Thalia

Thalia is an ancient Greek female name, from Thaleia (Θαλεια) meaning “to blossom, flourish”, and was borne by one of the nine Muses in Greek Mythology. Thalia and her sister-muses were the daughters of Zeus, High King of the gods, and the Titaness Mnemosyn, goddess of memory. The Muses were the goddesses of the arts and a source of inspiration to all artists (musicians, singers, dancers, writers, poets, etc). They embodied the creative aspects of artistic endeavors most valued by the ancient Greeks, and were called upon for their individual gifts. Calliope is often depicted as the chief Muse as the inspiration behind the art form most important to the Greeks: epic poetry. Next came Clio (history), followed by Poylhymnia (mime), Euterpe (flute), and Terpsichore (light verse and dance). The sixth Muse was Erato (lyrical sing-song poetry) followed by her final three sisters Melpomene (tragedy), Thalia (comedy) and Urania (astronomy). Given the exotic names shared by the Muses, they hardly offer any options for modern name choices among English-speakers (except Clio, Erato and Thalia, perhaps). Thalia is often translated to mean “flourishing with joy” and as the Muse of comedy this makes sense. Comedy is an art form meant to amuse and cause laughter, so we’d have to agree that Thalia is indeed the happiest of the nine names. And one with a very upbeat etymology. Thalia is not a super common female name in the Western World but it is embraced with mild frequency in France, Australia, the United States and Canada. It is also sometimes used among Spanish-speakers in homage to Mexican singer/actress known simply as Thalía, one of the most successful Latin singers of all time.