Pyrrha

Pinterest

Origin: Greek

Meaning: a Greek name meaning "flame-colored" or "red" from Greek element pyr (fire).

In Greek mythology, this is the name Achilles took when he hid as a woman to prevent himself from joining the Trojan war.

Pyrrha is also the name of the daughter of Pandora and wife of Deucalion. When Zeus sent a great flood to end the Bronze age, only Pyrrha and Deucalion survived thanks to the latter's father Prometheus who foresaw it and warned them so that they built an ark and survived the flood. Once the flood was over, Deucalion asked an oracle about how to repopulate the earth and he was told to throw the bones of his mother over his shoulder. They picked up rocks (the bones) of mother Gaia and threw it over their shoulders; those thrown by Deucalion formed into men while those thrown by Pyrrha became women.

Together, Pyrrha and Deucalion had three daughters and three sons.


Variants:

• Pyrra 

Male forms:

• Pyrrhos
• Pyrrhus
• Pyrros