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At a Glance: Name: Persephone – Origin: Ancient Greek – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: per-SEF-uh-nee
Persephone is a girl's name with Ancient Greek origins. You may have come across a popular claim that it means 'bringer of destruction' or 'she who brings death' — that meaning isn't backed by a reliable source, so it's best treated as unconfirmed. It's pronounced per-SEF-uh-nee.
Meaning & Origin of Persephone
Origin: Ancient Greek.
A common claim: Persephone is popularly said to mean 'bringer of destruction' or 'she who brings death.' Actually: Persephone's root is considered obscure and pre-Greek by scholars, with no reliable etymological breakdown — 'bringer of destruction' isn't supported.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Persephone
Phonetic: per-SEF-uh-nee IPA: /pərˈsɛfəni/
Popularity of Persephone
Persephone reached its highest point in 2022, ranking #685 with 428 babies given the name, and in 2024 it sat at #737 with 381.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1962–2024.
Make Persephone Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Persephone, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Persephone mean?
Persephone is popularly said to mean ‘bringer of destruction’ or ‘she who brings death.’ Persephone’s root is considered obscure and pre-Greek by scholars, with no reliable etymological breakdown — ‘bringer of destruction’ isn’t supported.
How do you pronounce Persephone?
Persephone is pronounced per-SEF-uh-nee (IPA: /pərˈsɛfəni/).
Is Persephone a popular name right now?
Persephone is near its all-time peak (#685 in 2022), ranked #737 in 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1962–2024.)
📊 How popular is Persephone? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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