Xanthippos

Xanthippos is an ancient Greek masculine name formed from the elements ξανθός (xanthos) meaning "yellow" and ἵππος (hippos) meaning "horse". Thus the name literally translates to "yellow horse."

Historical Context

According to Classical sources, the most prominent bearer of this name was Xanthippus, a wealthy Athenian politician and general of the 5th century BC (c. 520–475 BC). He was the son of Ariphron and the father of Pericles, the celebrated statesman of Athens. Xanthippus's marriage to Agariste, a niece of the reformer Cleisthenes, allied him with the powerful Alcmaeonid family. During the Greco-Persian Wars, Xanthippus commanded the Athenian fleet at the Battle of Mycale (479 BC) and successfully besieged Sestos the following year.

Carry-over

The feminine form Xanthippe derives from the same roots but with a feminine ending. In popular culture, the female version became associated with the ill-tempered wife of Socrates, though that historical lay may not reflect the original noble connotations of the name.

• Meaning: Yellow horse (Greek)
• Origin: Ancient Greek
• Type: Aristocratic personal name
• Usage: Historical Greece, specifically attic onomastics