phoebe

Phoebe is a feminine given name of Greek origin, from the archaic Greek Phoibe, meaning "bright" or "pure." The name has been used in ancient myth as well as in modern literature, science, and popular culture.

In Greek mythology, Phoebe is a Titaness, daughter of Gaia and Uranus, and wife of the Titan Koios. She is the mother of Leto and Asteria, making her the grandmother of Apollo and Artemis. The epithet is occasionally linked to prophetic radiance or lunar associations, and she appears in various genealogies and cult stories as a personification of intellect and foresight.

Phoebe also names a moon of Saturn. Discovered in 1899 by William Henry Pickering, the moon is irregular and orbits Saturn in a retrograde and inclined path, indicating it is likely a captured object from the outer Solar System. Its surface is dark, with a low albedo, and spectra indicate water ice mixed with carbon-rich material. A flyby by the Cassini spacecraft in 2004 provided high-resolution images, revealing craters and ridges and confirming a porous, rugged surface.

Beyond myth and astronomy, Phoebe is used as a given name and appears in literature and media, including Phoebe Buffay, a character on the television show Friends, and real persons such as writer and actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The name remains in use across cultures and languages.