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 𐤏𐤔𐤕𐤓𐤕 f Semitic Mythology
Phoenician form of Ashtoreth.

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

Ashtoreth עַשְׁתֹרֶת, 𐤏𐤔𐤕𐤓𐤕 f Biblical, Semitic Mythology
From עַשְׁתֹרֶת (ʿAshṯoreṯ), 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".

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 𒀭𒈹 f Semitic Mythology
From the Semitic root ʿṯtr, 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.

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.

Lilith לילית 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 𒀭𒈾𒈾𒀀 f Semitic Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Nanaya.

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

Nanaya 𒀭𒈾𒈾𒀀 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.

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.

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 𐤕𐤍𐤕 f Semitic Mythology
Variant of Tanith.

Tanith 𐤕𐤍𐤕 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 𒀭𒋾𒊩𒆳, 𒀭𒌓𒌈 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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