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Celestial Names: Star and Planet Names

Pamela Redmond
By Pamela Redmond
Updated Sun Jan 14 2024
Celestial Names: Star and Planet Names

Celestial names, also known as star and planet names, include the names of planets and their satellites, constellations and single stars. That adds up to a whole galaxy of celestial baby names to choose from.

Luna is the top-ranked among star names for girls. Along with Luna, other celestial girl names in the US Top 1000 include Aurora, Ariel, Juliet, Celeste, and Nova.

The most popular of the star names for boys is Leo, as in the constellation. Other celestial boy names ranking in the US Top 1000 include Atlas, Finlay, and Orion.

Celestial baby names for girls and boys are listed here, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.

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Astrology Names: The Ultimate Guide Space Baby Names

  1. Aurora

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "dawn"

    • Description:

      The goddess name Aurora has consistently been on the US popularity list since the nineteenth century, but has really taken off in the past 30 years. Aurora also enjoys remarkable international popularity, ranking in the Top 100 throughout the English-speaking world as well as in Italy, Spain, Norway, Switzerland, and several other European and Latin American countries.
  2. Luna

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "moon"

    • Description:

      The name of the Roman goddess of the moon, Luna is derived straight from the Latin word for moon, luna. Luna may be the name most likely to surprise someone from an older generation by its Top 10 status in the US and its widespread international popularity.
  3. Leo

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "lion"

    • Description:

      Leo is a strong-yet-friendly name that was common among the Romans, used for fourteen popes, and is now at its highest point ever in the US thanks in part to Leonardo "Leo" DiCaprio.
  4. Atlas

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "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.
  5. Phoebe

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "radiant, shining one"

    • Description:

      Phoebe is the Latin variation of the Greek name Phoibe, which derived from phoibos, meaning "bright." In classical mythology, Phoebe is the by-name of Artemis, goddess of the moon and of hunting. The masculine version of Phoebe is Phoebus.
  6. Celeste

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "heavenly"

    • Description:

      Celeste is a softly pretty and somewhat quaint name with heavenly overtones, which kids might associate with Queen Celeste of Babar's elephant kingdom. She's a light and lovely choice that's finally getting noticed.
  7. Mira

    • Origin:

      Latin, Slavic, Arabic, Sanskrit

    • Meaning:

      "admirable; peace; female ruler; ocean"

    • Description:

      This name owes its present life to actress Sorvino. Mira and Mirra have an arty aura.
  8. Orion

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "boundary, limit"

    • Description:

      Orion is a rising star, with both mythical and celestial overtones.
  9. Juliet

    • Origin:

      English from Latin

    • Meaning:

      "youthful or sky father"

    • Description:

      One of the most romantic names, the lovely and stylish Juliet seems finally to have shaken off her limiting link to Romeo. In Shakespeare's play, it was Juliet who said "What's in a name?"
  10. Nova

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "new"

    • Description:

      Nova has the feel of both newness, from its meaning, and great energy as an astronomical term for a star that increases suddenly in brightness before fading.
  11. Faye

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "fairy"

    • Description:

      Soft and simple, but no less magical, Faye is enjoying a quiet spell of popularity in the US. It broke the Top 1000 in 2014, and by 2023, was one of the fastest rising names on the charts. Faye is a perfect example of a name that fits in and stands out, recognizable and yet unexpected. It also makes a beautiful middle name option, if Mae and Rae are feeling too overdone.
  12. Rosalind

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "supple horse or pretty rose"

    • Description:

      Rosalind has a distinguished literary history – used and popularized by Edmund Spenser and Shakespeare via one of his most charming heroines, in As You Like It. Along with a bouquet of other Rose names, Rosalind might be ready for a comeback.
  13. Altair

    • Origin:

      Arabic

    • Meaning:

      "falcon"

    • Description:

      The eleventh brightest star in the sky has a celestial feel, but also could be the name of a commercial airline.
  14. Caelum

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "heaven"

    • Description:

      A constellation name that could have broad appeal beyond astronomers and astrophysicists, Caelum blends the sounds of Scottish Callum and modern Caden. It comes from the Latin caelum meaning "heaven, sky", giving it a subtle spiritual air and linking it to the names Celia, Cielo, and Ciel.
  15. Phoenix

    • Origin:

      Arizona place-name and Greek

    • Meaning:

      "dark red"

    • Description:

      Effortlessly cool with a hint of the mystical, Phoenix rolls a lot of trends into one: it's a place-name and a bird name, it ends in the stylish letter x, it's got in-built nicknames, and it's unisex too. Familiar but not over-popular, Phoenix ranks in the US and UK Top 1000s.
  16. Elara

    • Origin:

      Greek mythology name

    • Meaning:

      "hazelnut, spear"

    • Description:

      In Greek mythology, Elara was a lover of Zeus who gave birth to a giant son (ouch); it's also the name of one of the moons of Jupiter, giving it a celestial feel. Possibly derived from the Greek alara meaning "hazelnut" or "spear", it combines that favorite El- beginning with the popular -ara ending of Clara, Lara, and Amara, making it an all round appealing choice. Currently in the UK Top 1000, and on the rise in the US, it could be a fresher or less popular alternative to Ella, Lyra, or Laura.
  17. Capella

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "little she goat"

    • Description:

      Capella, the eleventh brightest star in the sky, carries much mythological and astrological significance. In Roman mythology, Capella represented the goat that suckled Jupiter, whose horn became the Cornucopia or horn of plenty. In Hindu mythology, Capella is called the heart of Brahma, while English legend calls it the shepherd's star.
  18. Oberon

    • Origin:

      Variation of Auberon

    • Meaning:

      "elf king; noble bear"

    • Description:

      The Shakespearean character Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream is King of the Fairies, but the name, with its bold 'O' beginning has plenty of strength alongside its magical qualities.
  19. Cressida

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "gold"

    • Description:

      Cressida is a pretty mythological and Shakespearean heroine name much better known in Britain than it is here — an imbalance the adventurous baby namer might want to correct.
  20. Selena

    • Origin:

      Latinized variation of Greek Selene

    • Meaning:

      "moon"

    • Description:

      Selena is smooth, shiny, and sensual, a nineteenth-century name that found new life in the Latino community, following the biopic of slain Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla, starring Jennifer Lopez. But you don't have to be Latin to love Selena, which is both distinctive yet in step with stylish modern names such as Seraphina and Celia.