Entry № 1652 · Greek origin

Metis Metis — Meaning, Origin & Baby Name Popularity

/ MEH-tis /
Gender
Girl
Origin
Greek
Meaning
"Wisdom (Greek Titaness; mother of Athena)"
Syllables
2
Rank · US 2025
№ 0
First recorded
Ancient (Greek)

A name that means "wisdom (greek titaness; mother of athena)".

Metis (Μῆτις) is the Greek word for **"cunning wisdom, skill, craft."** **The Greek Titaness of wise counsel, planning, cunning, and craftiness** — Zeus's first wife. **An oracle prophesied that any son she bore would be greater than his father, so Zeus swallowed her whole while she was pregnant** — Athena was later born fully grown and armored from Zeus's forehead, after Hephaestus split it open with an axe. **Metis remains inside Zeus, serving as his counsel** — Hesiod tells us that this is the source of Zeus's wisdom.

Featured throughout Hesiod's *Theogony* and Apollodorus's *Library*.

Wisdom. Athena's mother; swallowed whole by Zeus and now lives inside him as his counsel.

The name in its native script.

Μῆτις
Transliteration
Mêtis
Pronunciation
/ ˈmiː.tɪs /
Root
Grammatical form

Where Metis stands.

Current rank · 2025
№ 0 in the U.S.
All-time peak
№ 0 in 0
Babies named Metis · 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 · —

Metiss before her.

Real people
Metis
Greek Titaness.
In fiction
Metis
Hesiod's Theogony.

Names connected to Metis.

The number behind Metis.

9

The Humanitarian

Metis reduces to nine — the number of cunning wisdom.

Why families chose this name.

"Athena's mother. Five letters. Metis."
Eleni · Mother of one · Athens