Updated November 2023
Across 10 pages
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Modern Swedish variation of Melchior
"city of the king; king of light"
Melker, a modern phonetic spelling of ancient Three Wise Men name Melchior, is in the Swedish Top 100 though not used in the US, where it would be heard as "milker." Nickname Mel is not exactly a…
Tswana
"light"
A sparkling and rare option among the names that mean light.
Dutch, Latvian
A light and lovely short form of Helena, also used in its own right in Latvia and the Netherlands.
Croatian, German, Polish and Russian variation of Lucanus, Latin
An attractive and rare alternative to Luke and Luca. Lucan is the Irish variation.
Slovene diminutive of Alena
"bright and shining light"
Nickname for Alena, a Helen variation that can be heard in Eastern Europe.
English word name
"in a way that gives out or reflects much light"
A bright and bubbly word name would be fun on a girl or a boy — a more spritely alternative to Brighton.
"without light"
The moody and mysterious name Dark could be the perfect name for a couple who embraces the magic of the unknown. Grimes and Elon Musk used it as a middle for their daughter Y, whose given name is Exa…
German
"grace + god is my light"
Variant of Hannelore
Breton form of Elinor or Helen
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.
Sanskrit
"splendor, light"
A soft-spoken Indian girl name with a radiant meaning.
Variation of Alyona, Russian
A variant of Alyona, which itself originated as a nickname for Yelena, a variation of Helen.
Icelandic
"light breeze"
Blær is a rare Icelandic name meaning "light gust or breeze" that made headlines due to one family's battle to be allowed to use it for their daughter. Iceland has strict name laws and it is not…
Polish variation of Lucian, Latin
Greek
"strength or father light"
Greek and French form of Apollo, son of Zeus and Leto and the twin of Artemis in Greek mythology. He was the god of prophecy, medicine, music, art, law, beauty, and wisdom, also associated with the…
German, “the rosy light of the setting or rising sun on high mountains”
Italian
"light wind"
A pretty addition to the Au-girl names like Audrey, Aurora and Autumn. The beginning Aur syllable, which often relates to gold, makes this an appropriate and one of the more unusual names for autumn…
Arabic
"source of light, beacon, torch"
A unisex Arabic name with a soft and international sound, Mishal has a glowing meaning too.
English
"pure light"
Lucasta was invented by seventeenth century poet Richard Lovelace for a collection of poems dedicated to a lover named Lucy, and is familiar through the Eugene O'Neill play and film Anna Lucasta .…
The origins of Lucentio are a bit hazy — it's possible Shakespeare invented the name for his play The Taming of the Shrew , where Lucentio ends up marrying Bianca. However, it may have been an…
Hebrew
"spark, ray of light"
The viv syllable adds vitality.