Cheops, Chephren and Mykerinos
Greek names for Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure. The structures themselves were called Achet-Khufu, Wer-Khafre and Netjer-er-Menkaure.
Source: Harvard University, Giza Project
There are three answers to this question, depending on which names you mean.
The common German terms are the Great Pyramid of Cheops, the Pyramid of Chephren and the Pyramid of Mykerinos. These names are Greek. They originate from the rendering of Egyptian royal names by ancient authors and entered European languages via Latin.
The Egyptian names of these same kings sound different. If you search for Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, you are looking for the same three individuals, just in the form standard in academic literature. Cheops corresponds to Khufu, Chephren to Khafre, and Mykerinos to Menkaure.
Then there is a third level, almost always missing: the structures themselves bore their own names. They were not named after their builders but carried a designation containing a statement. These names have been transmitted, and they offer the most interesting answer to the question.
Three structures, three levels of naming
The northeastern, largest one
German: Great Pyramid of Cheops; Egyptian: Pyramid of Khufu.
- Good for
- Its own name was Achet-Khufu, translated roughly as 'Horizon of Khufu'.
- Watch out
- In Egyptian thought, the horizon is the place where the sun transitions between worlds. Thus, the name describes a function, not ownership.
The middle one
German: Pyramid of Chephren; Egyptian: Pyramid of Khafre.
- Good for
- Its own name was Wer-Khafre, translated as 'Khafre is great'.
- Watch out
- This is a statement about the king, not the structure. Such names were a programmatic declaration, not a description.
The southwestern, smallest one
German: Pyramid of Mykerinos; Egyptian: Pyramid of Menkaure.
- Good for
- Its own name was Netjer-er-Menkaure, translated as 'Menkaure is divine'.
- Watch out
- The modestest structure bears the most far-reaching name. There appears to have been no correlation between size and ambition.
Each pyramid bore its own proper name
These proper names are not a curiosity but the rule. Every Egyptian royal pyramid had one, and the names follow recognizable patterns: they name the king and make a claim about him, or they describe the site as a transition point.
They are not preserved through inscriptions on the structures themselves, as none exist. Instead, they appear in administrative texts, in the titles of priests and officials, and in tomb inscriptions in the surrounding area. Whoever was responsible for the cult at a specific complex included it in their title, and thus the name of the structure appears.
The official depiction of the site lists the common forms, while the proper names of the structures are primarily encountered in academic literature. They are too cumbersome for on-site signage but insightful for understanding the complex.
Notably absent from all these names is the word 'pyramid'. That is also Greek and was only later applied to this architectural form.
Why the Greek forms prevailed
Why the Greek forms became dominant is quickly explained: Europe learned of these structures through Greek and Roman authors, not through Egyptian sources.
When hieroglyphs were deciphered in the 19th century and the Egyptian name forms became readable again, the Greek versions were already established in all books. Therefore, they remained in general usage, while the academic world increasingly shifted to the Egyptian forms. Both forms remain correct today.
Practically speaking: In travel guides and on signs, you will find Cheops; in excavation reports, Khufu. Transliterations vary additionally because Egyptian did not write vowels; Khafre, Chefren and Khafra refer to the same person. The digital excavation archive of the plateau lists the structures accordingly under their Egyptian designations and numbers.
The same pattern applies to the Sphinx, albeit in an intensified form. Its common name is Greek and originates from a completely different mythological context. Egyptians of the New Kingdom called the figure Hor-em-akhet, translated roughly as 'Horus in the Horizon'. What it was called at the time of construction is not recorded. Here too, the well-known designation is an exonym, assigned long after its creation.
Therefore, if you compare two sources and encounter different names, it is almost never a matter of different people, but rather of different conventions.
Frequently asked questions
What are the three pyramids of Giza called?
In German: the Great Pyramid of Cheops, the Pyramid of Chephren and the Pyramid of Mykerinos. In academic literature, according to the Egyptian royal names Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure.
Did the structures have their own names?
Yes. Achet-Khufu (Horizon of Khufu), Wer-Khafre (Khafre is great), Netjer-er-Menkaure (Menkaure is divine).
Where do the Greek names come from?
From the rendering of Egyptian royal names by ancient authors. Via Latin, they entered European languages.
Why are there different spellings?
Because Egyptian did not write vowels. Khafre, Chefren and Khafra are transliterations of the same consonant sequence.
How do we know the names of the structures?
From administrative texts and from the titles of priests and officials who were responsible for the cult at a specific complex.