Space and Celestial Names

Popular Russian name, familiar here via author Svetlana Stalin, the dictator's daughter.

The sixth letter of the Greek alphabet, popularized by Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones -- Zeta was her grandmother's first name. Zeta can also refer to the letter Z, the last in the Roman alphabet, or be a spelling variation of Zita, a name with several possible origins and meanings.

The name of a heavenly planet and the Roman goddess of beauty and love was an intimidating no-no until tennis champ Venus Williams put an athletic, modern spin on it.

Hydra is the largest of the 88 constellations, whose name was inspired by Hydra of Lerna, a serpentine, multi-headed monster of Greek mythology who resided in Lake Lerna.

Castor's twin in the constellation Gemini. That final x makes this name modern and cool.

The name of the great Renaissance astronomer and mathematician would make a distinctive hero-middle-name for the son of parents involved in those fields.

This might sound and look like a blend of Ryan, Riley, and Nigel, but it is in fact the name of the seventh brightest star in the sky. Found in the constellation of Orion, its name comes from the Arabic phrase, Rijl Jauzah al Yusrā, , meaning "the left foot of the central one."

The Greek mythological hunter who was turned into a constellation is much more often used for boys.

This striking name has a lot going for it: it's a self-confident Spanish surname, it identifies one of the most brilliant stars in the sky, and it has a musical reference to singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega.

The name of the wife of Alexander the Great, more attractive than the better-known Roxanne. Roxana was first used in the English-speaking world in the 1600s and was popularized by Daniel Defoe's novel Roxana, published in 1724. An underused and attractive possibility and perfect if you're searching for names that mean new beginnings.

The disgraced heroine of The Scarlet Letter's name, after long neglect, just might have a chance at revival, following in the wake of sister-name Esther. We've characterized her elsewhere as an eccentric aristocrat, much more accepted in the U.K. than she has been here.

A sweet Cornish word name with a celestial meaning.

The original oddball celebrity baby name, via Frank Zappa's daughter Moon Unit, who claims she's always liked it.

Stella and Luna are stylish night sky name for girls, from the Latin words for star and moon.

Spelling variation of Danica with a modern update.

Este -- think Esme with a t -- comes to us via one of the rocking sisters in the musical group Haim. For long best known as the Esther diminutive used by cosmetics queen Estee Lauder, Este is a slimmed-down version that feels chicer for our star-struck times. While mother name Esther has Persian origins and impressive Biblical roots, it's a name used in a wide range of cultures.

The name of the ferrymen of dead souls to the Greek underworld and the name of Pluto's desolate moon, Charon makes an interesting, if somewhat macabre, choice for a baby. There are two pronunciations of this name, depending on whether you're referring to the ferryman or the moon. While the Greek version is pronounced with a hard "k" sound, the astronomer who named the moon did not know about the Greek myth - he named the moon after his wife Charlene, so many astronomers pronounce it with a "sh" sound.

Hesperos or Hesperus is the personification of the evening star in Greek mythology; in Roman myth, that role is held by Venus. There's a Longfellow poem called "The Wreck of the Hesperus" about a tragic ship voyage.

A strong, handsome Indian name with cross-cultural appeal.

The Halley version of this popular name family hit the Top 1000 only once, in 1986, inspired by Halley's Comet, named for astronomer Edmund Halley.