Celestial and Star Names

Ishaan is the guardian of the Northeast in the Hindu religion.

This lovely, rhythmic Hindu nature name relates to the mythical Kalinda Mountains, from which a sacred river flows.

A beautiful Urdu name with a musical sound and a lovely celestial meaning. Sitara got a boost in 2022, potentially from the award-winning 2020 short film "Sitara: Let Girls Dream", bringing awareness to the issue of child marriage.

In Nepal, India and Pakistan, Kiran is used for both boys and girls - as can be seen from internationally acclaimed (female) author Kiran Desai and (male) Nepali soccer player Kiran Chemjong. Nepali-American Fox news anchor Kiran Chetry is another famous, female bearer of this name. With its light-filled meaning, and similarity to names such as Kieran and Karen, this name works well outside Asia.

Attractive but uncommon name which has been used as a character name in several movies, including The Lion King II and Planet of the Apes. Ziri and Tiziri are variants.

A handsome and gentle sounding Persian name that would well across multiple cultures, Mahan means "moon". Also written as Mahaan, it is the name of several Iranian places, and might relate to a Sanskrit or Hindi word meaning "greatest, great" or "large". A notable bearer is mathematician and monk, Mahan Mj.

Ada and Ida soundalike that has two wonderful potential meanings. A famous bearer is American model and actress Ayda Field.

Nashira is one of those obscure space names that might rise along with such heavenly choices as Orion, Luna, and even Nevaeh. A giant star in Capricorn, Nashira is an unusual and attractive name with several positive associations.

The Titan of the dusk in Greek mythology, husband of Eos (Dawn) and father of the four Anemoi (Winds), as well as the goddess Astraea. The name is derived from Greek "aster", meaning "star".

Graceful Indian choice that may sound feminine to the Western ear but is in fact the name of a male god. One form of worship of Surya that may be familiar to Westerners is the sun salutation in yoga.

Like the masculine form Galileo, Galilea is a variant of Galilee, a region in Northern Israel of great Biblical significance. Given the current popularity of soft Italian girls’ names, this name’s long historical roots, its beautiful sound and the potential for cute nicknames (Leia, Lil, Ally, etc) it’s no surprise that this name has been on the rise in recent years.

Spelling variation of Danica with a modern update.

Very popular in its native Turkey (Top 20 since 2014), this beautiful, celestial name has international appeal. The meaning of Miray is occasionally debated, with "shining like the moon" as one interpretation and "commander of the moonlight" being another.

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.

In Old Norse mythology Máni is the god of the Moon, brother to Sól, the goddess of the Sun.

A melodic name, popular among the African-American community, where it joins sound-alikes Amari, Jamari, and Damari. It ultimately derives from the Arabic Qamar, meaning "moon", and is also used by Swahili speakers and those from Comoros and Somalia. It could also be considered a Greek place name, from a coastal village in Santorini.

A vintage Finnish name most common in the early 20th century.

The male and female versions of Aiman come from different origins. While the feminine Aiman has a lunar meaning and origins in Kazakhstan, the masculine Aiman is a variation of the Arabic name Ayman.

A name that's unknown in the US and Britain but is popular as a nature name in Finland. May also be known as a Hungarian variation of Amelia and a Spanish form of Wilhelmina.

One way to spin grandma Helen or Ellen's name off the beaten track. The legendary Azenor was a tragic 6th century Breton princess who was mother to a saint. This personage also may be known as Senara.