Baby Name Poll Results

I'm not sure of the actual meaning of Kynthos but the reason it's related to Diana/Artemis is because it's where she (and her twin Apollo) were born.

I did read somewhere that it could've come from kynthano which means to cover up or hide but that might not be true I just read it on a baby name site so it might be wrong!

I know, I read that too! 😂 I'm not sure if it's true either, but I'm wondering, what would the word meaning behind Cynthia be? I feel like it should be extended to something more than just being from a particular mountain. That's why I asked.

Unfortunately some old names don't have the fun and easy kind of meanings we want them to have!

The fact that it's another name used for Artemis is plenty of weight/meaning though.

I suppose. But if I wanted to Artemis meaning, I would just use Diane or Diana. Do you think that website's right about kynthano? If it is, "to cover" is a pretty neat meaning.

My guess is that if it does have any relation to "to hide" it's got more to do with the fact that Leto was hiding on the island of Delos when she gave birth to the twins on Mount Kynthos.

But as far as I can tell, any real meaning behind Cynthia is pretty entwined with Artemis. I don't think you're going to find a literal translation for it.

From Behind the Name:

Latinized form of Greek Κυνθια (Kynthia) which means "woman from Kynthos". This was an epithet of the Greek moon goddess Artemis, given because Kynthos was the mountain on Delos on which she and her twin brother Apollo were born. It was not used as a given name until the Renaissance, and it did not become common in the English-speaking world until the 19th century.

Mount Cynthus (Greek: Κύνθος, Kýnthos) is located on the isle of Delos, part of the Greek Cyclades.
In Greek mythology, Leto gave birth to Apollo and Artemis on this island, having been shunned by Zeus' wife Hera who was extremely jealous of his liaison with Leto. They respectively carry the epithets of Cynthius and Cynthia.
As the centre of the circular Aegaean islands ("Cyclades"), Mount Cynthus offers superb views of the innermost islands: Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Syros, and Rhenia.
In modern times, this island is a major archaeological site and a tourist spot.