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.
AELIUS m Ancient RomanRoman family name that was possibly derived from the Greek word
‘ηλιος (helios) meaning "sun". This was the family name of the Roman emperor Hadrian.
AIBEK m Kazakh, KyrgyzDerived from Turkic
ay "moon" combined with the Turkish military title
beg meaning "chieftain, master".
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.
AN (2) m Sumerian MythologyMeans "heaven, sky" in Sumerian. An was the supreme Sumerian god of the heavens, the father of
Enlil and
Enki. His cuneiform sign
𒀭 (dingir) was prefixed to the names of other deities in writing, though it was not pronounced.
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.
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.
ARTHIT m ThaiMeans "sun" in Thai, derived from the name of the Hindu god
ADITYA.
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'.
AYELET f HebrewMeans "doe, female deer, gazelle". It is taken from the Hebrew phrase
אַיֶלֶת הַשַׁחַר ('ayelet hashachar), literally "gazelle of dawn", which is a name of the morning star.
AYSU f TurkishDerived from Turkish
ay meaning "moon" and
su meaning "water".
AYTAÇ m & f TurkishDerived from Turkish
ay meaning "moon" and
taç meaning "crown" (of Persian origin).
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).
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.
CASTOR m Greek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek name
Καστωρ (Kastor), possibly related to
κεκασμαι (kekasmai) meaning "to excel, to shine" (pluperfect
κεκαστο). Alternatively it could be derived from the Greek word
καστωρ (kastor) meaning "beaver", though the legends about Castor do not mention beavers, which were foreign animals to the Greeks. In Greek myth Castor was a son of
Zeus and the twin brother of
Pollux. The constellation Gemini, which represents the two brothers, contains a star by this name.
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.
CSILLA f HungarianDerived from Hungarian
csillag meaning "star". This name was created by the Hungarian author András Dugonics for an 1803 novel and later used and popularized by the poet Mihály Vörösmarty.
DARA (2) f & m KhmerMeans "star" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit.
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, Czech, 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.
EARTHA f EnglishCombination of the English word
earth with the feminine name suffix
a. It has been used in honour of African-American philanthropist Eartha M. M. White (1876-1974). Another famous bearer was American singer and actress Eartha Kitt (1927-2008).
ELAINE f English, Arthurian RomanceFrom an Old French form of
HELEN. It appears in Arthurian legend; in Thomas Malory's 15th-century compilation 'Le Morte d'Arthur' Elaine was the daughter of Pelleas, the lover of
Lancelot, and the mother of
Galahad. It was not commonly used as an English given name until after the appearance of Tennyson's Arthurian epic 'Idylls of the King' (1859).
ELANOR f LiteratureMeans "star sun" in Sindarin. In 'The Lord of the Rings' (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien this is Sam's eldest daughter, named after a type of flower.
ELEN f WelshWelsh form of
HELEN. This was the name of a 4th-century Welsh saint. It also appears in the Mabinogion, a collection of tales from Welsh myth, belonging to a woman who built the roads in Wales.
ELENA f Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovak, Lithuanian, Russian, Greek, German, English, Medieval SlavicForm of
HELEN used in various languages, as well as an alternate transcription of Russian
Елена (see
YELENA).
ELLEN (1) f EnglishMedieval English form of
HELEN. This was the usual spelling of the name until the 17th century, when
Helen became more common.
ELROND m LiteratureMeans "star dome" in Sindarin. In 'The Lord of the Rings' (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Elrond was the elven ruler of Rivendell.
ENHEDUANNA f AkkadianFrom Sumerian
En-hedu-anna, derived from
𒂗 (en) meaning "lady, high priestess" combined with
𒃶𒌌 (hedu) meaning "ornament" and the god's name
AN (2). This was the Sumerian title of a 23rd-century BC priestess and poet, identified as a daughter of
Sargon of Akkad. Presumably she had an Akkadian birth name, but it is unrecorded. She is regarded as one of the earliest known poets.
ESTELLA f EnglishLatinate form of
ESTELLE. This was the name of the heroine, Estella Havisham, in Charles Dickens' novel 'Great Expectations' (1860).
ESTELLE f English, FrenchFrom an Old French name that was derived from Latin
stella meaning "star". It was rare in the English-speaking world in the Middle Ages, but it was revived in the 19th century, perhaps due to the character Estella Havisham in Charles Dickens' novel 'Great Expectations' (1860).
ESTHER f English, French, Spanish, Dutch, German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Jewish, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekPossibly means "star" in Persian. Alternatively it could be a derivative of the name of the Near Eastern goddess
ISHTAR. The Book of Esther in the Old Testament tells the story of Queen Esther, the Jewish wife of the king of Persia. The king's advisor
Haman persuaded the king to exterminate all the Jews in the realm. Warned of this plot by her cousin
Mordecai, Esther revealed her Jewish ancestry and convinced the king to execute Haman instead. Her original Hebrew name was
Hadassah.
... [more] 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.
HALA f ArabicMeans "halo around the moon" in Arabic. This was the name of a sister-in-law of the Prophet
Muhammad.
HARU m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
陽 (haru) meaning "light, sun, male",
春 (haru) meaning "spring" or
晴 (haru) meaning "clear weather". Other kanji or kanji combinations can form this name as well.
HARUKI m JapaneseFrom Japanese
晴 (haru) meaning "clear weather" or
陽 (haru) meaning "light, sun, male" combined with
輝 (ki) meaning "brightness" or
生 (ki) meaning "living". Other kanji combinations are possible.
HARUKO f JapaneseFrom Japanese
春 (haru) meaning "spring" or
陽 (haru) meaning "light, sun, male" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other kanji combinations.
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.
HAUL m WelshMeans "sun" in Welsh. This is a modern Welsh name.
HEIRANI f TahitianFrom Tahitian
hei "crown, garland" and
rani "heaven, sky".
HELENA f German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Portuguese, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Finnish, Estonian, Slovene, Croatian, Sorbian, English, Ancient Greek (Latinized), Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinate form of
HELEN.
HELIOS m Greek MythologyMeans "sun" in Greek. This was the name of the young Greek sun god, a Titan, who rode across the sky each day in a chariot pulled by four horses. His sister was the moon goddess
Selene.
HINA f JapaneseFrom Japanese
陽 (hi) meaning "light, sun, male" or
日 (hi) meaning "sun, day" combined with
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens". Other kanji combinations are possible.
HINATA f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
日向 (hinata) meaning "sunny place",
陽向 (hinata) meaning "toward the sun", or a non-standard reading of
向日葵 (himawari) meaning "sunflower". Other kanji compounds are also possible. Because of the irregular readings, this name is often written using the hiragana writing system.
HIROTO m JapaneseFrom Japanese
大 (hiro) meaning "big, great" or
博 (hiro) meaning "command, esteem" combined with
人 (to) meaning "person",
翔 (to) meaning "soar, glide" or
斗 (to), which refers to a Chinese constellation. Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
HOKULANI f HawaiianMeans "heavenly star" from Hawaiian
hōkū "star" and
lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
HOSHI f JapaneseFrom Japanese
星 (hoshi) meaning "star" or other kanji with the same pronunciation.
HOSHIKO f JapaneseFrom Japanese
星 (hoshi) meaning "star" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
IAH m Egyptian MythologyMeans "moon" in Egyptian. In Egyptian mythology this was the name of a god of the moon, later identified with
Thoth.
ILEANA f Romanian, Spanish, ItalianPossibly a Romanian variant of
ELENA. In Romanian folklore this is the name of a princess kidnapped by monsters and rescued by a heroic knight.
İLKAY f & m TurkishMeans "new moon" in Turkish, derived from
ilk "first" and
ay "moon".
IL-SEONG m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
日 (il) meaning "sun, day" and
成 (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded". Other hanja character combinations are possible. A notable bearer was Kim Il-sung (1912-1994), the first leader of North Korea.
INANNA f Sumerian MythologyPossibly derived from Sumerian
nin-an-a(k) meaning "lady of the heavens", from
𒊩𒌆 (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] 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.
JERICHO m English (Modern)From the name of a city in Israel that 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.
KALANI m & f HawaiianMeans "the heavens" from Hawaiian
ka "the" and
lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
KALLISTO f Greek Mythology, Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
καλλιστος (kallistos) meaning "most beautiful", a derivative of
καλος (kalos) meaning "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.
KAMALANI f & m HawaiianMeans "heavenly child" or "royal child" from Hawaiian
kama "child" and
lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
KHURSHID m & f Persian, Urdu, Persian MythologyModern Persian form of Avestan
Hvare Khshaeta meaning "shining sun". In Zoroastrianism this was the name of a Yazata (or angel) who was associated with the sun.
LENA f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Polish, Russian, English, Italian, Portuguese, GreekShort form of names ending in
lena, such as
HELENA,
MAGDALENA or
YELENA.
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.
MARIS f English (Rare)Means "of the sea", taken from the Latin title of the Virgin
Mary,
Stella Maris, meaning "star of the sea".
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 and a metallic chemical element, both named for the god.
MIKU f JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with
空 (ku) meaning "sky" or
久 (ku) meaning "long time". It can also come from a nanori reading of
未来 (mirai) meaning "future". Other kanji combinations are possible as well.
MİRAY f TurkishMeaning unknown, possibly from an uncertain Persian element combined with Turkish
ay meaning "moon, month".
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.
NALANI f & m HawaiianMeans "the heavens" or "the chiefs" from Hawaiian
nā, a definite article, and
lani "heaven, sky, chief".
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.
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.
NOVA f EnglishDerived from Latin
novus meaning "new". It was first used as a name in the 19th century.
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) meaning "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 who was killed by a scorpion sent by the earth goddess
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.
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 Shakespearean character.
RA m Egyptian MythologyPossibly means "sun" in Egyptian. Ra was an important Egyptian sun god originally worshipped in Heliopolis in Lower Egypt. He was usually depicted as a man with the head of a falcon crowned with a solar disc. In later times his attributes were often merged with those of other deities, such as
Amon,
Atum and
Horus.
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.
RAVI m Hinduism, Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Odia, Gujarati, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, NepaliMeans "sun" in Sanskrit. Ravi is a Hindu god of the sun, sometimes equated with
Surya. A famous bearer was the musician Ravi Shankar (1920-2012).
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.
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 that have the same pronunciations.
SAMSON m Biblical, English, French, Biblical LatinFrom the Hebrew name
שִׁמְשׁוֹן (Shimshon), derived from
שֶׁמֶשׁ (shemesh) meaning "sun". Samson was an Old Testament hero granted exceptional strength by God. His mistress
Delilah betrayed him and cut his hair, stripping him of his power. Thus he was captured by the Philistines, blinded, and brought to their temple. However, in a final act of strength, he pulled down the pillars of the temple upon himself and his captors.
... [more] 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.
SAVITR m HinduismMeans "rouser, stimulator" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a Hindu sun god, sometimes identified with
Surya.
SAVITRI f Hinduism, Indian, Hindi, MarathiMeans "relating to the sun" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a hymn dedicated to Savitr, a Hindu sun god, and it is also the name of his daughter. It is borne by several other characters in Hindu epics, including a wife of
Brahma, a wife of
Shiva, and a daughter of Daksha. In the Hindu epic the 'Mahabharata' it is borne by King Satyavan's wife, who successfully pleas with Yama, the god of death, to restore her husband to life.
SELENE f Greek MythologyMeans "moon" in Greek. This was the name of a Greek goddess of the moon, a Titan. She was sometimes identified with the goddess
Artemis.
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.
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".
SITARA f UrduMeans "star" in Urdu, ultimately from Persian.
SOLEIL f VariousMeans "sun" in French. It is not commonly used as a name in France itself.
SOLFRID f NorwegianFrom the Old Norse elements
sól "sun" and
fríðr "beautiful". This name was apparently coined in the 19th century.
SOLVEIG f Norwegian, SwedishFrom an Old Norse name, which was derived from the elements
sól "sun" and
veig "strength". This is the name of the heroine in Henrik Ibsen's play 'Peer Gynt' (1876).
SORIN m RomanianPossibly derived from Romanian
soare meaning "sun".
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.