Starlight Sailor
By lavenderwitch
Updated Thu May 18 2023
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Names in this category are nautical, celestial, adventurous; pirates and wayfarers and explorers. Colors and textures are marine blue, leather and wood, parchment and bronze; sails and rigging, sextants and spyglasses; creaking timbers and salt-encrusted ropes; sea shanties to the rhythm of crashing waves; the silver twinkle of starlight reflecting off the surface of a sea calm as glass; vintage maps that read "here there be dragons."
- Alaric
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"all-powerful ruler"Description:
Alaric is an ancient regal name that sounds modern enough to be considered. Alaric was a traditional name for the kings of the Ostrogoths, the most famous of whom was Alaric I, the King of the West Goths who sacked Rome in 410.
- Altair
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"falcon"Description:
The eleventh brightest star in the sky has a celestial feel, but also could be the name of a commercial airline.
- Apollos
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"of Apollo"Description:
A Biblical name deriving from the Greek god Apollo. Apollos was a 1st century Alexandrian Jewish Christian and contemporary of Paul the Apostle mentioned several times in the New Testament.
- Aquarius
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"water carrier"Description:
Astrological name retains a hippielike Age of Aquarius feel.
- Archer
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"bowman"Description:
Archer is an Anglo-Saxon surname that feels more modern than most because of its on-target occupational and Hunger Games associations. And it's a nice way to bypass the clunky Archibald to get to the cool nickname Archie.
- Argo
Origin:
Greek mythology nameDescription:
The name of the ship sailed by Jason in his search for the Golden Fleece is now more often used for starch, trucks, and heavy machinery.
- Artemis
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"butcher"Description:
Although it could well sound masculine, Artemis was actually the Greek goddess of the moon, the equivalent of the Roman Diana. Also spelled Artemas and Artemus, this name has a mythological, historical, Three Musketeer-ish ring.
- Astrophel
Origin:
Literary nameMeaning:
"star lover"Description:
Invented by 16th-century English poet Sir Philip Sidney for the hero of his sonnet sequence Astrophel and Stella, this name is derived from the Greek elements aster "star" and philos "lover". Sidney’s heroine, and Astrophel’s love-interest, is Stella — whose name means "star".
- Atlantis
Origin:
Place nameDescription:
Mythical wonderland makes strong, evocative first name for either gender.
- Atlas
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"bearer of the heavens"Description:
Atlas is one of those names that was previously thought too powerful for a baby boy, who would have to be strong enough to carry the world on his shoulders. Now Atlas has joined the pantheon of Greek and Roman god and goddess names in the realm of possibility, along with Mars, Zeus and Apollo.
- Atreyu
Origin:
Literary inventionMeaning:
"son of all"Description:
German author Michael Ende created the name Atreyu for the protagonist of his 1979 novel The Neverending Story. In the original German translation of the book, the hero was Atréju — Atreyu is the Anglicized variation. Atreyu was orphaned as an infant and raised by his village — his name is said to mean "son of all" in the local language.
- Atticus
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"from Attica"Description:
Atticus, with its trendy Roman feel combined with the upstanding, noble image of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, is a real winner among boy names. Atticus entered the US Top 1000 in 2004 and is a firm Nameberry favorite.
- Azure
Origin:
English color nameMeaning:
"sky blue"Description:
Azure is a colorful choice for a blue-eyed child, recently chosen by Elon Musk for his daughter. Currently, Azure is used for American baby girls and boys in equal numbers. Among other blue-toned color name possibilities: Indigo, Cerulean, and Blue itself.
- Bastion
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"a projecting part of a fortification"Description:
Euro-cool Bastian is rising rapidly up the rankings, and this uncommon word name (given to just 23 baby boys in 2018) could make for a cool military-inspired twist.
- Bay
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"berry"Description:
Like River and Lake, a cool, refreshing modern water-related choice.
- Boreal
Origin:
English word name from LatinMeaning:
"northern"Description:
This English word name derives from the name of the Greek god of the north wind, Boreas, by way of Latin borealis "northern". A fictional bearer is Lord Boreal from Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy.
- Borealis
- Brine
- Caradoc
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"amiable, beloved"Description:
An ancient Celtic name worn by one of the Knights of the Round Table, as well as a semi-legendary Welsh King.
- Caspian
Origin:
Place nameMeaning:
"white"Description:
One of the most romantic of appellations, Caspian is a geographical name referring to the large salty sea between Asia and Europe. It's also the name of the hero of C.S. Lewis's beloved Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian.