From Greek 'selene' meaning moon. Selene was the Greek goddess of the moon.
Selene comes from ancient Greek, where Selene was the personified goddess of the moon. The name is tied directly to the Greek word for moon, and in classical mythology Selene rode her shining chariot across the night sky. Unlike many names that merely imply brightness or beauty, Selene carries an entire cosmology with it: silver light, cyclical time, dream, and divine femininity.
In Greek myth, Selene was distinct from Artemis, though the two became associated over time as lunar identities overlapped in later tradition. Her best-known myth concerns her love for Endymion, the eternally sleeping youth, a story that gave the name a deep poetic afterlife. Writers and artists in the classical, Renaissance, and Romantic worlds repeatedly returned to lunar imagery, and Selene remained available as a learned, elegant choice even when it was never especially common.
In modern naming, Selene has often appealed to parents who want a mythological name that feels graceful rather than severe. It shares space with Diana, Luna, and Phoebe, but has a more antique and distinctly Hellenic texture. Contemporary fantasy, astrology, and moon symbolism have only strengthened its aura.
Selene is often perceived as serene, mystical, and intelligent, with a cool luminosity that makes it feel timeless. It is a name that has evolved from deity to poetic emblem to modern given name without losing its original association with the moonlit sky.