There are no traditional Greek girl names that start with W. Greek names are rich and old, with many that are still loved today, such as Sophia, Helen, and Daphne. But a complete list of Greek girl names that begin with W comes up empty, and the reason says a lot about the Greek language itself.

The Greek alphabet has no letter W. Its 24 letters run from alpha to omega, and none of them makes the “w” sound we know in English. The closest Greek letter is upsilon, which was once pronounced like “oo” and was sometimes written as “u” or “v” in the Latin alphabet. The letter W itself is a much later invention. It began in medieval Europe as a double V, so ancient Greeks never used it. Because of this, a name that starts with W cannot come straight from Greek.

Some names come close. Names that start with the “oo” sound, such as Ourania, a name linked to the Muse of astronomy, are sometimes spelled with a W in modern English, as in Wrania. Parents who want a Greek feel with a W start can also look at names that sound similar, like Winifred or Willa, though these have Welsh and English roots. For true Greek options, names that begin with nearby letters, such as Xenia, Yara, or Zoe, are the best choices.