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Names That Mean Sun

Sophie Kihm
By Sophie Kihm
Updated Thu Aug 22 2024
Names That Mean Sun

Names that mean sun evoke summer, warmth, fire, and the zodiac fire signs of Aries, Sagittarius, and especially Leo, making them ideal astrology names.

Names with sun meanings might also reference the names of sun gods or goddesses of fire or the sun or other fire-related mythological figures. These include Apollo and Sunna.

Girl names that mean sun in the US Top 1000 include Eliana, Marisol, and Sunny. Boy names that mean sun in the US Top 1000 include Cyrus, Samson, and Elian.

Unique and uncommon baby names with sun meanings include Oriana, Sampson, Sunniva, and Soleil. Names that mean sun from international sources include the Spanish Helio, the Gaelic Eilidh, and the Hindi Kalinda.

All our baby names for boys and girls that mean sun are here, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.

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Nature Names

  1. Elio

    • Origin:

      Italian, Spanish

    • Meaning:

      "sun"

    • Description:

      Elio is a sunny and spirited Italian and Spanish name that makes a great crossover prospect, which could catch on as Enzo has. Elio is also currently popular in France, ranking in the Top 250.
  2. Cyrus

    • Origin:

      Persian

    • Meaning:

      "sun"

    • Description:

      Cyrus is one of those surprising names that have always ranked among the Top 1000 boy names in the US. On an upward trend since the mid-90s, Cyrus now sits in that comfortable place between too popular and too unusual.
  3. Eliana

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "my God has answered"

    • Description:

      Eliana is a lilting, rhythmic choice, which has caught on in the US and other English-speaking countries. Currently popular in the UK, The Netherlands, Canada, and Brazil, it also makes the US Top 50 -- and the Top 10 if you count all spellings.
  4. Soleil

    • Origin:

      French

    • Meaning:

      "sun"

    • Description:

      An attractive French word name known here via former child TV star Soleil Moon Frye, aka Punky Brewster. It started to be lightly used in the U.S. in the 1920s and is now attracting some attention as both a sunny nature and an international word name. It's currently in the Nameberry Top 500.
  5. Apollo

    • Origin:

      Greek mythology name

    • Meaning:

      "destroyer; strength; father's light"

    • Description:

      With mythological names rising, the handsome son of Zeus and god of medicine, music, and poetry among many other things might offer an interesting, and melodic option. Similar in style to Atlas and Atticus and similar in sound to Arlo, Paolo, Paul, and Ollie, Apollo entered the US Top 1000 back in 2012, and was propelled upwards after it was chosen by Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale in 2014.
  6. Sunniva

    • Origin:

      Scandinavian

    • Meaning:

      "sun gift"

    • Description:

      Sunniva was an Irish-born saint who fled to Norway, where she hid in an island cave with her followers and eventually died. After miracles were reported on the island, the cave was excavated and Sunniva's intact body was found. Sunniva is the patron saint of Western Norway. Her name would make a fascinating and unusual choice for a modern baby girl, and if her story is a bit grim, you can take refuge in the upbeat nickname Sunny or Sunni.
  7. Suri

    • Origin:

      Yiddish, Hebrew, Persian, Sanskrit

    • Description:

      Suri, a once obscure name, hit the headlines when it was chosen by Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise for their daughter in 2006. A truly multi-cultural choice, Suri is a unique name with a variety of different origins.
  8. Sunday

    • Origin:

      Day name, English from Latin

    • Meaning:

      "day of the Sun"

    • Description:

      Sunday is among the most usable of the day names with its sunny first syllable, its sweet sound, and its potential to be both a sassy or a spiritual choice. The name initially made headlines in 2008 when Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban chose it for their daughter, Sunday Rose. Although it had been widely written that Kidman and Urban named their baby after art patron Sunday Reed, Kidman says this was a myth, they just liked the name.
  9. Samson

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "sun"

    • Description:

      With the prevailing popularity of Samuel, some parents are considering this more (literally) powerful biblical name, which shares the desirable nickname of Sam.
  10. Sol

    • Origin:

      Spanish

    • Meaning:

      "sun"

    • Description:

      Although pinochle-playing partner Sam came out of retirement, we don't see it happening to Sol. Near soundalike Saul has more of a shot.

  11. Solana

    • Origin:

      Spanish

    • Meaning:

      "sunshine"

    • Description:

      A bright and warm possibility for a summertime girl, Solana feels both soulful and fresh, distinctive and familiar. Originally adapted from the Spanish surname and Saint name, Solano, it entered the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2023.
  12. Marisol

    • Origin:

      Spanish, contracted form of Maria de la Soledad

    • Meaning:

      "Mary of Solitude"

    • Description:

      Marisol is a favorite Spanish name for girls, and an excellent candidate to cross the culture line, a la Soledad and Paz.
  13. Oriana

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "dawn"

    • Description:

      Oriana is a dashing medieval name, with a meaning similar to Aurora. At this point, though, Oriana is much more unusual than Aurora and makes a unique choice if you're searching for names that mean new beginnings or dawn.
  14. Sunny

    • Origin:

      English nickname

    • Description:

      Upbeat nickname-name that can't help but make you smile. You might want to use it as a short form for a more "serious" name such as Sunniva, but Sunny is undeniably, well, sunny.
  15. Elian

    • Origin:

      Dutch variation of Elijah or Elisabeth, Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "Yahweh is God; pledged to God; sun"

    • Description:

      This Dutch form of Elijah — or other Eli- names — holds plenty of appeal, combining the gentle El- of Elliot or Elias with the ending of rising choices such as Cassian and Caspian. Popular in Puerto Rico, Chile, and Mexico, it has also been rising up the US charts since the 2000s and now sits within the Top 300.
  16. Sulien

    • Origin:

      Welsh

    • Meaning:

      "sun born"

    • Description:

      Said to be the name of the most learned man in ancient Wales, in this country it would be open to mispronunciation, making it rhyme with Julien.
  17. Idalia

    • Origin:

      Greek, Germanic

    • Meaning:

      "behold the sun; work, labor"

    • Description:

      A pretty, if unusual choice for a summer baby, particularly a girl with an ancestor named Ida. An epithet of the goddess Aphrodite, Idalia is derived from the Greek place name Idalion.
  18. Cyra

    • Origin:

      Persian or Greek

    • Meaning:

      "sun or throne, or lord"

    • Description:

      Cyra is an unusual name that can be pronounced either SEER-a or SI-ra, rhyming with Keira or Tyra. This name may be a feminine variation of Cyrus but is also a Persian name that stands on its own. One noted bearer is writer Cyra McFadden.
  19. Ra

    • Origin:

      Egyptian

    • Meaning:

      "sun"

    • Description:

      The name of the sun god of Egyptian mythology could only be used in combination with a longer name.
  20. Apolline

    • Origin:

      French form of Apollonia, feminine variation of Apollo, Greek mythology name

    • Meaning:

      "destroyer"

    • Description:

      Apolline is a luscious French name chic in Paris and ripe for the plucking in the English-speaking world. Derived from the mythological name Apollo, the name may mean strength; Apollo was the god of sun and light. Apolline is a perfect choice for those attracted to the name Apple who don't want to go quite that far.