Names Categorized "light"

ABNER   m   English, Biblical, Biblical Latin
Means "my father is a light" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament, Abner was a cousin of Saul and the commander of his army. After he killed Asahel he was himself slain by Asahel's brother Joab. It has been used as an English Christian given name since the Protestant Reformation. It was popular with the Puritans, who brought it to America in the 17th century.

ACHIENG   f   Eastern African, Luo
Feminine form of OCHIENG.

ADHARA   f   Astronomy
Derived 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 Roman
Roman family name which was possibly derived from the Greek word ‘ηλιος (helios) meaning "sun". This was the family name of the Roman emperor Hadrian.

AGIM   m   Albanian
Means "dawn" in Albanian.

ÁINE   f   Irish
Means "radiance" in Gaelic. This was the name of the queen of the fairies in Celtic mythology. It is also taken as an Irish form of Anne.

AKEMI   f   Japanese
From Japanese 明 (ake) meaning "bright" and 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other kanji combinations are possible.

AKI (2)   f   Japanese
From Japanese 晶 (aki) meaning "clear, crystal", 明 (aki) meaning "bright" or 秋 (aki) meaning "autumn". It can also come from 亜 (a) meaning "second, Asia" combined with 希 (ki) meaning "hope". Other kanji or combinations of kanji can form this name too.

AKIKO   f   Japanese
From Japanese 晶 (aki) meaning "clear, crystal", 明 (aki) meaning "bright" or 秋 (aki) meaning "autumn" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji characters are possible.

AKIO   m   Japanese
From Japanese 昭 (aki) meaning "bright, luminous" combined with 夫 (o) meaning "man, husband", 男 (o) meaning "male" or 雄 (o) meaning "hero, manly". Other kanji combinations are possible.

AKIRA   m & f   Japanese
From Japanese 昭 (akira) meaning "bright", 明 (akira) meaning "bright" or 亮 (akira) meaning "clear". Other kanji with the same pronunciation can also form this name.

ALBA (1)   f   Italian, Spanish, Catalan
This name is derived from two distinct names, ALBA (2) and ALBA (3), with distinct origins, Latin and Germanic. Over time these names have become confused with one another. To further complicate the matter, alba means "dawn" in Italian, Spanish and Catalan. This may be the main inspiration behind its use in Italy and Spain.

ALBERT   m   English, French, Catalan, German, Polish, Russian, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Romanian, Hungarian, Ancient Germanic
From the Germanic name Adalbert, which was composed of the elements adal "noble" and beraht "bright". This name was common among medieval German royalty. The Normans introduced it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate Æðelberht. Though it became rare in England by the 17th century, it was repopularized in the 19th century by the German-born Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria.... [more]

ALBUS   m   Ancient Roman
Roman cognomen meaning "white, bright" in Latin.

ALENA   f   German, Czech, Slovak, Slovene
Short form of MAGDALENA or HELENA.

ALENKA   f   Slovene
Slovene diminutive of ALENA.

ALTAN   m   Turkish
Means "red dawn" in Turkish.

ALYONA   f   Russian
Originally a Russian diminutive of YELENA. It is now used independently.

ANATOLIUS   m   Ancient Greek (Latinized)
From the Greek Ανατολιος (Anatolios), derived from ανατολη (anatole) meaning "sunrise". Saint Anatolius was a 3rd-century philosopher from Alexandria.

ANATOLIY   m   Russian, Ukrainian
Russian and Ukrainian form of ANATOLIUS.

ANTIMAN   m   Native American, Mapuche
Means "condor of the sun" in Mapuche.

ANWAR   m   Arabic
Means "brighter, more luminous" in Arabic. This name was borne by Egyptian president Anwar Sadat (1918-1981), who was assassinated three years after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

AOIBHEANN   f   Irish
Means "beautiful sheen" in Irish Gaelic. This was the name of the mother of Saint Enda. It was also borne by Irish royalty.

ASHRAQAT   f   Arabic
Means "brightness" in Arabic.

ASHWIN   m   Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada
From Sanskrit अश्विन् (ashvin) meaning "possessed of horses". The Ashvins are twin Hindu gods of the sunrise and sunset.

ASTROPHEL   m   Literature
Probably 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'.

AURA   f   English, Italian, Spanish, Finnish
From the word aura (derived from Latin, ultimately from Greek αυρα meaning "breeze") for a distinctive atmosphere or illumination.

AUREOLE   f   English (Rare)
From the English word meaning "radiant halo", ultimately derived from Latin aureolus "golden".

AURORA   f   Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, English, German, Romanian, Finnish, Roman Mythology
Means "dawn" in Latin. Aurora was the Roman goddess of the morning. It has occasionally been used as a given name since the Renaissance.

AUŠRA   f   Lithuanian
Means "dawn" in Lithuanian.

AVTANDIL   m   Georgian, Literature
Created by the Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli for his 12th-century epic 'The Knight in the Panther's Skin'. Rustaveli based it on Persian آفتاب (aftab) "sunshine" and دل (dil) "heart". In the poem Avtandil is a knight who is sent by Tinatin to search for the mysterious knight of the title.

AYELET   f   Hebrew
Means "gazelle, hind". It is taken from the Hebrew phrase אַיֶלֶת הַשַׁחַר ('ayelet hashachar), literally "gazelle of dawn", which is a name of the morning star.

AYLİN   f   Turkish, Azerbaijani
Means "of the moon" in Turkish and Azerbaijani, from Turkic ay "moon".

AYNUR   f   Turkish, Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Uyghur
Means "moon light" in Turkish, Azerbaijani, Kazakh and Uyghur, ultimately from Turkic ay meaning "moon" and Arabic نور (nur) meaning "light".

AZHAR   m   Arabic, Urdu
Means "shining, bright" in Arabic.

BAST   f   Egyptian Mythology
Possibly means "fire, heat" or "ointment jar" in Egyptian. In Egyptian mythology Bast was a goddess of cats, fertility and the sun who was considered a protector of Lower Egypt. She was often depicted with the head of a lioness or a house cat. As her role in the Egyptian pantheon diminished, she was called Bastet.

BELENUS   m   Celtic Mythology
Probably from a Celtic word meaning "bright, brilliant". This was the name of a Gaulish solar god who was often equated with Apollo.

BELPHOEBE   f   Literature
Combination of belle "beautiful" and the name PHOEBE. This name was first used by Edmund Spenser in his poem 'The Faerie Queene' (1590).

BERAHTHRABAN   m   Ancient Germanic
Old Germanic form of BERTRAM, using an extended form of the second element.

BERAHTHRAM   m   Ancient Germanic
Old Germanic form of BERTRAM.

BERGLJOT   f   Norwegian
From the Old Norse name Bergljót, which was composed of the elements berg "protection, help" and ljótr "light".

BERT   m   English, German, Dutch
Short form of ALBERT and other names containing the element bert, often derived from the Germanic element beraht meaning "bright".

BERTHA   f   German, English, Ancient Germanic
Originally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element beraht meaning "bright, famous". It was borne by the mother of Charlemagne in the 8th century, and it was popularized in England by the Normans. It died out as an English name after the Middle Ages, but was revived in the 19th century. The name also appears in southern Germanic legends (often spelled Perchta or Berchta) belonging to a goddess of animals and weaving.

BERTRAM   m   English, German, Ancient Germanic
Means "bright raven", derived from the Germanic element beraht "bright" combined with hramn "raven". The Normans introduced this name to England. Shakespeare used it in his play 'All's Well That Ends Well' (1603).

BERTRAND   m   French, English, Ancient Germanic
Derived from the Germanic elements beraht meaning "bright" and rand meaning "rim (of a shield)". From an early date it has been confused with BERTRAM and the two names have merged to some degree. A famous bearer was English philosopher Bertrand Russell (1872-1970).

BERTRANDO   m   Italian
Italian form of BERTRAND.

CANDE   f & m   Spanish
Short form of CANDELARIA or CANDELARIO.

CANDELA   f   Spanish
Short form of CANDELARIA.

CANDELARIO   m   Spanish
Masculine form of CANDELARIA.

CANDELAS   f   Spanish
Diminutive of CANDELARIA.

CASSANDRA   f   English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, German, Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From the Greek name Κασσανδρα (Kassandra), derived from possibly κεκασμαι (kekasmai) "to excel, to shine" and ανηρ (aner) "man" (genitive ανδρος). In Greek myth Cassandra was a Trojan princess, the daughter of Priam and Hecuba. She was given the gift of prophecy by Apollo, but when she spurned his advances he cursed her so nobody would believe her prophecies.... [more]

CASTOR   m   Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From the Greek name Καστωρ (Kastor), possibly related to κεκασμαι (kekasmai) meaning "to excel, to shine" (pluperfect κεκαστο). 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.

CHANDER   m   Indian, Hindi
Variant transcription of CHANDRA.

CHANDLER   m   English
From an occupational surname which meant "candle seller" in Middle English, ultimately from Old French.

CHANDRA   m & f   Hinduism, Bengali, Indian, Assamese, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Nepali
Means "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.

CLARA   f   Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Romanian, English, Swedish, Danish, Late Roman
Feminine form of the Late Latin name Clarus which meant "clear, bright, famous". The name Clarus was borne by a few early saints. The feminine form was popularized by the 13th-century Saint Clare of Assisi (called Chiara in Italian), a friend and follower of Saint Francis, who left her wealthy family to found the order of nuns known as the Poor Clares. As an English name it has been in use since the Middle Ages, originally in the form Clare, though the Latinate spelling Clara became more popular in the 19th century.

CUTHBERT   m   English (Rare)
Derived from the Old English elements cuþ "famous" and beorht "bright". Saint Cuthbert was a 6th-century hermit who became the bishop of Lindisfarne, an island off the coast of England. He was known as performer of healing miracles. Because of the saint, this name remained in use in England even after the Norman conquest. It became rare after the Protestant Reformation, but it was (briefly) revived in the 19th century.

DAIKI   m   Japanese
From Japanese 大 (dai) meaning "big, great" combined with 輝 (ki) meaning "brightness", 樹 (ki) meaning "tree" or 貴 (ki) meaning "valuable". Other combinations of kanji can also form this name.

DARA (2)   f & m   Khmer
Means "star" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit.

DIAN   m & f   Indonesian
Means "candle" in Indonesian.

ELAINE   f   English, Arthurian Romance
From 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   Literature
Means "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   Welsh
Welsh 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, Medieval Slavic
Cognate of HELEN, and a variant transcription of Russian YELENA.

ELENE   f   Georgian, Sardinian
Georgian and Sardinian form of HELEN.

ELENI   f   Greek
Modern Greek form of HELEN.

ELIINA   f   Finnish
Finnish form of HELEN.

ELIN   f   Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Welsh
Scandinavian and Welsh form of HELEN.

ELĪNA   f   Latvian
Latvian form of HELEN.

ELINA   f   Finnish, Swedish
Finnish and Swedish form of HELEN.

ELIOR   m   Hebrew
Means "my God is my light" in Hebrew.

ELIORA   f   Hebrew
Feminine form of ELIOR.

ELLEN (1)   f   English
Medieval English form of HELEN. This was the usual spelling of the name until the 17th century, when Helen became more common.

ELOISE   f   English
From the Old French name Héloïse, which is probably from the Germanic name Helewidis, composed of the elements heil "hale, healthy" and wid "wide". It is sometimes associated with the Greek word ‘ηλιος (helios) "sun" or the name Louise, though there is not likely an etymological connection. This name was borne in the 12th century by Saint Eloise, the wife of the French theologian Peter Abelard. She became a nun after her husband was castrated by her uncle.... [more]

ENDRIT   m   Albanian
From Albanian dritë meaning "light".

EOS   f   Greek Mythology
Means "dawn" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess of the dawn.

ERLANTZ   m   Basque
Means "glow, shine" in Basque.

ESTRELLA   f   Spanish
Spanish form of STELLA (1), coinciding with the Spanish word meaning "star".

EUCLID   m   Ancient Greek (Anglicized)
From the Greek name Ευκλειδης (Eukleides), derived from Greek ευ (eu) "good" and κλεος (kleos) "glory" with the patronymic suffix ιδης (ides). This was the name of a 3rd-century BC Greek mathematician from Alexandria who made numerous contributions to geometry.

FAJR   f   Arabic
Means "dawn, beginning" in Arabic.

FILIBERT   m   German (Rare), Ancient Germanic
Means "much brightness" from the Germanic elements filu "much" and beraht "bright".

FIORALBA   f   Italian
Combination of Italian fiore "flower" and alba "dawn".

GALADRIEL   f   Literature
Means "maiden crowned with a radiant garland" in Sindarin. Galadriel was a Noldorin elf princess renowned for her beauty and wisdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels. The elements are galad "radiant" and riel "garlanded maiden". Alatáriel is the Quenya form of her name.

GILBERT   m   English, French, Dutch, German, Ancient Germanic
Means "bright pledge", derived from the Germanic elements gisil "pledge, hostage" and beraht "bright". The Normans introduced this name to England, where it was common during the Middle Ages. It was borne by a 12th-century British saint, the founder of the religious order known as the Gilbertines.

GLÆDWINE   m   Anglo-Saxon
Old English name derived from the elements glæd "bright" and wine "friend". This name was not actually recorded in the Old English era, though it is attested starting in the 11th century.

GOIZARGI   f   Basque
Derived from Basque goiz "morning" and argi "light".

GRY   f   Norwegian, Danish, Swedish
Means "dawn" in Norwegian.

GÜLNUR   f   Turkish
Means "rose light" in Turkish, ultimately from Persian گل (gol) meaning "flower, rose" and Arabic نور (nur) meaning "light".

GWAWR   f   Welsh
Means "dawn" in Welsh.

HAJNAL   f   Hungarian
Means "dawn" in Hungarian.

HARU   m & f   Japanese
From 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.

HARUKO   f   Japanese
From Japanese 春 (haru) meaning "spring" or 陽 (haru) meaning "light, sun, male" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other kanji combinations.

HELEEN   f   Dutch
Dutch variant of HELEN.

HELEENA   f   Finnish
Finnish variant of HELENA.

HELEENTJE   f   Dutch
Dutch diminutive of HELEN.

HELEN   f   English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Greek Mythology (Anglicized)
English form of the Greek ‘Ελενη (Helene), probably from Greek ‘ελενη (helene) "torch" or "corposant", or possibly related to σεληνη (selene) "moon". In Greek mythology Helen was the daughter of Zeus and Leda, whose kidnapping by Paris was the cause of the Trojan War. The name was also borne by the 4th-century Saint Helena, mother of the Roman emperor Constantine, who supposedly found the True Cross during a trip to Jerusalem.... [more]

HELÉNA   f   Hungarian
Hungarian form of HELEN.

HELĒNA   f   Latvian
Latvian form of HELEN.

HELENA   f   German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Portuguese, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Finnish, Estonian, Slovene, Croatian, English, Ancient Greek (Latinized), Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinate form of HELEN.

HÉLÈNE   f   French
French form of HELEN.

HELENE   f   Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology
Ancient Greek form of HELEN, as well as the modern Scandinavian and German form.

HELI (2)   f   Finnish
Diminutive of HELENA.

HELIODORO   m   Spanish, Portuguese
From the Greek name ‘Ηλιοδωρος (Heliodoros), derived from the elements ‘ηλιος (helios) "sun" and δωρον (doron) "gift". Saint Heliodoro was a 4th-century bishop of Altino.

HELIOS   m   Greek Mythology
Means "sun" in Greek. This was the name of the young Greek sun god, who rode across the sky each day in a chariot pulled by four horses.

HELLEN   f   English
Variant of HELEN.

HIKARI   f & m   Japanese
From Japanese 光 (hikari) meaning "light". Other kanji can also form this name. It is often written with the hiragana writing system.

HIKARU   m & f   Japanese
From Japanese 光 (hikaru) meaning "light" or 輝 (hikaru) meaning "brightness". Other kanji can also form this name.

HINA   f   Japanese
From 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.

HIROKI   m   Japanese
From Japanese 大 (hiro) meaning "big, great" and 輝 (ki) meaning "brightness" or 樹 (ki) meaning "tree". Other kanji combinations are also possible.

HUBERT   m   English, German, Dutch, French, Polish, Ancient Germanic
Means "bright heart", derived from the Germanic elements hug "heart, mind" and beraht "bright". Saint Hubert was an 8th-century bishop of Maastricht who is considered the patron saint of hunters. The Normans brought the name to England, where it replaced an Old English cognate Hygebeorht. It died out during the Middle Ages but was revived in the 19th century.

HUỆ   f   Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 慧 (huệ) meaning "bright, intelligent" or 蕙 (huệ) meaning "orchid".

HUMBERT   m   German, French, English (Rare), Ancient Germanic
Means "bright warrior", derived from the Germanic elements hun "warrior, bear cub" and beraht "bright". The Normans introduced this name to England, though it has always been uncommon there. It was borne by two kings of Italy (called Umberto in Italian), who ruled in the 19th and 20th centuries.

HUMPHREY   m   English
Means "peaceful warrior" from the Germanic elements hun "warrior, bear cub" and frid "peace". The Normans introduced this name to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate Hunfrith, and it was regularly used through the Middle Ages. A famous bearer was the American actor Humphrey Bogart (1899-1957), who starred in 'The Maltese Falcon' and 'Casablanca'.

HUNBERCT   m   Ancient Germanic
Germanic form of HUMBERT.

HYEON-JEONG   f & m   Korean
From Sino-Korean 賢 (hyeon) meaning "virtuous, worthy, able" or 炫 (hyeon) meaning "shine, glitter" combined with 廷 (jeong) meaning "court" or 貞 (jeong) meaning "virtuous, chaste, loyal". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.

HYUN-JUNG   f & m   Korean
Variant transcription of HYEON-JEONG.

ILEANA   f   Romanian, Spanish, Italian
Possibly a Romanian variant of ELENA. In Romanian folklore this is the name of a princess kidnapped by monsters and rescued by a heroic knight.

ILINCA   f   Romanian
Romanian diminutive of ELENA.

JELA   f   Serbian, Croatian, Slovak
Short form of JELENA or JELISAVETA. It also means "fir tree" in Serbian and Croatian.

JEĻENA   f   Latvian
Latvian form of YELENA.

JELENA   f   Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian
Form of YELENA. In Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia it is also associated with the South Slavic words jelen meaning "deer, stag" and jela meaning "fir tree".

JELKA   f   Slovene, Croatian, Serbian
Diminutive of JELENA. It also means "fir tree" in Slovene.

JEONG-HUI   f & m   Korean
From Sino-Korean 正 (jeong) meaning "right, proper, correct" or 靜 (jeong) meaning "quiet, still, gentle" combined with 姬 (hui) meaning "beauty" or 熙 (hui) meaning "bright, splendid, glorious". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.

JOCHEBED   f   Biblical
From the Hebrew name יוֹכֶבֶד (Yokheved) which meant "YAHWEH is glory". In the Old Testament this is the name of the mother of Miriam, Aaron and Moses.

JUNG-HEE   f & m   Korean
Variant transcription of JEONG-HUI.

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.

KAZUKI   m   Japanese
From Japanese 一 (kazu) meaning "one" or 和 (kazu) meaning "harmony, peace" combined with 輝 (ki) meaning "brightness", 希 (ki) meaning "hope" or 樹 (ki) meaning "tree", as well as other combinations of kanji characters.

KHURSHID   m & f   Persian, Urdu, Persian Mythology
Modern 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.

KOIT   m   Estonian
Means "dawn" in Estonian.

KOUKI   m   Japanese
From Japanese 光 (kou) meaning "light" or 幸 (kou) meaning "happiness, good luck" combined with 希 (ki) meaning "hope" or 輝 (ki) meaning "brightness". This name can be formed from other combinations of kanji characters as well.

LAMBERT   m   German, Dutch, French, English, Ancient Germanic
Derived from the Germanic elements land "land" and beraht "bright". Saint Lambert of Maastricht was a 7th-century bishop who was martyred after denouncing Pepin II for adultery.

LAMIA (1)   f   Arabic
Means "shining, radiant" in Arabic.

LÉAN   f   Irish
Irish form of HELEN.

LEENA   f   Finnish, Estonian
Finnish and Estonian short form of HELENA or MATLEENA.

LENA   f   Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Polish, Russian, English, Italian, Portuguese, Greek
Short form of names ending in lena, such as HELENA, MAGDALENA or YELENA.

LENE   f   German, Danish, Norwegian
German, Danish and Norwegian short form of HELENE or MAGDALENE.

LENI   f   German
German diminutive of HELENE or MAGDALENA.

LENKA   f   Czech, Slovak
Originally a diminutive of MAGDALÉNA or HELENA. It is now used as an independent name.

LENUȚA   f   Romanian
Romanian diminutive of ELENA.

LESYA   f   Ukrainian
Diminutive of OLEKSANDRA or OLENA.

LI (1)   f & m   Chinese
From Chinese 理 (lǐ) meaning "reason, logic", 立 (lì) meaning "stand, establish", 黎 (lí) meaning "black, dawn", 力 (lì) meaning "power, capability, influence" (which is usually only masculine) or 丽 (lì) meaning "beautiful" (usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters are also possible.

LIOR   m & f   Hebrew
Means "light for me" in Hebrew.

LUCASTA   f   Literature
This name was first used by the poet Richard Lovelace for a collection of poems called 'Lucasta' (1649). The poems were dedicated to Lucasta, a nickname for the woman he loved Lucy Sacheverel, who he called lux casta "pure light".

LUCINA   f   Roman Mythology
Derived from Latin lucus meaning "grove", but later associated with lux "light". This was the name of a Roman goddess of childbirth.

LUCIUS   m   Ancient Roman, Biblical, English
Roman praenomen, or given name, which was derived from Latin lux "light". This was the most popular of the praenomina. Two Etruscan kings of early Rome had this name as well as several prominent later Romans, including Lucius Annaeus Seneca (known simply as Seneca), a statesman, philosopher, orator and tragedian. The name is mentioned briefly in the New Testament belonging to a Christian in Antioch. It was also borne by three popes, including the 3rd-century Saint Lucius. Despite this, the name was not regularly used in the Christian world until after the Renaissance.

LUGUS   m   Celtic Mythology
Probably from early Celtic meaning "light", ultimately from the Indo-European root *leuk "light, brightness". This was the name of a Celtic (Gaulish) god of commerce and craftsmanship, who was equated by the Romans with Mercury. He probably forms the basis for the characters and names of Lugh (Irish) and Lleu (Welsh).

LUMINIȚA   f   Romanian
Means "little light", derived from Romanian lumina "light" combined with a diminutive suffix.

LUX   f & m   Various
Derived from Latin lux meaning "light".

LUZ   f   Spanish
Means "light" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de la Luz, meaning "Our Lady of Light".

MARDUK   m   Near Eastern Mythology
Possibly from Sumerian amar-Utu meaning "calf of UTU". In Babylonian mythology he was the chief god, presiding over heaven, light, sky, battle, and fertility. After killing the dragon Tiamat, who was an old enemy of the gods, he created the world and sky from the pieces of her body.

MARISOL   f   Spanish
Combination of MARÍA and SOL (1) or SOLEDAD. It also resembles Spanish mar y sol "sea and sun".

MERRILL   m   English
From an English surname which was derived from the given name MURIEL.

MEYER   m   Hebrew
Variant transcription of MEIR. It also coincides with a German surname meaning "mayor, leader".

MING   m & f   Chinese
From Chinese 明 (míng) meaning "bright, light, clear" or 铭 (míng) meaning "inscribe, engrave", as well as other characters which are pronounced similarly.

MINH   m   Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 明 (minh) meaning "bright". A famous bearer was the communist revolutionary Ho Chi Minh (1890-1969).

MITHRA   m   Persian Mythology
Derived from an Indo-Iranian root *mitra meaning "oath, alliance, friend". In Persian mythology he was a god of light and friendship, the son of the supreme god Ahura Mazda. Worship of him eventually spread outside of Persia, where it was known as Mithraism.

MITSUKO   f   Japanese
From Japanese 光 (mitsu) meaning "light" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

MUNIR   m   Arabic
Means "bright, shining" in Arabic.

MYEONG   m & f   Korean
From Sino-Korean 明 (myeong) meaning "bright, light, clear" or other hanja characters with the same pronunciation. Although it does appear rarely as a single-character name, it is more often used in combination with another character.

NAJM   m   Arabic
Means "star" in Arabic.

NAJMA   f   Arabic
Feminine form of NAJM.

NARANGEREL   f   Mongolian
Means "sun light" in Mongolian.

NIAMH   f   Irish, Irish Mythology
Means "bright" in Irish. She was the daughter of the sea god in Irish legends. She fell in love with the poet Oisín, son of Fionn.

NISHANT   m   Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati
Means "night's end, dawn" in Sanskrit.

NOOR (1)   f & m   Arabic, Urdu
Variant transcription of NUR.

NORBERT   m   German, English, Dutch, French, Hungarian, Polish, Ancient Germanic
Derived from the Germanic elements nord "north" and beraht "bright". This was the name of an 11th-century German saint who made many reforms within the church.

NUR   f & m   Arabic, Turkish, Urdu, Uyghur, Indonesian, Malay
Means "light" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition النور (al-Nur) is one of the 99 names of Allah.

NURASYL   m   Kazakh
Means "noble light" in Kazakh.

NURAY   f   Turkish
Means "bright moon" in Turkish, ultimately from Arabic نور (nur) meaning "light" and Turkic ay meaning "moon".

NURGÜL   f   Turkish
Means "radiant rose" in Turkish, ultimately from Arabic نور (nur) meaning "light" and Persian گل (gol) meaning "flower, rose".

NURISLAM   m   Kazakh
From Kazakh nur meaning "light" (of Arabic origin) combined with Islam, the name of the religion (ultimately from Arabic إسلام).

NURMAGOMED   m   Avar
Combination of Arabic نور (nur) meaning "light" and the name MAGOMED.

NURZHAN   m   Kazakh
Means "light soul" in Kazakh.

OCHIENG   m   Eastern African, Luo
Means "born when the sun shines", derived from Luo chieng meaning "sun".

OLENA   f   Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of HELEN.

OR   m & f   Hebrew
Means "light" in Hebrew.

ORAH   f   Hebrew
Variant transcription of ORA (2).

OREL   m   Hebrew
Means "light of God" in Hebrew.

ORI   m & f   Hebrew
Means "my light" in Hebrew.

OSBERT   m   English (Rare)
Derived from the Old English elements os "god" and beorht "bright". After the Norman conquest, this Old English name was merged with its Norman cognate. It was rare in the Middle Ages, and eventually died out. It was briefly revived in the 19th century.

PERICLES   m   Ancient Greek (Latinized)
From the Greek name Περικλης (Perikles), which was derived from the Greek elements περι (peri) "around, exceedingly" and κλεος (kleos) "glory". This was the name of a 5th-century BC Athenian statesman and general.

PHAEDRA   f   Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From the Greek Φαιδρα (Phaidra), derived from φαιδρος (phaidros) meaning "bright". Phaedra was the daughter of Minos and the wife of Theseus in Greek mythology. Aphrodite caused her to fall in love with her stepson Hippolytos, and after she was rejected by him she killed herself.

PHOEBE   f   English, Greek Mythology (Latinized), Biblical, Biblical Latin
Latinized 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).

PHOEBUS   m   Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Φοιβος (Phoibos), which meant "bright, pure". This was an epithet of the Greek god Apollo.

PHOTINE   f   Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek φως (phos) meaning "light" (genitive φωτος (photos)). This is the name traditionally given to the Samaritan woman Jesus met at the well (see John 4:7). She is venerated as a saint by the Eastern Church.

RAINBOW   f   English (Rare)
From the English word for the arc of multicoloured light that can appear in a misty sky.

RAMBERT   m   Ancient Germanic
Derived from the Germanic elements hramn "raven" and beraht "bright".

RAY   m   English
Short form of RAYMOND, often used as an independent name. It coincides with an English word meaning "beam of light". Science-fiction author Ray Bradbury (1920-2012) and musician Ray Charles (1930-2004) are two notable bearers of the name.

ROBERT   m   English, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Czech, Polish, Russian, Slovene, Croatian, Romanian, Ancient Germanic
From the Germanic name Hrodebert meaning "bright fame", derived from the Germanic elements hrod "fame" and beraht "bright". The Normans introduced this name to Britain, where it replaced the Old English cognate Hreodbeorht. It has been a very common English name since that time.... [more]

ROSHAN   m & f   Persian, Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali
Means "light, bright" in Persian.

ROXANA   f   English, Spanish, Romanian, Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latin form of Ρωξανη (Roxane), the Greek form of the Persian or Bactrian name روشنک (Roshanak) which meant "bright" or "dawn". This was the name of Alexander the Great's first wife, a daughter of the Bactrian nobleman Oxyartes. In the modern era it came into use during the 17th century. In the English-speaking world it was popularized by Daniel Defoe, who used it in his novel 'Roxana' (1724).

SÄDE   f   Finnish
Means "ray of light" in Finnish.

SAHAR   f   Arabic, Persian
Means "dawn" in Arabic.

SANAA (1)   f   Arabic
Means "brilliance, radiance, splendour" in Arabic.

SATOMI   f   Japanese
From Japanese 里 (sato) meaning "village" or 聡 (sato) meaning "intelligent, clever, bright" combined with 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other kanji combinations are possible.

SHACHAR   f & m   Hebrew
Means "dawn" in Hebrew.

SHAM'A   f   Arabic
Means "lamp" or "candle" in Arabic.

SHERAGA   m   Jewish
Means "light, candle" in Aramaic.

SHERWOOD   m   English
From an English place name (or from a surname which was derived from it) meaning "bright forest". This was the name of the forest in which the legendary outlaw Robin Hood made his home.

SHIRLEY   f & m   English
From a surname which was originally derived from a place name meaning "bright clearing" in Old English. This is the name of the main character in Charlotte Brontë's semi-autobiographical novel 'Shirley' (1849). The child actress Shirley Temple (1928-2014) helped to popularize this name.

SHRAGA   m   Jewish
Variant transcription of SHERAGA.

SHRI   f   Hinduism
Means "diffusing light, radiance, beauty" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi. This word is also commonly used as a title of respect in India.

SIEGBERT   m   German
Derived from the Germanic elements sigu "victory" and beraht "bright". This was the name of several Frankish kings, including the 7th-century Sigebert III of Austrasia who is regarded as a saint.

SOHRAB   m   Persian, Persian Mythology
Possibly means either "illustrious, shining" or "red water" in Persian. In the 11th-century Persian epic the 'Shahnameh' this is the name of the son of the hero Rostam.

SOL (1)   f   Spanish, Portuguese
Means "the sun" in Spanish or Portuguese.

SORCHA   f   Irish, Scottish
Means "radiant" in Gaelic. It is sometimes used as an Irish form of Sarah.

SORIN   m   Romanian
Possibly derived from Romanian soare meaning "sun".

SORINA   f   Romanian
Feminine form of SORIN.

SUKHRAB   m   Kazakh, Kyrgyz
Kazakh and Kyrgyz form of SOHRAB.

SUNČANA   f   Croatian
Means "sunny" in Croatian, a derivative of sunce "sun".

SUNČICA   f   Croatian
Diminutive of SUNČANA.

SUNNIVA   f   Norwegian
Scandinavian form of the Old English name Sunngifu, which meant "sun gift" from the Old English elements sunne "sun" and giefu "gift". This was the name of a legendary English saint who was shipwrecked in Norway and killed by the inhabitants.

SUNNY   f & m   English
From the English word meaning "sunny, cheerful".

SUNSHINE   f   English
From the English word, ultimately from Old English sunne "sun" and scinan "shine".

SVETLANA   f   Russian, Slovak, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian
Derived from Slavic svet meaning "light, world". It was popularized by the poem 'Svetlana' (1813) by the Russian poet Vasily Zhukovsky. It is sometimes used as a translation of Photine.

TAIKI   m   Japanese
From Japanese 大 (tai) meaning "big, great" and 輝 (ki) meaning "brightness" or 樹 (ki) meaning "tree". Other kanji combinations are possible.

TALIESIN   m   Welsh, Arthurian Romance
Means "shining brow", derived from Welsh tal "brow" and iesin "shining". This was the name of a 6th-century Welsh poet and bard. In later Welsh legends he is portrayed as a wizard and prophet, or as a companion of King Arthur.

TANE   m   Maori, Polynesian Mythology
Means "man" in Maori. In Maori and other Polynesian mythology Tane was the god of forests and light. He was the son of the sky god Rangi and the earth goddess Papa, who were locked in an embrace and finally separated by their son. He created the tui bird and, by some accounts, man.

TEJAL   f   Indian, Marathi, Gujarati
From Sanskrit तेजस् (tejas) meaning "brilliance, splendour".

THEIA   f   Greek Mythology
Possibly 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.

TIFAWT   f   Northern African, Berber
Means "light" in Tamazight.

TINATIN   f   Georgian, Literature
Possibly related to Georgian სინათლე (sinatle) "light". The name was devised by the Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli for his 12th-century epic poem 'The Knight in the Panther's Skin', in which Tinatin is the ruler of Arabia and the lover of Avtandil.

UMBERTO   m   Italian
Italian form of HUMBERT. A famous bearer was Italian author Umberto Eco (1932-2016).

URI   m   Biblical, Biblical Latin, Hebrew
Means "my light" in Hebrew. This was the name of the father of Bezalel in the Old Testament.

URIAH   m   Biblical
From the Hebrew name אוּרִיָה ('Uriyah) which meant "YAHWEH is my light". In the Old Testament this is the name of a Hittite warrior in King David's army, the first husband of Bathsheba. David desired Bathsheba so he placed Uriah in the forefront of battle so he would be killed.

URIEL   m   Biblical, Hebrew
From the Hebrew name אוּרִיאֵל ('Uri'el) which meant "God is my light". Uriel was one of the seven archangels in Hebrew tradition. He is mentioned only in the Apocrypha, for example in the Book of Enoch where he warns Noah of the coming flood.

VASANTA   m   Hinduism
Means "brilliant" or "spring" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a Hindu personification of the spring.

VASANTI   f   Indian, Marathi
Feminine form of VASANTA.

VESPERA   f   Esperanto
Means "of the evening" in Esperanto.

VULCAN   m   Roman Mythology (Anglicized)
From the Latin Vulcanus, possibly related to fulgere "to flash", but more likely of pre-Latin origin. In Roman mythology Vulcan was the god of fire. He was later equated with the Greek god Hephaestus.

WILBERT   m   Dutch
Means "bright will", derived from the Germanic elements wil "will, desire" and beraht "bright".

WYBERT   m   Medieval English
Middle English form of the Old English name Wigberht, composed of the elements wig "battle" and beorht "bright".

YANG   m & f   Chinese
From Chinese 洋 (yáng) meaning "ocean" or 阳 (yáng) meaning "light, sun, male" (which is typically only masculine), as well as other Chinese characters pronounced similarly.

YELENA   f   Russian
Russian form of HELEN.

YEONG-HO   m   Korean
From Sino-Korean 英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero", 映 (yeong) meaning "reflect light" or 泳 (yeong) meaning "dive, swim" combined with 浩 (ho) meaning "great, numerous, vast" or 皓 (ho) meaning "bright, luminous, clear, hoary". Other hanja combinations are possible.

YOKO   f   Japanese
Variant transcription of YOUKO.

YOUKO   f   Japanese
From Japanese 陽 (you) meaning "light, sun, male" or 洋 (you) meaning "ocean" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji characters are possible.

YOUNG-HO   m   Korean
Variant transcription of YEONG-HO.

YOUTA   m   Japanese
From Japanese 陽 (you) meaning "light, sun, male" and 太 (ta) meaning "thick, big". Other character combinations are possible.

ZAAHIR (1)   m   Arabic
Derived from Arabic زهر (zahara) meaning "to shine, to radiate".

ZAHI   m   Arabic
Means "beautiful, brilliant" in Arabic.

ZAHRA   f   Arabic, Persian
Means "brilliant, bright" in Arabic. This is an epithet of the Prophet Muhammad's daughter Fatimah.

ZERAH   m   Biblical
Means "dawning, shining" in Hebrew. This is the name of a son of Judah and the twin of Perez in the Old Testament.

ZHULDYZ   f   Kazakh
Means "star" in Kazakh.

ZIV   m & f   Hebrew
Means "bright, radiant" in Hebrew. This was the ancient name of the second month of the Jewish calendar.

ZIYA   m   Arabic
Derived from Arabic ضياء (diya) meaning "splendour, light, glow". This was the name of a 14th-century Islamic Indian historian.

ZOHAR   m & f   Hebrew
Means "light, brilliance" in Hebrew.

ZORA   f   Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Bulgarian, Macedonian
From a South and West Slavic word meaning "dawn, aurora".

ZURAB   m   Georgian
Georgian form of SOHRAB.