Names That Mean Shining
Across 4 pages
of 4
Alyiona
Variation of Alyona, Russian
"bright and shining light"
A variant of Alyona, which itself originated as a nickname for Yelena, a variation of Helen.
Marilla
Latin
"shining sea"
Marilla is a names that's familiar via its resemblance to Mary and variations, but also distinctive: It hasn't been on the Top 1000 since the 1800s and was given to only 27 baby girls last year.…
Tassilo
German
"shining like the day"
An ancient Germanic name belonging to an 8th century duke of Bavaria, as well as to a modern-day prince of Bulgaria. It is a diminutive form from Tasso, which probably derives from the Germanic name…
Alyona
Diminutive of Yelena, Russian
"bright and shining light"
New name in the pool of international names, added by lovely supermodel Alyona Osmanova.
Kaguya
Japanese
"shining"
Kaguya-hime no Monogatari , "The Tale of Princess Kaguya," is a Japanese folk story, also called "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter." In the story, a bamboo cutter finds a baby girl from the moon nestled…
Aili
Finnish and Sami variation of Helga, diminutive of Aileen, Anglicization of Eilidh
"holy, blessed; bright and shining light"
An attractive Scandinavian take on Helga, or a potential Helen nickname.
Eila
Hebrew, Norwegian variation of Elina
"oak tree; bright, shining light"
Eila is a Hebrew name heard in Israel. The name also has roots in Finland and Norway, where it's derived from Elina, a variation of Helen, or from Aila, a form of Helga. Eila could gain attention as…
Olena
Ukrainian, Hawaiian
"torch, shining light; turmeric, yellow, ginger"
This chic Ukrainian form of Helen is relatively unknown outside of its native country, but it definitely has international appeal. Olia or Olenka are the usual Ukrainian diminutives, but tomboyish…
Metrophanes
Greek
"mother appearing, shining mother"
Metrophanes is derived from the elements meter , meaning "mother," and phanes , "appearing" or "shine." It was borne by several important bishops, most notably Metrophanes of Byzantium, who was later…
Munira
Arabic
"bright, shining"
A pretty and international Arabic girls' name with an appealing luminous meaning.
Jip
Frisian diminutive of Gijsbert, Dutch
"shining pledge"
In the well-known Dutch children's book series Jip and Janneke, Jip is a boy, but this cutesy nickname name can traditionally be used on both girls and boys.
Nelya
English, diminutive of Helen, Eleanor, et al: "bright, shining one"
"bright, shining one"
Faina
Russian from Greek
"shining"
This appealing Russian/Nordic name has been used a handful of times since Eowyn Ivey's novel The Snow Child was published in 2012. There, Faina is a mysterious girl who loves the cold Alaskan woods.
Maryellen
English, combination of Mary and Ellen
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + shining light"
A gentle old-fashioned compound name that has never been epidemically popular, but is now almost unused. The meaning of Mary is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots…
Aliona
Russian
"bright shining light"
A light and lovely Russian diminutive of Yelena (Helena), now used in its own right in Russia. Also spelt Alyona.
Miray
Turkish
"shining like the moon"
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…
Laynee
Variation of Laney, English
"bright, shining light"
A modern spelling of a vintage nickname.
Eilo
Finnish variation of Eila, Norwegian
"bright, shining light"
Eilo is one of the few masculine names to derive from a feminine one. It comes from Eila, the Norwegian variation of Elina.
Laine
English variation of Elaine, Estonian and Latvian
"bright, shining light; wave"
Lainey is one of the many fast-rising nickname names of the last few years, and longer forms like Elaine, Alaina, and Delaney are enjoying their own bouts of popularity. Simple and tailored, but…
Shoyo
Japanese
"shining sun"