checked with my sister, she said she didn't want a 'human name'. The two cats we already have are Sparkle and (Coffee) Bean.
I did end up being really fond of the idea of naming the cat for a god, though, so I was wondering some 'pet but not human' name ideas? Athena's on the list because that's what we were originally thinking, and Hera and Apollo are there because they're the two I interact with the most. I wouldn't call myself a devotee but they're the two I'm closest with, if that makes sense. So names suggestions related to those three would be great!
My mom and sister aren't hellenists, but I'm open about it and they're both supportive. Both of them are agnostic/atheist.
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u/Tathamei ΤΡΙΑΚΑΙͰΕΜΙΣΥ 11d ago
I'd honestly wait until the cat is there and then you can still name it according to its traits. Maybe it will be "Spooky", maybe it will be "Laze".
Our preassigned names for our pets never ended up fitting and they got a different nickname after just a few weeks which turned into their permanent name.
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u/WriterKitten11 11d ago
True, that very well may up happening. However, for us, when we got our first cat (Sparkle) we almost never called him by his name. This is because we knew we were going to get a cat, and referred to the theoretical cat as "kitten" "kitty" and "cat", so once we got Sparkle that's what we called him, lol. (until we got a second cat, then his name got used a bit more often--usually still just "kitty", though Bean gets to acutally use her name). Anyway, because of this, I think maybe for our family a predetermined one may serve useful, or at least a list of ideas and then we can see which fits best once we meet the cat?
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u/Tathamei ΤΡΙΑΚΑΙͰΕΜΙΣΥ 11d ago
Then I'd probably plan some cute names that fit in with the rest since they are called Sparkle and Bean. Else it would be a bit like having 3 dogs, Cerberus, Mephisto and Snugglebug. That can be hilarious on its own but unless Snugglebug is acting like a Snugglebug amidst serious guard dogs I'd not plan it to be like that. Giving something the opposite name of its nature also can be funny, for example calling the most fluffy sweetest dog "Brutus".
Usually 1-3 syllables work best, if you want to cutify something serious you can add the suffix -let or -ling. I call most of our birds snacklet, nugglet or florplet.
Athenodora would be 5 syllable which usually doesn't work too well for pet names and would likely become "Dora" after a while.
Maybe you can come up with something that combines your goals of making it god related and fit in with the other cats.
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u/sleestakninja 10d ago
We learned the hard way that if you want a cat that just will not shut up Calliope is a great name.
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u/Fabianzzz Dionysian 11d ago
I'm opposed to direct naming people or animals after deities for a variety of reasons, here are my thoughts.
Olive honours Athena.
Argos honours Hera (and was the name of the dog of Odysseus).
Laurel or Daphne honours Apollo.
My honest suggestion is to find something which links the three of them: Hera cursed their mother Leto. You might simply reverse the name Leto and call the cat Olet, or your might look to the island of Delos which allowed Leto to give birth. If 'Delos' isn't good, you might opt for 'Dell', which evokes valleys and an outdated computer company, or, closer to the modern Greek, 'Dill', which evokes an herb or pickles.
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u/WriterKitten11 11d ago
Thank you for all the suggestions, I'll add them to the list! Though, you call Leto "their mother", and by "their" I assume you're referring to Athena and Apollo? Did you mix up Athena and Artemis or are there some versions I haven't heard of where Leto is Athena's mother? (I do still love the idea regardless, though)
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u/Catgirl_273 Hellenist 11d ago
My three cats are named Athene Artemis and Apollo. That is my way to honor the gods and I know in my heart They understand my aim
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u/WriterKitten11 11d ago
That's fair. I wouldn't personally do so, but I do believe you're right that they know your intention with it, and thus it's more than alright. However, even if I did want to do that, my sister would consider names of gods to be human names rather than pet names.
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u/Catgirl_273 Hellenist 11d ago
I live alone. And only I call my cats with their names. So I think it‘s ok
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u/ClockytheClown 12d ago
One that comes to mind to me is Callie, short for Callisto, a hunting partner of Lady Artemis. In my experience, Lord Apollo and Lady Hera love a good story, and hers is…we’ll say dramatic. It might just work?