Selene (given name)
 | |
| Pronunciation | [selɛ̌ːnɛː] |
|---|---|
| Gender | female |
| Language(s) | Greek |
| Name day | April 2 |
| Origin | |
| Meaning | Moon |
| Other names | |
| See also | Helen |
Selene is a female given name taken from Selene (Greek Σελήνη [selɛ̌ːnɛː] 'moon';) in Greek mythology. Selene was an archaic lunar deity and the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia.[1] Her equivalent in ancient Roman religion and myth is Luna, Latin for "moon."
The etymology of Selene is uncertain, but if the word is of Greek origin, it is likely connected to the word selas (σέλας), meaning "brightness".[2]
List of people
Notable people with the name include:
- Selene Luna (born 1971), American actress, comedian, burlesque performer, and model
- Selene Vigil-Wilk (born 1965), American singer and musician
- Cleopatra Selene (disambiguation), multiple people
References
- ^ Bibliotheke of Pseudo-Apollodorus, 1.2.2; Hesiod gives a list of the offspring of Hyperion and Theia in Theogony, lines 371ff. In the Homeric Hymn to Helios, Theia is given the name Euryphaessa, the "far-shining" one, an epithet that would apply to Selene herself.
- ^ Kerenyi, Karl (1951) The Gods of the Greeks (pp. 19, 197). 1951.