Baby Name of the Day: Artemis

The baby name Artemis blends ancient myth and the 21st century search for the stars.

Thanks to Del for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.

WHAT DOES THE NAME ARTEMIS MEAN?

Let’s start with Greek mythology.

Artemis is a goddess, associated with the moon and hunting. She’s often pictured in the wilderness, and she’s a guardian of children, but also chastity. Her weapon of choice is typically a bow and arrows. 

Myth makes her the daughter of Zeus with Leto, the twin sister of sun god Apollo. The Romans called her Diana.

It’s possible her name comes from the Greek word artemes, meaning safe. Others connect it to artamos, a Greek word meaning butcher. Or bear, excellent, stability, or maybe even something older and lost to time. 

Variations of the name include:

• The (typically) masculine Artemas, likely a short form of Artemidoros. It’s mentioned briefly in the New Testament. Artemas Ward served in the American Revolution and later as a Congressman from Massachusetts. 
• Spelling Artemus is sometimes used, too. During the late 1960s, Western-meets-spy-series with a dash of science fiction The Wild Wild West gave us Artemus Gordon. Kevin Kline played the character in a 1999 movie reboot, starring opposite Will Smith. 
• Artemisia is a feminine form of Artemisios. Artemisia I of Caria ruled a kingdom and commanded a navy around the 5th century BC. She’s remembered in the writings of scholars like Herodotus. 
• During the 4th century BC, Artemisia II built the Mausoleum considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It honored her husband, Prince Masolus. (Worth noting: a Temple of Artemis is also on the list of Wonders.)

IS ARTEMIS BETTER FOR BOYS?

Perhaps thanks to Artemus and Artemas, the baby name Artemis emerged as potentially unisex.

In 2001, Irish author Eoin Colfer launched the Artemis Fowl series. His character is a 12 year-old criminal mastermind. Think a malevolent James Bond in middle school. He’s actually Artemis Fowl II. After his father’s untimely death, the younger Artemis is set on restoring the family fortune while also exacting revenge on those who threatened his father. 

There are also fairies. And pixies and all sorts of magic. 

Colfer’s character names tend toward the extravagant, and the stories aren’t set in reality. So the choice of ancient name outside of early 21st century trends probably felt perfect for the character.

ARTEMIS IN MORE RECENT YEARS

There’s plenty of history behind the baby name Artemis. As goddesses go, she’s fairly well known. Thanks to the long-running book series and a few other uses, it’s seen as unisex at least some of the time. 

Distinctive mythological names have trended in the 21st century, with children answering to Athena and Orion, to name just two.

And sound-wise, Artemis stands at the intersection of even more trends:

• It shares the Ar- sound of Aria and Ariana.
• The -s ending brings to mind ancient names like Atticus. 

So it could be the perfect name. But let’s look at the numbers.

HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME ARTEMIS?

In the United States, the baby name Artemis debuted in US popularity data in 1915, with nine births for girls.

That doesn’t mean it wasn’t used previously. US Social Security Administration data only begins in 1880. For privacy purposes, it only reports on births of five or more boys or girls with the exact same name – including spelling.

In 2020, Artemis debuted in the girls’ Top 1000 at #958. But by 2024, it had fallen off the charts again.

The name has fared at least as well in the United Kingdom, where it has ranked on the edges of the England & Wales Top 1000 since 1918. 

As of 2024, the baby name Artemis was given to 246 girls – just slightly beyond the current US Top 1000 – along with 103 boys. 

POP CULTURE

Actress Artemis Pebdani plays a recurring chartacter – also named Artemis – on long-running sitcom It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Musician Thomas Pyle played drums for Lynrd Skynrd. Pyle was known professionally as Artimus.

Oscar-winning documentary All the Empty Rooms was one of many projects the Artemis Rising Foundation supported. 

CODE NAME: ARTEMIS

The name takes on a powerful symbolic meaning through its many uses as the name of a mission or project, including:

• American Office of Strategic services operative Virginia Hall used the code name while she worked in occupied France during the second World War.
• NASA has used it several times, mostly recently for a record-setting crewed spaceflight in 2026. It’s also the name of an asteroid and a lunar crater, to name two more space connections. 
• A professional sailing team competes internationally as Artemis Racing. 
• Independent record label Artemis Records once included early 2000s bands like Spacehog and Better Than Ezra before it was sold to a larger entity.
• It’s been used for a number of ships, as well as military operations.

MYTH MEETS STYLE

For now, the baby name Artemis has stopped short of mainstream popularity.

That might make this the perfect name for families after something immediately familiar but not common or trending. 

The different origins and meanings might frustrate some, but the goddess offers a strong identity that could appeal to modern parents.

If you’re looking for a mix of strength and surprise, the baby name Artemis could be exactly what you’re after.

What do you think of the baby name Artemis?