Meaning unknown, possibly of Phoenician origin. Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love, equal to the Roman goddess Venus.She was the wife of Hephaestus and the mother of Eros, and she was often associated with the myrtle tree and doves. The Greeks connected her name with αφρος (aphros) foam, resulting in the story that she was born from the foam of the sea.he was the wife of Hephaestus and the mother of Eros, and she was often associated with the myrtle tree and doves. The Greeks connected her name with αφρος (aphros) foam, resulting in the story that she was born from the foam of the sea.