Which Greek goddess sprang fully grown from Zeus's head?

The Greek goddess who sprang fully grown from Zeus’s head is Athena.

Athena’s unusual birth is one of Greek mythology’s most famous divine origin stories. In the best-known version, Zeus swallowed Metis, a goddess of wisdom, after learning a prophecy that her future child might become greater than its father. Metis was already pregnant, and the child continued developing inside Zeus. Zeus later suffered a terrible headache, so Hephaestus—or, in some versions, another divine helper—split open his head. Athena emerged fully armed and grown.

The story explains Athena’s close connection with wisdom, strategic warfare, crafts, and civic intelligence. Unlike Ares, who represents the more chaotic and violent side of war, Athena embodies disciplined strategy and practical skill. She became the patron goddess of Athens, whose name and major sanctuary, the Parthenon, honor her.

Athena is sometimes confused with Aphrodite, Artemis, or Hera because all are major Olympian goddesses. None shares this birth story. The “from Zeus’s head” detail is specifically associated with Athena, although ancient authors vary on the exact mechanics and the divine figure who assisted Zeus.