Alcestis as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Alcestis

What is the meaning of the name Alcestis ?

The baby name Alcestis is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /ælˈsɛstɪs/ — AL-SESS-tis.

Alcestis is Greek in Origin.

Alcestis derives from the Ancient Greek Alkēstis (Ἄλκηστις), built on alke ‘strength, defense’ plus the feminine suffix -stis, yielding the sense ‘the strong/defending one’ or ‘she who protects.’ Latinized as Alcestis, it also appears as Alkestis or Alkēstis in scholarly transliteration, with the Modern Greek form Alkistis (Άλκηστις). Romance-language variants include Alceste (French/Italian) and Alcesti (Italian).

Known from Greek myth, Alcestis is the devoted queen who volunteered to die in place of her husband Admetus and was later restored by Heracles. Euripides’ fifth‑century BCE play Alcestis fixed the story in the classical canon, inspiring later retellings such as Gluck’s opera Alceste. As a given name, Alcestis has remained rare in the Anglophone world but sees occasional use in Greece as Alkistis; it carries connotations of courage, fidelity, and self‑sacrifice.

⚙ Alcestis is a genuine rarity. We hold just 3 recorded uses of it, from 3 countries.