Greek Boy Names That Mean Warrior

Greek boy names that mean warrior draw on one ancient root word, andreios, and on the mythology of Ares, producing names as different as Ajax and Andy.

Names40

OriginGreek

MeaningWarrior

GenderBoy

A surprising number of these names trace back to one Greek word, andreios, meaning manly or brave. Andres is its Spanish form, Andy its cheerful English nickname, and Anders its Scandinavian cousin — three very different-sounding names carrying the same root.

A second cluster names the war god directly. Ares is the god himself, Arius means 'of Ares,' and Aires echoes both Ares and the zodiac ram — Greek theophoric naming, where a god's name becomes a boy's name, still at work today.

Why Greek boy names that mean warrior come in so many forms

Homer's epics supply the rest of the list. Troy recalls the besieged city itself; Ajax was the giant warrior second only to Achilles; and Odysseus carries the cunning, endurance, and homesickness of the Trojan War's most famous survivor. Hero comes from the Greek word for a warrior of superhuman strength, the same root that gave English the word 'hero' itself. Even Troi, a playful modern respelling of Troy, keeps that ten-year siege quietly folded inside it.

One name on the list isn't Greek at all

Collin is the exception here: a Scottish name meaning 'young warrior,' not a Greek one, included because the meaning lines up even though the language doesn't. That mix is fairly typical of parents drawn to this list — they want the meaning of strength more than a strict etymology lesson, which is why steady, familiar picks like Collin sit comfortably beside mythological ones like Ares.

Names List

Andres#200 in the U.S.Manly, brave, warrior; Spanish form of Andrew, from Greek andreiosPronounced AHN-drays▶Ares#290 in the U.S.Bane, ruin; the Greek god of warPronounced AIR-eez▶Collin#493 in the U.S.Variant spelling of Colin; from Scottish Gaelic 'Cailean' meaning young warrior or pup; also used as a diPronounced KOL-in▶Leonidas#510 in the U.S.From Greek Leonidas, derived from leon (lion) + the patronymic suffix -idas meaning 'son of,' thus 'son oPronounced lee-ON-ih-das▶Troy#533 in the U.S.From the English surname Troy, derived from a French place name (Troyes in Aube, France) or from the legePronounced TROY▶Andy#565 in the U.S.Manly; warrior — a short form of Andrew, from the Greek Andreas meaning 'manly' or 'of a man'Pronounced AN-dee▶Anders#984 in the U.S.Scandinavian form of Andrew, from Greek Andreas, derived from aner (genitive andros) meaning man, brave mPronounced AN-ders▶Achilles#1221 in the U.S.Pain of the people; possibly thin-lippedPronounced ah-KIL-eez▶Hero#2342 in the U.S.Defender; protector; warrior; from Greek heros (a man of superhuman strength and valor, a warrior-protectPronounced HEER-oh▶Arius#2554 in the U.S.of Ares; warlikePronounced AR-eeoos▶Odysseus#3131 in the U.S.From ancient Greek, possibly related to odussomai ('to be wrathful against,' 'to hate') or odyssomai ('toPronounced oh-DIS-ee-us▶Ajax#3681 in the U.S.From Greek Aias (Latin Ajax) — possibly linked to 'of the earth' or 'eagle' — the giant warrior-hero of tPronounced AY-jaks▶Troi#3764 in the U.S.-i spelling of Troy — the Irish surname ('foot soldier') and the legendary besieged cityPronounced TROY▶Aires#4555 in the U.S.From Ares (the Greek god of war) and/or Aries (the ram, the first zodiac sign); routes layeredPronounced AIR-eez▶Luisangel#4796 in the U.S.Compound of Luis ('famous warrior') and Angel ('angel, messenger'); a Latino double namePronounced loo-EES-AHN-hel▶Markos#5790 in the U.S.The Greek form of Mark/Marcus — from Latin Marcus, linked to Mars, the god of war; 'of Mars; warlike'Pronounced MAR-kohs▶Andree#6837 in the U.S.A French form/spelling of Andre — from Greek Andreas, 'a man; manly; brave; a warrior'; used for both sexPronounced AHN-dray▶Andriy#6838 in the U.S.The Ukrainian form of Andrew — from Greek Andreas, 'a man; manly; brave; a warrior'Pronounced ahn-DREE▶Diondre#6911 in the U.S.A modern blend joining a Di- prefix with Ondre/Andre (from Greek Andreas, 'a man; manly; a warrior'); rouPronounced dee-ON-dray▶Ariez#7261 in the U.S.A spelling of Aries — from Latin, 'the ram' (the zodiac sign and constellation; linked to the war god ArePronounced AIR-eez▶Kratos#7499 in the U.S.From Greek kratos, 'strength; power; might' — the personification of strength in Greek myth, and the leadPronounced KRAY-tos▶Diomedes#9658 in the U.S.From the Greek Diomedes, 'godlike cunning; divine plan' (Dios, 'of Zeus/divine', + medos, 'cunning/counsePronounced dy-uh-MEE-deez▶Akhilles#9795 in the U.S.A respelling of Achilles, the mighty Greek warrior-hero of Homer's Iliad. His name has long stood for strPronounced uh-KIL-eez▶Zoen#9856 in the U.S.A modern name, variously an echo of Zoe ('life', Greek) and Owen ('a young warrior/noble', Welsh); routesPronounced ZOH-en▶Arez#9949 in the U.S.Variously a Kurdish name (linked to 'a cedar/land') and an echo of the Greek Ares, the god of war; routesPronounced AH-rez▶Aryes#9966 in the U.S.A modern name, variously echoing the Greek Ares (the god of war) or Aries (the ram, the zodiac sign); rouPronounced AIR-eez▶Deimos#10101 in the U.S.From the Greek deimos, 'dread; terror'; the personification of terror, a son of Ares (the war-god) and a Pronounced DAY-mos▶Jedrek#10172 in the U.S.Jedrek is a Polish pet form of Jedrzej, the Polish version of Andrew, from the Greek Andreas, 'manly' or Pronounced JED-rek▶Achilleas#10920 in the U.S.Achilleas is the Modern Greek form of Achilles, the great warrior-hero of Homer's Iliad. The ancient namePronounced ah-khee-LEH-ahs▶Arys#11025 in the U.S.Arys reads as a modern name, possibly a respelling of Aris (a short form of Aristotle and related Greek nPronounced AIR-iss▶Marcion#11800 in the U.S.A Latin/Greek name in the Marcus family (tied to Mars, god of war): 'of Mars; little Marcus.' Best known Pronounced MAR-see-un▶Rhodey#11997 in the U.S.A friendly nickname form, tied to Rhodes ('where roses grow'; the Greek island); it is also the nickname Pronounced ROH-dee▶Achilleus#12330 in the U.S.The Greek form of Achilles, the great warrior hero of Homer's Iliad. The name's ancient root is uncertainPronounced uh-KIL-yoos▶Achillies#12331 in the U.S.A variant spelling of Achilles, the great warrior hero of Homer's Iliad. The name's ancient root is uncerPronounced uh-KIL-eez▶Deondra#12665 in the U.S.Deondra is a coined name that pairs the De- prefix with a form of Andre or Ondra, drawn from the Greek anPronounced dee-AHN-druh▶Menas#13505 in the U.S.Menas is a Greek and Coptic name best known from Saint Menas, the Egyptian soldier-martyr whose shrine nePronounced MEE-nuhs▶Minas#13524 in the U.S.Minas is the Greek, Coptic and Armenian form of the saint's name Menas, borne by the Egyptian soldier-marPronounced MEE-nahs▶Ptolemy#13670 in the U.S.From the Greek Ptolemaios, 'warlike; aggressive.' Borne by the Macedonian dynasty that ruled Egypt (the PPronounced TOL-uh-mee▶PatroclusFrom the Greek Patroklos, 'the glory of the father' (pater, 'father', + kleos, 'glory'); the close companPronounced puh-TROH-klus▶TelemachusFrom the Greek Telemachos, variously 'far from battle' or 'decisive in battle' (tele, 'far', + mache, 'baPronounced tuh-LEM-uh-kus▶

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Ares mean?

Ares is the name of the Greek god of war, making it one of the boldest and most mythologically direct warrior names available — a name chosen by parents who want obvious gravitas rather than a hidden meaning.

Are Andres, Andy, and Anders related?

Yes. Andres, Andy, and Anders are all forms of Andrew, tracing back to the Greek word andreios, meaning manly or brave — the same root, dressed in Spanish, English, and Scandinavian sounds.

Which name on this list is the most unexpected?

Troi stands out as the most unexpected: it respells Troy, the besieged city of the Iliad, but most people now hear it as the Star Trek counselor's name first — an epic meaning hiding inside a very modern sound.