Athena is a city in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. The population was 1,126 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Hermiston-Pendleton …Athena is a city in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. The population was 1,126 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Hermiston-Pendleton Micropolitan Statistical Area. Athena, about halfway between Pendleton, Oregon, and Walla Walla, Washington, was originally called Centerville. However, confusion about the name sometimes arose because Oregon had another Centerville, in Washington County, and the state of Washington had a Centerville, in Klickitat County. In 1889, local government officials asked the Centerville school principal, D. W. Jarvis, to recommend a different name. He chose Athena after the Greek goddess, and they agreed.