ADHARA f AstronomyDerived from Arabic
عذارى ('adhara) meaning "maidens". This is the name of the second brightest star (after Sirius) in the constellation Canis Major.
AIBEK m Kazakh, KyrgyzDerived from Turkic
ay "moon" combined with the Turkish military title
beg meaning "chieftain, master".
ALAN m English, Scottish, Breton, FrenchThe meaning of this name is not known for certain. It was used in Brittany at least as early as the 6th century, and it possibly means either "little rock" or "handsome" in Breton. Alternatively, it may derive from the tribal name of the Alans, an Iranian people who migrated into Europe in the 4th and 5th centuries.
... [more] ALCYONE f Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Αλκυονη (Alkyone), derived from the word
αλκυων (alkyon) meaning "kingfisher". In Greek myth this name belonged to a daughter of Aeolus and the wife of Ceyx. After her husband was killed in a shipwreck she threw herself into the water, but the gods saved her and turned them both into kingfishers. This is also the name of the brightest of the Pleiades, the seven stars in the constellation Taurus.
ALUDRA f AstronomyDerived from Arabic
العذرا (al-'adhra) meaning "the maiden". This is the name of a star in the constellation Canis Major.
ANDROMEDA f Greek MythologyMeans "to be mindful of a man" from the Greek element
ανηρ (aner) "man" (genitive
ανδρος) combined with
μεδομαι (medomai) "to be mindful of". In Greek mythology Andromeda was an Ethiopian princess rescued from sacrifice by the hero
Perseus. A constellation in the northern sky is named for her. This is also the name of a nearby galaxy, given because it resides (from our point of view) within the constellation.
ARIANRHOD f Welsh, Welsh MythologyPossibly means "silver wheel" or "round wheel" in Welsh. In Welsh myth Arianrhod was the mother of the brothers
Dylan and
Lleu Llaw Gyffes. In earlier myths she was a goddess of the moon.
ARIES m Roman MythologyMeans "ram" in Latin. This is the name of a constellation and the first sign of the zodiac. Some Roman legends state that the ram in the constellation was the one who supplied the Golden Fleece sought by
Jason.
ARISTA f AstronomyMeans "ear of corn" in Latin. This is the name of a star, also known as Spica, in the constellation Virgo.
ASTRAEA f Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek
Αστραια (Astraia), derived from Greek
αστηρ (aster) meaning "star". Astraea was a Greek goddess of justice and innocence. After wickedness took root in the world she left the earth and became the constellation Virgo.
ASTROPHEL m LiteratureProbably intended to mean "star lover", from Greek
αστηρ (aster) "star" and
φιλος (philos) "lover, friend". This name was first used by the 16th-century poet Sir Philip Sidney in his collection of sonnets 'Astrophel and Stella'.
AYSU f TurkishDerived from Turkish
ay meaning "moon" and
su meaning "water".
BAHRAM m Persian, Persian MythologyModern Persian form of Avestan
Verethragna meaning "victory over resistance". This was the name of a Zoroastrian god (one of the Amesha Spenta) associated with victory and war. This name was borne by several Sassanid emperors. It is also the Persian name for the planet Mars.
BAŞAK f TurkishMeans "ear of wheat" in Turkish. This is also the Turkish name for the constellation Virgo.
BELLATRIX f AstronomyMeans "female warrior" in Latin. This is the name of the star that marks the left shoulder of the constellation Orion.
BETELGEUSE m AstronomyThe name of the star that marks the right shoulder of the constellation Orion. It is derived from Arabic
يد الجوزا (yad al-Jawza) meaning "the hand of Jawza".
جوزا (Jawza) meaning "central one" was the old Arabic name for the constellation Orion (also for Gemini).
BHASKARA m HinduismMeans "shining", derived from a combination of Sanskrit
भास (bhasa) meaning "light" and
कर (kara) meaning "maker". This is another name of the sun and the Hindu god
Shiva. It was additionally borne by a 12th-century Indian astronomer, also known as Bhaskaracharya.
CARINA (1) f English, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Late RomanLate Latin name derived from
cara meaning "dear, beloved". This was the name of a 4th-century saint and martyr. It is also the name of a constellation in the southern sky, though in this case it means "keel" in Latin, referring to a part of
Jason's ship the Argo.
CARL m German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, EnglishGerman form of
CHARLES. Two noteworthy bearers of the name were the German mathematician Carl Gauss (1777-1855), who made contributions to number theory and algebra as well as physics and astronomy, and the Swiss psychologist Carl Jung (1875-1961), who founded analytical psychology. It was imported to America in the 19th century by German immigrants.
CASSIOPEIA f Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Κασσιοπεια (Kassiopeia) or
Κασσιεπεια (Kassiepeia), possibly meaning "cassia juice". In Greek myth Cassiopeia was the wife of Cepheus and the mother of Andromeda. She was changed into a constellation and placed in the northern sky after she died.
CEPHEUS m Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek
Κηφευς (Kepheus), which is of unknown meaning. In Greek legend he was a king of Ethiopia, the husband of Cassiopeia. After he died he was made into a constellation and placed in the sky.
CHAN m & f KhmerMeans "moon" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit.
CHANDRA m & f Hinduism, Bengali, Indian, Assamese, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, NepaliMeans "moon" in Sanskrit, derived from
चन्द (chand) meaning "to shine". This is a transcription of the masculine form
चण्ड (a name of the moon in Hindu texts which is often personified as a deity) as well as the feminine form
चण्डा.
CHEN (1) m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
晨 (chén) or
辰 (chén) which both mean "morning". The character
辰 also refers to the fifth Earthly Branch (7 AM to 9 AM) which is itself associated with the dragon of the Chinese zodiac. This name can be formed from other characters as well.
CYNTHIA f English, Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Κυνθια (Kynthia) which means "woman from Kynthos". This was an epithet of the Greek moon goddess
Artemis, given because Kynthos was the mountain on Delos on which she and her twin brother
Apollo were born. It was not used as a given name until the Renaissance, and it did not become common in the English-speaking world until the 19th century.
DEIMOS m Greek MythologyMeans "terror" in Greek. This was one of the sons of the Greek god
Ares. Also, a moon of Mars bears this name.
DENEB m AstronomyDerived from Arabic
ذنب (dhanab) meaning "tail". This is the name of a star in the constellation Cygnus.
DIANA f English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Catalan, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Russian, Bulgarian, Lithuanian, Polish, Roman MythologyProbably derived from an old Indo-European root meaning "heavenly, divine", related to
dyeus (see
ZEUS). Diana was a Roman goddess of the moon, hunting, forests, and childbirth, often identified with the Greek goddess
Artemis.
... [more] DRACO m Ancient Greek (Latinized)From the Greek name
Δρακων (Drakon) which meant "dragon, serpent". This was the name of a 7th-century BC Athenian legislator. This is also the name of a constellation in the northern sky.
EDMOND m FrenchFrench form of
EDMUND. A notable bearer was the English astronomer Edmond Halley (1656-1742), for whom Halley's comet is named.
EDWIN m English, DutchMeans "rich friend" from the Old English elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
wine "friend". This was the name of a 7th-century Northumbrian king, regarded as a saint. After the Norman conquest the name was not popular, but it was eventually revived in the 19th century. A notable bearer was the astronaut Edwin Aldrin (1930-), also known as Buzz, the second man to walk on the moon.
ENDYMION m Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
ενδυειν (endyein) meaning "to dive into, to enter". In Greek mythology he was an Aeolian mortal loved by the moon goddess
Selene, who asked
Zeus to grant him eternal life. Zeus complied by putting him into an eternal sleep in a cave on Mount Latmos.
EUROPA f Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Ευρωπη (Europe), which meant "wide face" from
ευρυς (eurys) "wide" and
ωψ (ops) "face, eye". In Greek mythology Europa was a Phoenician princess who was abducted and taken to Crete by
Zeus in the guise of a bull. She became the first queen of Crete, and later fathered
Minos by Zeus. The continent of Europe is named for her. This is also the name of a moon of Jupiter.
GEMINI m Roman MythologyMeans "twins" in Latin. This is the name of the third sign of the zodiac. The two brightest stars in the constellation,
Castor and
Pollux, are named for the mythological twin sons of
Leda.
GLENN m Scottish, EnglishFrom a Scottish surname which was derived from Gaelic
gleann "valley". A famous bearer of the surname was American astronaut John Glenn (1921-2016).
HALA f ArabicMeans "halo around the moon" in Arabic. This was the name of a sister-in-law of the Prophet
Muhammad.
HARUTO m JapaneseFrom Japanese
陽 (haru) meaning "light, sun, male",
遥 (haru) meaning "distant, remote" or
晴 (haru) meaning "clear weather" combined with
斗 (to), which refers to a Chinese constellation, or
翔 (to) meaning "soar, fly". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
HERSHEL m Yiddish, AmericanYiddish diminutive of
HERSH. As a non-Jewish American name (somewhat common around the end of the 19th century), it was likely inspired by the German surname
HERSCHEL, borne for instance by the British astronomer William Herschel (1738-1822).
HESPEROS m Ancient GreekMeans "evening" in Greek. This was the name of the personification of the Evening Star (the planet Venus) in Greek mythology.
HIROTO m JapaneseFrom Japanese
大 (hiro) meaning "big, great" or
博 (hiro) meaning "command, esteem" combined with
翔 (to) meaning "soar, glide" or
斗 (to), which refers to a Chinese constellation. Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
HYPERION m Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
‘υπερ (hyper) "over". In Greek myth this was the name of a Titan who presided over the sun and light. By Theia he was the father of the sun god Helios, the moon goddess Selene, and the dawn goddess Eos.
IAH m Egyptian MythologyMeans "moon" in Egyptian. In Egyptian mythology this was the name of a god of the moon, later identified with
Thoth.
İLKAY f & m TurkishMeans "new moon" in Turkish, derived from
ilk "first" and
ay "moon".
INDU f Indian, HindiMeans "bright drop" in Sanskrit. This is a name for the moon.
IO f Greek MythologyMeaning unknown. In Greek mythology Io was a princess loved by
Zeus, who changed her into a heifer in order to hide her from
Hera. A moon of Jupiter bears this name in her honour.
IXCHEL f Mayan Mythology, Native American, MayanMeans "rainbow lady" in Mayan. Ixchel was the Maya goddess of the earth, the moon, and medicine. She was often depicted with a snake in her hair and crossbones embroidered on her skirt.
IZANAGI m Far Eastern MythologyMeans "male who invites" in Japanese. In Japanese mythology the god Izanagi was the husband of
Izanami. When she died he unsuccessfully journeyed to the underworld to retrieve her. In the purifying rites that followed his return the gods of the sun, moon and wind were created.
JERICHO m BiblicalFrom the name of a city in Israel which is mentioned several times in the Old Testament. The meaning of the city's name is uncertain, but it may be related to the Hebrew word
יָרֵחַ (yareach) meaning "moon", or otherwise to the Hebrew word
רֵיחַ (reyach) meaning "fragrant".
JUPITER m Roman Mythology (Anglicized)From Latin
Iuppiter, which was ultimately derived from the Indo-European *
Dyeu-pater, composed of the elements
Dyeus (see
ZEUS) and
pater "father". Jupiter was the supreme god in Roman mythology. He presided over the heavens and light, and was responsible for the protection and laws of the Roman state. This is also the name of the fifth and largest planet in the solar system.
KAITO m JapaneseFrom Japanese
海 (kai) meaning "sea, ocean" combined with
斗 (to), which refers to a Chinese constellation, or
翔 (to) meaning "soar, fly". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
KALLISTO f Greek Mythology, Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
καλλιστος (kallistos) meaning "most beautiful", a derivative of
καλος (kalos) "beautiful". In Greek mythology Kallisto was a nymph who was loved by
Zeus. She was changed into a she-bear by
Hera, and subsequently became the Great Bear constellation. This was also an ancient Greek personal name.
KARTIKEYA m HinduismFrom Sanskrit
कृत्तिका (krittika), the name for the constellation of the Pleiades, ultimately from
कृत् (krit) meaning "to cut, to divide". This is another name for the Hindu god
Skanda.
LEO m German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, English, Croatian, Late RomanDerived from Latin
leo meaning "lion", a cognate of
LEON. It was popular among early Christians and was the name of 13 popes, including Saint Leo the Great who asserted the dominance of the Roman bishops (the popes) over all others in the 5th century. It was also borne by six Byzantine emperors and five Armenian kings. Another famous bearer was Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910), a Russian novelist whose works include 'War and Peace' and 'Anna Karenina'. Leo is also the name of a constellation and the fifth sign of the zodiac.
LYRA f AstronomyThe name of the constellation in the northern sky containing the star Vega. It is said to be shaped after the lyre of Orpheus.
MARAMA f Polynesian MythologyMeans "moon" in Maori. In Maori and other Polynesian mythology she was the goddess of the moon and death.
MARS m Roman MythologyPossibly related to Latin
mas "male" (genitive
maris). In Roman mythology Mars was the god of war, often equated with the Greek god
Ares. This is also the name of the fourth planet in the solar system.
MERCURY m Roman Mythology (Anglicized)From the Latin
Mercurius, probably derived from Latin
mercari "to trade" or
merces "wages". This was the name of the Roman god of trade, merchants, and travellers, later equated with the Greek god
Hermes. This is also the name of the first planet in the solar system.
MESHACH m BiblicalPossibly means "who is what Aku is?" in Akkadian,
Aku being the name of the Babylonian god of the moon. In the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament this is the Babylonian name of Mishael, one of the three men cast into a blazing furnace but saved from harm by God.
MICHEL m French, German, DutchFrench form of
MICHAEL. Michel de Notredame, also known as Nostradamus, was the 16th-century French astrologer who made predictions about future world events. This is also the German diminutive form of
MICHAEL.
MONDAY f English (Rare)From the English word for the day of the week, which was derived from Old English
mona "moon" and
dæg "day". This was formerly given to girls born on Monday.
NAHID f PersianModern Persian form of
ANAHITA. This is also the Persian name for the planet Venus.
NATSUKI f JapaneseFrom Japanese
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens" and
月 (tsuki) meaning "moon". Alternatively, it can come from
夏 (natsu) meaning "summer" and
希 (ki) meaning "hope". Other kanji combinations can form this name as well.
NEIL m Irish, Scottish, EnglishFrom the Gaelic name
Niall, which is of disputed origin, possibly meaning "champion" or "cloud". This was the name of a semi-legendary 4th-century Irish king, Niall of the Nine Hostages.
... [more] NEPTUNE m Roman Mythology (Anglicized)From the Latin
Neptunus, which is of unknown meaning, possibly related to the Indo-European root *
nebh "wet, damp, clouds". Neptune was the god of the sea in Roman mythology, approximately equivalent to the Greek god
Poseidon. This is also the name of the eighth planet in the solar system.
NURAY f TurkishMeans "bright moon" in Turkish, ultimately from Arabic
نور (nur) meaning "light" and Turkic
ay meaning "moon".
OBERON m LiteratureVariant of
AUBERON. Oberon was the king of the fairies in Shakespeare's comedy 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' (1595). A moon of Uranus bears this name in his honour.
OPHIUCHUS m AstronomyLatinized form of Greek
Οφιουχος (Ophiouchos) meaning "serpent bearer". This is the name of an equatorial constellation that depicts the god Asklepios holding a snake.
ORION m Greek MythologyMeaning unknown, but possibly related to Greek
‘οριον (horion) "boundary, limit". Alternatively it may be derived from Akkadian
Uru-anna meaning "light of the heavens". This is the name of a constellation, which gets its name from a legendary Greek hunter killed by a scorpion sent by
Gaia.
OURANIA f Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
ουρανιος (ouranios) meaning "heavenly". In Greek mythology she was the goddess of astronomy and astrology, one of the nine Muses.
PARVIN f Persian, AzerbaijaniMeans "the Pleiades" in Persian. The Pleiades are a group of seven stars in the constellation Taurus.
PEGASUS m Greek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek
Πηγασος (Pegasos), possibly either from
πηγος (pegos) "strong" or
πηγαιος (pegaios) "from a water spring". In Greek mythology Pegasus was the winged horse that sprang from the blood of Medusa after she was killed by
Perseus. There is a constellation in the northern sky named after the horse.
PHOEBE f English, Greek Mythology (Latinized), Biblical, Biblical LatinLatinized form of the Greek name
Φοιβη (Phoibe), which meant "bright, pure" from Greek
φοιβος (phoibos). In Greek mythology Phoibe was a Titan associated with the moon. This was also an epithet of her granddaughter, the moon goddess
Artemis. The name appears in
Paul's epistle to the Romans in the New Testament, where it belongs to a female minister in the church at Cenchreae. In England, it began to be used as a given name after the Protestant Reformation. A moon of Saturn bears this name (in honour of the Titan).
PORTIA f EnglishVariant of
Porcia, the feminine form of the Roman family name
PORCIUS, used by William Shakespeare for the heroine of his play 'The Merchant of Venice' (1596). In the play Portia is a woman who disguises herself as a man in order to defend
Antonio in court. It is also the name of a moon of Uranus, after the Shakespearian character.
PTOLEMY m HistoryFrom the Greek name
Πτολεμαιος (Ptolemaios), derived from Greek
πολεμηιος (polemeios) meaning "aggressive, warlike". Ptolemy was the name of several Greco-Egyptian rulers of Egypt, all descendants of Ptolemy I, one of the generals of Alexander the Great. This was also the name of a Greek astronomer.
RAJNISH m Indian, HindiMeans "lord of the night" from Sanskrit
रजनि (rajani) meaning "night" and
ईश (isha) meaning "lord, ruler". This is another name for the moon in Hindu texts.
REGULUS m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen meaning "prince, little king", a diminutive of Latin
rex "king". This was the cognomen of several 3rd-century BC consuls from the gens Atilia. It was also the name of several early saints. A star in the constellation Leo bears this name as well.
RHIANNON f Welsh, English, Welsh MythologyProbably derived from the old Celtic name
Rigantona meaning "great queen". It is speculated that this was the name of an otherwise unattested Celtic goddess of fertility and the moon. The name
Rhiannon appears later in Welsh legend in the Mabinogion, borne by the wife of
Pwyll and the mother of
Pryderi.
... [more] RIGEL m AstronomyDerived from Arabic
الرجل (al-Rijl) meaning "foot". This is the name of the star that forms the left foot of the constellation Orion.
RIKUTO m JapaneseFrom Japanese
陸 (riku) meaning "land" combined with
斗 (to), which refers to a Chinese constellation, or
人 (to) meaning "person", as well as other combinations of kanji which have the same pronunciations.
SATURN m Roman Mythology (Anglicized)From the Latin
Saturnus, which is of unknown meaning. In Roman mythology he was the father of
Jupiter,
Juno and others, and was also the god of agriculture. This is also the name of the ringed sixth planet in the solar system.
SEONG-JIN m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
成 (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" or
星 (seong) meaning "star, planet" combined with
鎭 (jin) meaning "town, marketplace" or
震 (jin) meaning "shake, tremor, excite". Other hanja character combinations are also possible.
SHADRACH m BiblicalMeans "command of Aku" in Akkadian,
Aku being the name of the Babylonian god of the moon. In the Old Testament Shadrach is the Babylonian name of
Hananiah, one of the three men cast into a fiery furnace but saved by God.
SHANI (2) m HinduismFrom the Sanskrit name of the planet Saturn. This is the name of a celestial Hindu god.
SIRIUS m AstronomyThe name of a bright star in the constellation Canis Major, derived via Latin from Greek
σειριος (seirios) "burning".
SOSIGENES m Ancient GreekMeans "born safely" from Greek
σως (sos) "safe, whole, unwounded" and
γενης (genes) "born". This was the name of an astronomer from Alexandria employed by Julius Caesar to correct the Roman calendar.
STELLA (1) f English, Italian, Dutch, GermanMeans "star" in Latin. This name was created by the 16th-century poet Sir Philip Sidney for the subject of his collection of sonnets 'Astrophel and Stella'. It was a nickname of a lover of Jonathan Swift, real name Esther Johnson (1681-1728), though it was not commonly used as a given name until the 19th century. It appears in Tennessee Williams' play 'A Streetcar Named Desire' (1947), belonging to the sister of Blanche DuBois and the wife of Stanley Kowalski.
SUHA f ArabicMeans "forgotten, overlooked" in Arabic.
Al-Suha (also called
Alcor) is the name of a star in the constellation Ursa Major.
TANITH f Near Eastern MythologyDerived from Semitic roots meaning "serpent lady". This was the name of the Phoenician goddess of love, fertility, the moon and the stars.
TARA (2) f Hinduism, Indian, Hindi, NepaliMeans "star" in Sanskrit. Tara is the name of a Hindu astral goddess, the wife of Brhaspati. She was abducted by Soma, a god of the moon, leading to a great war that was only ended when
Brahma intervened and released her. This is also the name of a Buddhist deity (a female Buddha).
THEIA f Greek MythologyPossibly derived from Greek
θεα (thea) meaning "goddess". In Greek myth this was the name of a Titan goddess of sight, glittering and glory. She was the wife of Hyperion and the mother of the sun god Helios, the moon goddess Selene, and the dawn goddess Eos.
THOTH m Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)Greek form of Egyptian
Djhwty (reconstructed as
Djehuti), which is of uncertain meaning. In Egyptian mythology Thoth was the god of the moon, science, magic, speech and writing. He was often depicted as a man with the head of an ibis.
THURAYYA f ArabicMeans "the Pleiades" in Arabic. The Pleiades are a group of seven stars in the constellation Taurus.
TITANIA f LiteraturePerhaps based on Latin
Titanius meaning "of the Titans". This name was (first?) used by Shakespeare in his comedy 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' (1595) where it is the name of queen of the fairies. This is also a moon of Uranus, named after the Shakespearian character.
TSUKIKO f JapaneseFrom Japanese
月 (tsuki) meaning "moon" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji are possible.
TYCHO m Danish, DutchLatinized form of
TYGE. This name was borne by the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546-1601).
TYGE m DanishDanish form of
Tóki, an Old Norse diminutive of names containing the element
Þórr, from the name of the Norse god
THOR. This was the native name of the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546-1601).
URANUS m Greek Mythology (Latinized)From Greek
Ουρανος (Ouranos), the name of the husband of
Gaia and the father of the Titans in Greek mythology. His name is derived from
ουρανος (ouranos) meaning "the heavens". This is also the name of the seventh planet in the solar system.
URSA f Late RomanFeminine form of
URSUS. This is the name of two constellations in the northern sky: Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.
USAGI f Popular CultureMeans "rabbit" in Japanese. This name was used on the Japanese television show 'Sailor Moon', which first aired in the 1990s.
VEGA f AstronomyThe name of a star in the constellation Lyra. Its name is from Arabic
الواقع (al-Waqi') meaning "the swooping (eagle)".
VENUS f Roman MythologyMeans "love, sexual desire" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman goddess of love and sex. Her character was assimilated with that of the Greek goddess
Aphrodite. As the mother of
Aeneas she was considered an ancestor of the Roman people. The second planet from the sun is named after her.
YUNUEN m & f Native American, MayanPossibly means "half moon" in Mayan. This is the name of an island on Lake Pátzcuaro in Mexico.
YUUTO m JapaneseFrom Japanese
優 (yuu) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" or
悠 (yuu) meaning "distant, leisurely" combined with
斗 (to), which refers to a Chinese constellation,
人 (to) meaning "person" or
翔 (to) meaning "soar, fly". Other kanji combinations are possible.