Kephalus as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Kephalus

What is the meaning of the name Kephalus ?

The baby name Kephalus is a Male name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced KEF-uh-lus (English); classical Greek: ke-ˈpha-los /keˈpʰalos/.

Kephalus is Greek in Origin.

Kephalus derives from Ancient Greek Kephalos (Κέφαλος), built on kephalē (κεφαλή) “head,” which also conveyed “chief” or “leader” in figurative use. The Latinized form is Cephalus. In myth, Cephalus of Athens, famed hunter and husband of Procris, was loved by Eos (Aurora) and tragically slew Procris by accident; another tradition makes him the eponym of Cephallenia (Kefalonia). The name appears in classical literature, including Ovid’s Metamorphoses, and in philosophy via Cephalus, the elder interlocutor at the opening of Plato’s Republic.

As a modern given name, Kephalus is extremely rare, appealing to those drawn to Greco-Roman myth or scholarly classics. Established variants and transliterations include Kephalos (Greek), Kephalus (hybrid Latin/Greek), Cephalus (Latin/English), and Kefalos (Modern Greek). No traditional feminine counterpart or diminutives are standard. The meaning centers on “head,” with an extended sense of “leader” or “foremost.”

⚙ Kephalus does not appear in any of the birth registries or name datasets we track. This usually means it's either extremely rare, a regional/traditional name not captured by official statistics, or a brand-new coinage. Use it knowing your child will almost certainly be the only one in the room.