118 Mermaid and Siren Names
By The PirateShipName editorial desk · Last updated August 2026
Here are 150 plus mermaid and siren names grouped into mythological names, invented sea names, dark siren names and gentle options for children's stories. Several carry genuine meanings from Greek, Latin and Celtic roots, and those are noted.
One distinction is worth making first, because it changes which list you want. In the older traditions a siren was a predator that sang sailors to their deaths, and a mermaid was not necessarily hostile at all. The two blurred over centuries, but if you are naming a character, deciding which one she is will tell you which section to read.
Or roll your own
Names from myth and language
Real names with real roots. Thalassa is Greek for the sea itself. Nerissa comes from the Greek for sea nymph. Marisol joins the Spanish for sea and sun.
Invented sea names
Built from soft consonants and open vowels, which is the sound most sea names share across languages.
Dark siren names
For the older version of the story, where the singing was the trap. Harder sounds, colder imagery.
Gentle names for children's stories
Nothing frightening. For picture books, bedtime stories and party characters.
Titles and epithets
Add one of these to any first name to place her in a hierarchy or a place.
Short names
One or two syllables, for a name that gets said often.
Mermaid or siren
In Greek tradition, sirens were not fish-tailed at all. They were bird-bodied creatures whose song lured sailors onto rocks, and the danger was the entire point of them. Mermaids come from a separate strand of European and Near Eastern folklore, and in many of those stories they are neutral or benevolent, sometimes marrying into human families.
The two merged over centuries, and in modern usage siren usually just means a dangerous mermaid. For naming purposes the useful thing is that the older split still shapes what sounds right. Soft, flowing names suit the mermaid tradition. Names with hard consonants and cold imagery suit the siren one.
Why sea names sound alike across languages
Names meaning sea or water in unrelated languages share a surprising amount of sound. Maris in Latin, Muir in Gaelic, Mer in French, Marina across the Romance languages. The repeated M and R with an open vowel between them turns up again and again.
That is why an invented name built on those sounds reads as a sea name to almost anyone, even without a meaning behind it. Marelle and Nerith are not words in any language, and they still sound like they belong to the water.
Using these in a story
Our recommendation is to avoid the obvious water words in a name if the character is already a mermaid. Naming a mermaid Coral or Pearl is the equivalent of naming a blacksmith Smith. It works for children's stories, where the obviousness is a feature, and it flattens a character anywhere else.
The mythological names are the strongest choice for serious fiction because they carry a history a reader may half-recognise. Thalassa, Amphitrite and Melusine all sound like they come from somewhere, because they do.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are good mermaid names?
Mythological names carry the most weight: Thalassa, Nerissa, Ondine, Amphitrite, Melusine. Thalassa is Greek for the sea itself and Nerissa comes from the Greek for sea nymph, so both mean something as well as sounding right.
What is the difference between a mermaid and a siren?
In the older traditions sirens were bird-bodied creatures whose song lured sailors to their deaths, while mermaids came from separate folklore and were often neutral or benevolent. The two merged over time, and siren now usually means a dangerous mermaid.
What are good siren names?
Harder sounds and colder imagery fit the predatory tradition: Morgause, Lamia, Scylla, The Pale Singer, Nerith the Silent. The Greek monsters Scylla and Charybdis both come with a story attached.
What are names that mean ocean or sea?
Thalassa is Greek for the sea, Maris is Latin for of the sea, Marina and Marisol come from the same root, and Muirgen is Gaelic meaning born of the sea. Nerissa derives from the Greek for sea nymph.