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Minotaur Girl Names: 100 Names for a Bull-Horned Woman With Origins
By Metavulgar · updated 2026-11-13 · 7 min read
Minotaur girl names start with a fact about the original: the Minotaur of Greek myth was a male monster. He was born to Pasiphae, wife of King Minos of Crete, as the result of a curse from the god Poseidon on Minos, and he had a bull's head and tail on a man's body. His given name was Asterion, often taken to mean "starry one", and he was shut inside the labyrinth built by Daedalus until the hero Theseus killed him. A bull-horned woman is a modern invention, a monster-girl type that took the horns and the strength and left the maze. That means every name for her is borrowed from the surrounding myth, from the words for bull and cow, or invented. I keep those three sources apart.
Names from the Cretan myth (real)
These belong to figures in the myth. They are real mythological names with a source, and they give a minotaur girl a strong Cretan flavor.
- Asterion (feminine form Asteria): the Minotaur's own name, "starry". Asteria is also the name of a Titaness, a star goddess.
- Pasiphae: the mother of the Minotaur; the name is generally read as "shining for all" or "she who shines on all".
- Ariadne: the princess who gave Theseus the thread; "most holy" or "very pure".
- Phaedra: Ariadne's sister, "bright".
- Europa: the princess carried to Crete by Zeus in the shape of a bull, the mother of Minos. A strong, real name with a bull in the story.
- Britomartis: a Cretan goddess whose name means "sweet maiden".
- Dictynna: a Cretan goddess linked with nets and the mountain Dikte.
- Rhea: the mother of Zeus, who hid him on Crete.
- Amalthea: the nurse of Zeus, tied to Crete in some tellings.
- Acalle, Xenodice: other daughters of Minos in some sources.
- Ariadne's sisters and the labyrinth builders are less used; stick to the ones above.
Names from words for bull and cow (real vocabulary)
Words for bull and cow in many languages make strong, memorable names.
- Taurina and Tauria: from Latin taurus, "bull".
- Taura: a short form.
- Bouvia: from Greek bous, ox or cow.
- Boopis: "cow-eyed", an epithet of the goddess Hera in Homer. Beautiful and strange.
- Io: a princess in myth transformed into a cow by Hera; a real name and a famous cow-woman.
- Hathor: the Egyptian goddess shown as a cow or with cow ears, linked to love, music and motherhood. The name means "house of Horus".
- Audhumbla: the primordial cow of Norse myth, whose milk fed the first beings. Strong as a title.
- Kamadhenu: the wish-granting cow of Hindu tradition.
- Vacca: Latin for cow.
- Wisent and Aurochs: the great wild cattle of Europe, which make dramatic names.
- Bison: for a big, shaggy, proud girl; Bisona adds a feminine ending.
- Zubra: from the Slavic root for bison.
- Toro and Torina: from Spanish and Italian.
Names for horns and strength
- Cornelia: a real Roman name, related to Latin cornu, "horn" (though the name's root is debated).
- Keratia: from Greek keras, "horn".
- Hornet is a different creature; use Horna or Hornia.
- Crescent: for horns shaped like a moon.
- Ironhorn, Stonehorn, Brasshorn: titles.
- Titania and Atlas: big, mythic names.
- Valeria: "strong" in Latin.
- Fortuna, Fortis: "strong" and "luck".
- Robusta: a joke, but a real Latin word for strong.
- Magna: "great".
- Colossa: for a very tall minotaur woman.
- Gaia: the earth.
Labyrinth and maze names
The labyrinth is half of the minotaur story, and its words work as names.
- Labrys: the double-headed axe of Minoan Crete, said to be the root of the word "labyrinth". A great short name.
- Labyrinthia: a mouthful, but a good title.
- Daedala: after Daedalus, "cunningly wrought".
- Meander: a river and a winding pattern.
- Thread, Clew, Ariadna: Ariadne's thread, and its old word, clew.
- Knossa: from Knossos, the palace of Minos.
- Minoa: the Minoan culture; a real and lovely feminine form.
- Cretanne, Cretia: Crete.
Strong minotaur girl names (invented)
- Brakka, Torra, Gorra, Tauryn, Bullwyn, Hornika, Rhogga, Maurena.
- Kassandra Ironhorn, Torva, Taurene, Bovara.
- Brenna, Hilda, Greta, Berta: sturdy real names that suit a large, steady woman.
- Thalia Hornwood, Kora Stonebull.
Gentle minotaur girl names
A minotaur woman is often written as big and soft-spoken: a cow-girl farmhand or a gentle giantess. Names for her follow.
- Daisy, Buttercup, Clover, Bessie, Moo (as a joke), Hazel, Maisie.
- Dolores, Marguerite, Annabel, Millie, Rosie.
- Meadow, Barley, Honey, Cream, Butter.
- Hera Boopis as an elegant title.
- Io again: the cow-woman of Greek myth is the gentlest classic choice.
Short names (voice-friendly)
Io, Rhea, Taur, Bo, Ari, Eur, Brit, Horn, Kora, Dika, Mino, Ast, Asta, Tora.
Names in other languages that mean bull, cow or horn
Reaching beyond Greek gives you names that feel unusual but have real roots.
- Toro (Spanish) and Toura: bull.
- Stier (German) and Stiera: bull.
- Byk (Slavic) and Bykova: bull.
- Vrisha (Sanskrit): bull; also used in Hindu names as a prefix.
- Gau (Sanskrit): cow, as in Gauri, a name of the goddess Parvati, "fair one".
- Uru (Sumerian): ox; Gud is the Sumerian word for bull.
- Ushi (Japanese): ox or cow.
- Tsuno (Japanese): horn.
- Cornu and Cornua (Latin): horn.
- Naut (Old Norse): cattle, and the root of the English word neat for cattle; Nauta works as a name.
Names from Minoan Crete that are not strictly myth
The Minoans left no readable names for us, but scholars use a few place and object words.
- Knossos and Phaistos: the great palaces.
- Kydonia: an ancient city of Crete.
- Ida and Dikte: Cretan mountains, where Zeus was said to be raised.
- Lasithi: a plateau.
- Amnisos: a harbor town.
- Minoa: the culture.
These work well as invented-but-plausible names: Idalia, Diktea, Lasitha, Amnisa, Kydonia.
How to build a minotaur title
A titled name makes the character feel like she belongs to a story.
- Taurina of the Seventh Turning, a nod to the labyrinth's turns.
- Asteria Starhorn, using her starry name.
- Brakka the Gatekeeper.
- Io of the Long Pasture, for a gentle one.
- Hornika Stonestep, for a heavy-footed guardian.
- The Lady of the Labrys.
Writing the minotaur girl: voice and presence
A few reliable choices make her feel right.
- Low, slow voice. She is large, and her voice has room in it.
- Short, direct sentences, with warmth underneath.
- Care with the hands. She is strong, and she shows it by how gently she touches.
- The maze as a metaphor. She guards the way in and the way out, and she lets you decide.
- Humor. A minotaur who knows the legends about her and teases you about them is irresistible.
Names by minotaur archetype
- The labyrinth guardian: Labrys, Asteria, Brakka, Gorra. Hard, short, echoing.
- The farm-country giantess: Daisy, Bessie, Hazel, Marguerite. Soft, rural, motherly.
- The arena champion: Taurina, Valeria, Fortis, Colossa. Names with a crowd in them.
- The temple priestess: Pasiphae, Britomartis, Dictynna, Ariadne. Old, ritual, serene.
- The wanderer: Io, Europa, Meander, Thread. Names that travel.
A note on pronunciation
Greek names trip up English speakers, so here are the common ones. Asteria is as-TEER-ee-uh. Pasiphae is pa-SIF-ay-ee. Ariadne is ar-ee-AD-nee. Europa is yoo-ROH-puh. Britomartis is brit-oh-MAR-tis. Boopis is boh-OH-pis. Labrys is LAB-ris. Say each slowly once, then at normal speed, and decide whether you like the sound.
How to choose
- Decide her size of heart. A fierce labyrinth guardian wants a hard name; a gentle farm-girl minotaur wants a soft one.
- Pick a source. Cretan myth, bull words or invented.
- Test it in a low voice. Minotaur characters often speak low and slow, and the name should carry.
- Label the origin. Real mythic names are real, and the rest are yours.
For similar lists, see Centaur Girl Names, Satyr Girl Names, Orc Girl Names and Monster Girl Names. For the creature itself, Minotaur Girl Meaning and Lore tells her story, and Minotaur and Beast Tropes covers the tropes around her.
The minotaur girl fantasy
A minotaur girl is strength that is careful with you. She is tall, broad, horned and steady, a woman who could lift you without effort and instead holds you as if you were glass. Her fantasy is the labyrinth: not a trap but a hidden place with her at its heart, where you are pinned gently, kept safe and told to stay. She is slow-voiced, patient and very warm, and every minotaur character I write is an adult, grown and in charge of her own story.
Where she lives in my library
Steady: Pinned Down in the Minotaur's Labyrinth is my minotaur session, steady and heavy and warm, and No Nut November Day 10 Minotaur Stretch is the exclusive one from the November series. If you are new, Start Here is the five-night course, one monster each.
Frequently asked questions
What was the Minotaur's real name?
The Minotaur's birth name was Asterion, usually taken to mean starry one. The name Minotaur means bull of Minos. He was the son of Pasiphae, born under Poseidon's curse on Minos, and lived in the labyrinth.
What are good minotaur girl names?
Asteria, Europa, Ariadne, Io and Pasiphae come from the Cretan myth. Taurina, Boopis and Keratia use words for bull, cow and horn. Brakka, Torra and Tauryn are invented strong names.
Were there female minotaurs in mythology?
No. The Minotaur of Greek myth was a single male monster. A minotaur girl is a modern monster-girl type that borrows the horns and strength and often a gentler personality.
What does Boopis mean?
Boopis means cow-eyed in Greek and is an epithet of the goddess Hera in Homer. It was a compliment, meaning large, calm, beautiful eyes, and it suits a minotaur girl well.
What does labrys mean?
Labrys is the double-headed axe of Minoan Crete and is often given as the root of the word labyrinth, the house of the axe. It makes a short, strong name for a minotaur character.
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