Quick answer
Persephone is a girl name meaning "thresher of corn".
Pronunciation: Classical Greek /per.se.pʰó.nɛː/; American English /pəɹ.ˈsɛf.ə.ni/; British English /pə.ˈsɛf.ə.niː/.
Meaning and history
Meaning unknown, probably of pre-Greek origin, but perhaps related to Greek πέρθω ( pertho ) meaning "to destroy" and φόνος ( phonos ) meaning "murder". Another theory relates the name to an Indo-European root meaning "sheaf of corn", with a full meaning of "thresher of corn". In Greek myth Persephone was the daughter of Demeter and Zeus. She was abducted to the underworld by Hades, but was eventually allowed to return to the surface for part of the year. The result of her comings and goings is the changing of the seasons. With her mother she was worshipped in the Eleusinian Mysteries, which were secret rites practiced at the city of Eleusis near Athens.
Notes and context
Usage: greek mythology | Ancient Greek: Περσεφόνη