Entry № 0225 · Greek origin

Arete Arete — Meaning, Origin & Baby Name Popularity

/ ah-REH-teh /
Gender
Girl
Origin
Greek
Meaning
"Virtue (philosopher of Cyrene)"
Syllables
3
Rank · US 2025
№ 0
First recorded
Ancient (Greek)

A name that means "virtue (philosopher of cyrene)".

Arete (Ἀρετή) is the Greek word for "excellence" or "virtue" — the highest aspiration of Greek ethics. **Arete of Cyrene** (4th c. BCE) was the philosopher who succeeded her father Aristippus as head of the Cyrenaic school — the second-oldest known female philosopher after Aspasia.

Also a queen in Homer's Odyssey (mother of Nausicaa).

Virtue. The Cyrenaic philosopher and Homeric queen.

The name in its native script.

Ἀρετή
Transliteration
Aretḗ
Pronunciation
/ əˈrɛ.tɛ /
Root
Grammatical form

Where Arete stands.

Current rank · 2025
№ 0 in the U.S.
All-time peak
№ 0 in 0
Babies named Arete · last year
87 in the U.S.
First entered SSA top-1000
0
Rank, 1995–2025 Lower = more popular
№25 №75 №150 №250 1995 2005 2015 2020 2025 PEAK · — NOW · —

Aretes before her.

Real people
Arete of Cyrene
Cyrenaic philosopher.
4th c. BCE
In fiction
Arete
Queen of the Phaeacians in Homer's Odyssey.

Names connected to Arete.

The number behind Arete.

4

The Builder

Arete reduces to four — the number of Greek virtue.

Why families chose this name.

"Cyrenaic philosopher. Five letters. Arete."
Eleni · Mother of one · Cyrene