Names That Mean Light
- Nuru
Origin:
SwahiliMeaning:
"born in daylight"Description:
Evocative African choice.
- Photina
Origin:
Ancient GreekMeaning:
"light up"Description:
Deriving from the Greek word phos meaning "light", Photina is a variation of Photine, a rare choice with a Biblical link. The name of the Samaritan woman in "Jesus and the Woman at the Well" (John 4), Photine is associated with Jesus's mercy and love, and with spreading the word of God.
- Zariza
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"gold, brilliantly bright"Description:
Zariza is a unique name sure to appeal to Z lovers.
- Maor
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"a light"Description:
A little-known Hebrew name which ranks in the Top 100 in Israel.
- Khorshid
Origin:
PersianMeaning:
"radiant sun"Description:
Khorshid, also found as Khurshid, is the Persian word for sun and is also the name of a place in Iran. The name is found mostly in Iran, Turkey, and Azerbaijan and can be used for both boys and girls. Khorshid, anglicized as Sun Children, was the title of an Iranian film about street children. Khorshid Khanom, or Sun Lady, was an ancient fertility and water goddess.
- Ming
Origin:
ChineseMeaning:
"shining bright"Description:
A common Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean unisex name, and the name of a culturally rich Chinese Dynastic period. Yao Ming is the seven and a half foot Shanghai-born basketball star. Trivia tidbit: His parents were the tallest couple in China at the time of his birth.
- Skaidrīte
Origin:
LatvianMeaning:
"clear, bright"Description:
Popular in its native Latvia during the first half of the 20th century, Skaidrīte is a name with evocative imagery of bright, clear blue skies. Notable bearers include Latvian basketball player Skaidrīte Smildziņa-Budovska and Skaidrite Darius, the first woman to be employed by an Australian university to develop and manage electronic processing systems.
- Rashmi
Origin:
Indian, Hindi, SanskritMeaning:
"ray, beam of sunlight"Description:
A sunny and gentle sounding name used throughout India, Rashmi is a unisex option, though it is used more often as a feminine choice. Notable bearers include actress Rashmi Gautam and model, dancer and actress Rashami Desai. The name can also be used as a short form of Rajalakshmi, a compound name blending Raja and Lakshmi giving it the meaning "ruler's sign" or "sign of royalty".
- Nahara
Origin:
Aramaic and HebrewMeaning:
"light"Description:
Beguiling cousin of Sahara.
- Neriah
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"light of Jehovah"Description:
Neriah is a biblical figure mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah as the father of Baruch and Seraiah ben Neriah. According to the Talmud, Neriah and his sons are all prophets. The name is traditionally associated with Hanukkah, the festival of lights.
- Cahya
Origin:
Indonesian, Javanese, SanskritMeaning:
"light"Description:
A zippy name of Sanskrit origin, Cahya is a unisex name used in Indonesia, particularly on the Island of Java. Derived from the element chāyā meaning "light, reflection, shadow", in Indonesian, it usually interpreted as meaning "light". Alternative forms include Cahaya, Cahyo, Cahyani, and Cahyono.
- Nuran
Origin:
Variation of Nouran, Arabic, PersianMeaning:
"of light"Description:
An elaboration of the popular Nur, Nuran is a name that suggests the bearer is comparable to light. Traditionally a feminine name, Nuran might also be used as a masculine name and it ranked in the Azerbaijan Top 100 for boys between 2015 and 2021.
- Siria
Origin:
Spanish from PersianMeaning:
"sun-bright, glowing"Description:
Would undoubtedly be confused with the geographical Syria.
- Dagobert
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"bright day"Description:
Almost unheard of in recent years, Dagobert has some connections to the French diaspora. Pere Dagobert was an eighteenth century Capuchin monk who immigrated to New Orleans from Quebec. Dagobert I was a king of the Merovingian dynasty in the seventh century.
- Ademir
Origin:
Portuguese, GermanMeaning:
"famous wealth"Description:
A handsome Portuguese name derived from the old Germanic saint's name Audamar or Otmar. Especially common in Brazil.
- Harbin
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"little bright warrior"Description:
A possible new entry in the Hayden-Corbin two-syllable boys' name club.
- Alyona
Origin:
Diminutive of Yelena, RussianMeaning:
"bright and shining light"Description:
New name in the pool of international names, added by lovely supermodel Alyona Osmanova.
- Fairlight
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"beautiful light"Description:
A rare but historic English name bestowed upon girls in the 19th century. Fairlight seems to have been particularly popular among baby girls in the Appalachian region of the US. It appeared as a character name in Catherine Mashall's 1967 novel Christy, which was turned into a TV show in 1994.
- Yaheli
Origin:
Variation of Yahel HebrewMeaning:
"to shine"
- Dagur
Origin:
Norse mythological nameMeaning:
"day"Description:
Dagur, one of the top boys' names in Iceland, is the personification of day. His mother is Nott, or night, and together they are thought to ride in a chariot around the earth every 24 hours.
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