Phaedre as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Phaedre

What is the meaning of the name Phaedre ?

The baby name Phaedre is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced {'english': 'ˈfeɪdrə (FAY-druh)', 'french': 'fɛdʁ(ə) (feh-DRUH)'}.

Phaedre is Greek in Origin.

Phaedre is a rare variant of Phaedra, from Greek Phaidra (Φαίδρα), rooted in phaídros meaning “bright, radiant.” Latin transmitted it as Phaedra, while French classicism fixed the stage form Phèdre; the spelling Phaedre blends English and French influences and surfaces in modern literature.

In myth, Phaidra was the Cretan princess, daughter of Minos and Pasiphaë and wife of Theseus, whose tragic love for Hippolytus inspired Euripides (Hippolytus), Seneca (Phaedra), and Racine (Phèdre), ensuring the name’s enduring cultural presence. Usage in the Anglophone world has been sporadic since the 18th–19th‑century neoclassical revival, with a modest boost from contemporary fantasy (e.g., Jacqueline Carey’s Phèdre). International variants include Phaedra, Phèdre, Phedre, Faedra, Fedra (Italian/Spanish), and Faidra (Modern Greek). Across forms, the meaning remains “bright” or “radiant,” carrying associations of allure, intensity, and tragic grandeur.

⚙ Phaedre is absent from every birth registry and name dataset we follow. Such a name is generally either rare, regional or traditional, or a brand-new coinage. By any reading, it's an exceptionally uncommon choice.