Find out how popular the first name Chimera has been for the last 38 years (from 1980 to 2017) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Chimera by gender

Based on the last 38 years of data, Chimera is exclusively a female name.

For the most recent data in 2017, there were 5 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Chimera.

The history of the first name Chimera

The name Chimera has its origins in Greek mythology, originating from the word "Chimaira" which is a mythological creature composed of parts from different animals. The name refers to a fire-breathing female monster with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail.

In Greek mythology, the Chimera was a monstrous creature born to Typhon and Echidna. It was eventually slain by the hero Bellerophon, who rode the winged horse Pegasus and killed the beast with a lead-tipped spear. The Chimera was a symbol of the unnatural and the monstrous, representing the fears and dangers that lurked in the minds of ancient Greeks.

The earliest recorded use of the name Chimera dates back to ancient Greek literature, where it appears in works such as Homer's Iliad and Hesiod's Theogony. While it was not commonly used as a given name in ancient times, it served as a metaphor for the impossible or the fantastical.

Over the centuries, the name Chimera has been adopted as a given name, though it remains relatively rare. One notable historical figure with this name was Chimera Arsinoe, a Greek princess who lived in the 3rd century BC and was the daughter of King Ptolemy II Philadelphus and Queen Arsinoe I.

Another historical figure with the name Chimera was Saint Chimera, a 5th-century Christian martyr who was killed during the persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperor Diocletian. She is venerated as a saint in the Catholic and Orthodox churches.

In the 16th century, there was a famous Italian artist named Chimera Ghisi, who was known for her engravings and printmaking. She was born in Mantua in 1520 and played a significant role in the development of Italian Renaissance art.

In the 19th century, Chimera Bertin was a French fashion designer and milliner who was renowned for her innovative hat designs. She was born in 1805 and her creations were highly sought after by the elite of Parisian society.

Finally, in the 20th century, there was Chimera Ramanujan, an Indian mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of number theory. She was born in 1887 and her work on partition functions and infinite series has had a lasting impact on modern mathematics.

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 Chimera was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Chimera, 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!