Greek mythological name of the god of the underworld, meaning 'the unseen' or 'the invisible one.'
Hades (Ἅιδης) is the ancient Greek name of the god of the underworld and, by extension, the name for the underworld itself. Its etymology points to *a-idein*, meaning "the unseen" or "the invisible one" — a description that reflects the ancient Greek understanding of death as a passage into invisibility, away from the light of the living world. Hades was one of the three sons of the Titans Cronus and Rhea, who, after overthrowing their father, divided the cosmos by lot: Zeus took the sky, Poseidon the sea, and Hades the realm beneath the earth.
Despite his fearsome domain, Hades in Greek mythology is rarely portrayed as evil in the modern sense. He is stern, implacable, and just — a ruler who maintains order in the land of the dead, not a figure of malice. His abduction of Persephone and the resulting myth of the seasons is perhaps his most famous story, one that ancient Greeks used to explain the alternation of fertility and barrenness.
The name was nonetheless rarely given to children in antiquity, as directly invoking the god of death was considered inauspicious — a taboo that has lent the name an air of transgression ever since. In the twenty-first century, Hades has experienced a remarkable cultural rehabilitation through popular media. The 2020 video game *Hades* by Supergiant Games presented its protagonist — the son of the god — as a complex, sympathetic, and genuinely heroic figure, introducing the name to millions of players with overwhelmingly positive associations. As a baby name, Hades remains extraordinarily rare and deliberately provocative, chosen by parents drawn to mythology, gaming culture, or the simple audacity of reclaiming a name the ancient world itself dared not speak.