Zephyr

Zephyros (Ζεφυρος) is an ancient Greek word for “west wind” and, apropos, it’s also the name of the Greek god of the west wind. In Western tradition, the west wind is considered the gentlest or mildest of wind directions (blowing from the west in an eastward direction). When the warm west winds came, spring was near, so Zephyr was often depicted as the messenger of spring (his wind brought rains that awakened the plant life). Varying tales survive surrounding Zephyr’s place in Greek mythology, but perhaps the one most retold is that of his love for the Spartan prince Hyacinth (although Apollo had designs on the boy himself). When Zephyr saw Hyacinth and Apollo together sporting around with a discus, he jealously blew his wind causing the discus to strike Hyacinth in the head, thus killing him. Apollo made the hyacinth flower from his blood. Zephyr was also known as the brother-husband of several of his sisters: Iris (goddess of the rainbow), Chloris (goddess of flowers) and Podarge, a harpie (half bird/half female creature) with whom he sired Balios and Xanthos, the immortal horses given to Achilles during the Trojan War. As a given name, Zephyr is considered gender-neutral, although it’s far more popular for boys. Overall, though, Zephyr is a very rare name.