In Greek mythology, what does the name “Minotaur” literally mean?

In Greek mythology, the name “Minotaur” literally means “Bull of Minos.”

The name comes from the Greek form Minōtauros, combining Minos, the name of the Cretan king, with tauros, meaning “bull.” It therefore identifies the creature through its connection with King Minos rather than serving as a personal name in the ordinary sense.

The Minotaur was traditionally described as having a human body and a bull’s head. In the myth, it was born to Pasiphae, Minos’s wife, after she was compelled to unite with the Cretan Bull. Minos then had Daedalus construct the Labyrinth to contain it.

Some ancient and later sources give the creature the personal name Asterion or Asterius, meaning “starry.” That name is a related mythological detail, not the literal meaning of “Minotaur,” and is why the two terms should not be treated as exact synonyms in every retelling.