Afina first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Afina has been for the last 14 years (from 2010 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Afina

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "graceful, elegant".

Popularity of Afina by gender

Based on the last 14 years of data, Afina is exclusively a female name.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 10 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Afina.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 0 10
2022 0 6
2020 0 8
2018 0 6
2012 0 5
2010 0 5

The history of the first name Afina

The name Afina is derived from the Greek goddess Athena, the virgin goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice, mathematics, strength, war strategy, and the arts. It has its origins in ancient Greek mythology and culture, dating back to the classical antiquity period of ancient Greece.

The name Athena is believed to be derived from the Greek word "athao," meaning "to scorch" or "to burn," referring to her fiery qualities and strength. The variant spelling "Afina" is a Latinized form of the Greek name, which was widely adopted during the Roman era.

In Greek mythology, Athena was one of the most revered deities, often depicted as a fierce warrior goddess born from the head of Zeus, the king of the gods. She was the patron goddess of the city of Athens and was widely worshipped throughout ancient Greece.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Athena can be found in the Homeric epics, the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey," written around the 8th century BC. These ancient Greek texts recount the legendary tales of the Trojan War and the journey of Odysseus, in which Athena plays a pivotal role.

Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Afina or its variants. Here are five examples:

  1. Afina Paleologina (c. 1455-1510), a Byzantine princess and the last member of the Paleologus dynasty, the final ruling family of the Byzantine Empire.

  2. Afina Albu (1897-1983), a Romanian actress and theater director who was a prominent figure in the Romanian theater scene during the early 20th century.

  3. Afina Gemil (born 1958), a Turkish-Cypriot politician and former member of the European Parliament, representing the Turkish Cypriot community in northern Cyprus.

  4. Afina Grigore (born 1986), a Romanian professional tennis player who has won several doubles titles on the ITF Women's Circuit.

  5. Afina Yordanova (born 1985), a Bulgarian Olympic swimmer who has represented Bulgaria in multiple Olympic Games and world championships.

The name Afina has held significance throughout history, tracing its roots back to the powerful and influential goddess Athena of Greek mythology, whose legacy has endured for centuries as a symbol of wisdom, strength, and excellence.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Afina was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Afina, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Afina first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 18, 2025. http://namecensus.com/first-names/afina-meaning-and-history/.

"Afina first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/afina-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 18 July, 2025

Afina first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/afina-meaning-and-history/.

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.