Epona as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Epona

What is the meaning of the name Epona ?

The baby name Epona is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /ɛˈpoʊnə/ (eh-POH-nə),/iːˈpoʊnə/ (ee-POH-nə),/ˈɛpənə/ (EP-uh-nə).

Epona is Celtic in Origin.

Epona stems from Gaulish, the name of a widely venerated Gallo-Roman horse goddess. It combines epos “horse” (from Proto-Celtic *ekwos) with the feminine augmentative suffix -onā, giving the sense “Great Mare” or “Horse Goddess.” In antiquity she protected stables, riders, and cavalry units, and her cult spread throughout Roman Gaul and into Britain, the Rhineland, and Rome itself.

As a personal name, Epona is a modern revival with strong mythic and equestrian overtones. Epigraphic records show occasional spelling variation such as Ipona; Latin diminutive forms Eponina/Epponina produced the later French Éponine, familiar from Victor Hugo. While true usage remains rare in France, Belgium, and the English-speaking world, the name is recognized today both through classical studies and popular culture (notably the horse in The Legend of Zelda). Variants and related forms include Eponina/Epponina and Éponine; approximate meaning: “great mare, horse goddess.”