All about the name INO

Meaning, origin, history.

Ino is a Greek female given name derived from the Greek word "inois," which means "to go" or "to move." The name has been used in Greece since ancient times and was borne by several characters in Greek mythology.

One of the most notable figures with this name is Ino Leuke, also known as Ino the White. She was a Thessalian queen who married Athamas, king of Orchomenus. According to myth, Ino was a daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia, and she became the mother of two sons, Learchus and Melicertes (also known as Thebanes). When Athamas' first wife, Nephele, abandoned her sons after remarrying, Ino raised them as her own. However, when Athamas later remarried and his new wife, Themisto, gave birth to twins, she became jealous of Ino's sons and convinced Athamas that they were not his children but bastards of Sisyphus. Athamas attempted to kill the boys, but with the help of the god Hermes, they escaped and fled to the island of Euboea.

Ino followed her sons to the island, where she encountered the god Dionysus and his followers, the Maenads. She was initiated into their cult and became a devotee of the god. According to some versions of the myth, Ino was driven mad by the sight of Dionysus' wrath or by jealousy over her sons' devotion to him. She threw herself into the sea with Learchus but was transformed into a sea nymph called Leuke (white) by the god Poseidon.

In Greek mythology, Ino also appears as one of the nurse-maids of Zeus during his infancy. Along with her sister-in-law, Nephele, she cared for the infant god on Mount Ida in Crete while his mother Rhea hid him from his father Cronus to prevent him from being swallowed as his siblings had been.

The name Ino has also been used in other cultures and languages besides Greek. For instance, it appears in Italian literature, notably in Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, where the poet mentions "Ino," a character from ancient Roman mythology who was turned into a sea nymph by Neptune.

In summary, Ino is an ancient Greek female given name that means "to go" or "to move." It has been used since ancient times and has connections to Greek mythology through figures like Ino Leuke and the nurse-maids of Zeus. The name has also appeared in Italian literature, demonstrating its enduring popularity across cultures.