Phaidra as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Phaidra

What is the meaning of the name Phaidra ?

The baby name Phaidra is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈfeɪ.drə/ (FAY-druh).

Phaidra is Greek in Origin.

Phaidra is the Hellenic form of a venerable name from Ancient Greek Φαίδρα (Phaídra), ultimately rooted in φαιδρός (phaidrós), meaning “bright, radiant, beaming.” In myth she is the Cretan-born wife of Theseus and stepmother of Hippolytus, a figure central to Euripides’ tragedy Hippolytus and later reimagined by Seneca and Racine, which kept the name alive in European letters despite its tragic aura.

Use of Phaidra as a given name is strongest in Greece and the Greek diaspora; the Latinized English spelling Phaedra is more familiar in the Anglophone world, while Fedra appears in Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese, and Phèdre in French. Occasional modern transliterations include Faidra. The meaning lends a luminous, positive sense that offsets the somber myth, and contemporary bearers often choose the Greek spelling to emphasize heritage. Possible short forms include Fae or Dra.

⚙ Phaidra doesn't appear in any of the birth registries or name datasets we track. Names like this are usually very rare, tied to a particular region or tradition, or freshly invented. Whatever the reason, hardly anyone else has it.