Cassiopeia

Meaning & origin

Cassiopeia, a name drawn from Greek mythology and astronomy, has seen modest use in the United States since the late 20th century. It was first recorded in 1979 and reached its peak rank of 8,860 in 2025, though its trajectory has been falling since 2022. The name remains extremely rare, with an occurrence of about 1 in 146,000 births in the latest year. Its mythological associations and celestial inspiration keep it firmly within the tradition of classical revival names, though its rarity means it has never entered the mainstream. Parents choosing Cassiopeia often pair it with other mythological or astronomical names for siblings.

Cassiopeia is the Latin form of the Greek name Κασσιόπεια (Kassiopeia). In Greek mythology, she was the vain queen of Ethiopia who boasted that her daughter Andromeda was more beautiful than the Nereids, leading to Andromeda's sacrifice. The name's etymology is uncertain; it may derive from κασσία (kassia, a type of spice) and ὄψ (ops, 'voice, face'), or from a pre-Greek source. The constellation Cassiopeia, named after the queen, has been known since antiquity and appears in Ptolemy's Almagest. As a given name, it has been used rarely in English-speaking countries, particularly from the late 20th century onward, often chosen for its astronomical and mythological associations.