Browse Names - Behind the Name

Anat 1 f Semitic Mythology
Possibly derived from a Semitic root meaning "water spring". Anat was a goddess of fertility, hunting and war worshipped by the Semitic peoples of the Levant. She was the sister and consort of the god Hadad.

Anath 2 f Semitic Mythology (Hellenized)
Greek form of Anat 1.

Anatu f Semitic Mythology
Variant of Anat 1.

Asherah f Semitic Mythology
Perhaps derived from Semitic roots meaning "she who walks in the sea". This was the name of a Semitic mother goddess. She was worshipped by the Israelites before the advent of monotheism.

'Ashtart f Semitic Mythology
Phoenician form of Ashtoreth.

'Ashtoret f Biblical Hebrew, Semitic Mythology
Hebrew form of Ashtoreth.

Ashtoreth f Biblical, Semitic Mythology
From עַשְׁתֹרֶת ('Ashtoret), the Hebrew form of the name of a Phoenician goddess of love, war and fertility. Her name is cognate to that of the East Semitic goddess Ishtar.

Astarte f Semitic Mythology (Hellenized), Biblical Greek
Greek form of Ashtoreth.

Aya 3 f Semitic Mythology
Means "dawn" in Akkadian. In Akkadian mythology this was the name of the goddess of the dawn, associated with sexual appeal and beauty. She was the consort of the sun god Shamash. The Babylonians sometimes called her kallatum meaning "the bride".

Bau f Sumerian Mythology
Meaning unknown. This was the name of a Sumerian mother goddess, also associated with healing and midwifery.

Cybele f Near Eastern Mythology (Latinized)
Meaning unknown, possibly from Phrygian roots meaning either "stone" or "hair". This was the name of the Phrygian mother goddess associated with fertility and nature. She was later worshipped by the Greeks and Romans.

Ereshkigal f Sumerian Mythology
Means "lady of the great earth", from Sumerian 𒊩𒌆 (ereš) meaning "lady, queen" combined with 𒆠 (ki) meaning "earth" and 𒃲 (gal) meaning "great, big". In Sumerian mythology she was the goddess of death and the underworld.

Gula f Sumerian Mythology
Means "the great" in Sumerian. This may have originally been a title rather then a name. Gula was a Sumerian and Akkadian goddess of healing, medicine and midwifery. She was often depicted alongside dogs. In later periods she was equated with other healing goddesses such as Ninisina.

Inanna f Sumerian Mythology
Possibly derived from Sumerian nin-an-a(k) meaning "lady of the heavens", from 𒎏 (nin) meaning "lady" and the genitive form of 𒀭 (an) meaning "heaven, sky". Inanna was the Sumerian goddess of love, fertility and war. She descended into the underworld where the ruler of that place, her sister Ereshkigal, had her killed. The god Enki interceded, and Inanna was allowed to leave the underworld as long as her husband Dumuzi took her place.... [more]

Iqbi-Damiq f Semitic Mythology
Means "she said: it is good", derived from Akkadian qabû "to say" and damqu "good, fine". This was the name of a goddess worshipped in Kish and Ashur.

Ishtar f Semitic Mythology
From the Semitic root 'ṯtr, which possibly relates to the Evening Star. Ishtar was an Akkadian, Assyrian and Babylonian goddess who presided over love, war and fertility. She was cognate with the Canaanite and Phoenician Ashtoreth, and she was also identified with the Sumerian goddess Inanna. Her name in Akkadian cuneiform 𒀭𒈹 was the same as the Sumerian cuneiform for Inanna.

Ki f Sumerian Mythology
Means "earth" in Sumerian. This was the name of the Sumerian goddess of the earth, the consort of An.

Kittum f Semitic Mythology
From Akkadian kīttu meaning "truth", a derivative of kīnu "legitimate, true". This was the name of the Akkadian goddess of truth.

Kybele f Near Eastern Mythology (Hellenized)
Ancient Greek form of Cybele.

Lilith f Semitic Mythology, Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Derived from Akkadian lilitu meaning "of the night". This was the name of a demon in ancient Assyrian myths. In Jewish tradition she was Adam's first wife, sent out of Eden and replaced by Eve because she would not submit to him. The offspring of Adam (or Samael) and Lilith were the evil spirits of the world.

Nanaea f Semitic Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Nanaya.

Nanaia f Semitic Mythology (Hellenized)
Greek form of Nanaya.

Nanaya f Sumerian Mythology, Semitic Mythology
Meaning unknown, possibly related to Inanna. This was the name of a goddess worshipped by the Sumerians and Akkadians. She was later conflated with the goddesses Anahita and Aphrodite.

Ningal f Sumerian Mythology
Means "great lady", from Sumerian 𒎏 (nin) meaning "lady" and 𒃲 (gal) meaning "big, great". This was the name of a goddess of reeds in Sumerian mythology. She was the daughter of Enki and the wife of Nanna.

Ninhursag f Sumerian Mythology
Means "lady of the mountain", from Sumerian 𒎏 (nin) meaning "lady" and 𒉺𒂅 (hursaĝ) meaning "mountain". This was the name of the Sumerian mother and fertility goddess, the primary consort of Enki.

Ninisina f Sumerian Mythology
Means "lady of Isin", from Sumerian 𒎏 (nin) meaning "lady" combined with the name of the city-state of Isin. This was the name of a Sumerian goddess of healing, later conflated with Gula.

Ninlil f Sumerian Mythology, Semitic Mythology
Derived from Sumerian 𒎏 (nin) meaning "lady" and possibly 𒆤 (lil) meaning "wind". This was the name of a Sumerian, Akkadian and Babylonian goddess, the consort of Enlil.

Ninsumun f Sumerian Mythology
Variant of Ninsun.

Ninsun f Sumerian Mythology
From Sumerian nin-sumun-a(k) meaning "lady of the wild cow", derived from 𒎏 (nin) meaning "lady" and the genitive form of 𒄢 (sumun) meaning "wild cow". In Sumerian mythology Ninsun was the divine mother of Gilgamesh.

Nuha 2 f Semitic Mythology
Meaning unknown. This was the name of a pre-Islamic Arabian goddess of the sun, identified with Shams.

Shams f & m Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Semitic Mythology
Means "sun" in Arabic. This was the name of a pre-Islamic Arabian goddess of the sun, identified with the Akkadian sun god Shamash (whose name is related) and the northern Arabian goddess Nuha.

Tanis f Semitic Mythology (Hellenized)
Greek form of Tanith.

Tanit f Semitic Mythology
Variant of Tanith.

Tanith f Semitic Mythology
Meaning unknown. This was the name of the Phoenician goddess of love, fertility, the moon and the stars. She was particularly associated with the city of Carthage, being the consort of Ba'al Hammon.

Tiamat f Semitic Mythology
From Akkadian tâmtu meaning "sea". In Babylonian myth Tiamat was the personification of the sea, appearing in the form of a huge dragon. By Apsu she gave birth to the first of the gods. Later, the god Marduk (her great-grandson) defeated her, cut her in half, and used the pieces of her body to make the earth and the sky.

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