MEANING & HISTORY
What does Achilles mean?
Achilles comes through Latin from Greek Achilleus, the name of the hero in the Iliad. The ancient root is uncertain; pain-related vocabulary and geographical explanations are among the proposals.
Warrior is a cultural association with the hero, not a settled literal translation. The exact classical-name transmission is the reliable formation.
References for this explanation
Pronunciation & syllables
Dictionary readings are kept by language. Select the reading that matches your intended pronunciation. Dots show the source’s written divisions; they are not a universal syllable count across languages.
Wiktionary contributors / Kaikki / Wiktextract · CC BY-SA 4.0
Origin and name formation
Language-specific accounts from the dictionary. A shared spelling can have more than one history.
CebuanoEtymology & source
From English Achilles, borrowed from Latin Achilles, from Ancient Greek Ἀχιλλεύς (Akhilleús).
a male given name from English
Wiktionary: Achilles (Cebuano) ↗ · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
EnglishEtymology & source
Borrowed from Latin Achillēs, from Ancient Greek Ἀχιλλεύς (Akhilleús).
A male given name from Ancient Greek.
Wiktionary: Achilles (English) ↗ · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Adapted from Wiktionary contributors via Kaikki/Wiktextract. Source accounts remain in their original English; editorial summaries and filters are adapted. Attribution and downloads
PSA · OFFICIAL BIRTH RECORDS
Achilles in the birth records
Exact spelling and stated year in the published name tables. Read the counts as individual snapshots.
Tables included: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The 2016 fact sheet lists five names per sex; the later tables include ten. Missing counts are not inferred. Sex categories follow the official tables, independently of dictionary gender labels. Explore the official tables →
Similar names to Achilles
Names with a similar opening or ending, ordered by spelling distance. Similar spelling does not imply the same meaning or origin.
Names in this collection
- Aquiles♂Spanish and Portuguese Achilles-name form
- Charles♂Man or freeman
- Achel♀Cebuano familiar form of Rachel
- Aching♀Familiar form of Rachel or Maximiana in Cebuano
- Miles♂From Milo; possibly connected with “dear”
- Bubbles♀English bubble word in an affectionate personal-name form
- Hercules·Latin Heracles: glory of Hera
- Myles♂Variant of Miles, from the Milo name family
What rhymes with Achilles?
No dictionary-confirmed rhyme match is available for this spelling in the current catalogue.
Names with a similar written ending
Spelling suggestions; these are not verified phonetic rhymes.
Recorded combinations with Achilles
1 source-reported compound forms include this name as a component. Each part keeps its own history.
Names in this collection
Explore combinations →Explore Achilles further
Follow the sources
- Wiktionary contributors — Achilles (Cebuano) (opens in a new tab)
Explicit given-name sense and separately attributed etymology; no birth-frequency claim.
- Wiktionary contributors — Achilles (English) (opens in a new tab)
Language-specific given-name etymology; shared spelling does not prove every bearer has this origin.
- Wiktionary: Achilles (opens in a new tab)
Personal-name formation and etymological relationships; imported dictionary account consulted.
- Behind the Name: achilles (opens in a new tab)
Independent onomastic comparison and qualifications to the proposed origin.