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Star/Heavenly Names

Haili73
By Haili73
Updated Thu May 25 2023
Names having to do with stars, heaven, constellations, outer space. From the obscure to the obvious, take your pick. And by no means feel bound to what gender I put down. Some names will work well for either gender. If I had any question if it was a boy or girl name, I left it as boy. I was lazy, what can I say? These would be best for sci-fi/fantasy stories. Some might be better suited for last names. They are all names of stars, planets, or constellations, or have to do with them.
  1. Lyra

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "lyre"

    • Description:

      Lyra is a name with ancient and celestial roots that's finding new popularity thanks to its starring role in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series, seen in the movie The Golden Compass. Simple yet unique, Lyra hits the sweet spot between too popular and too unusual.
  2. 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.
  3. Mira

    • Origin:

      Latin, Slavic, Arabic, Sanskrit, Japanese

    • Meaning:

      "admirable; peace; female ruler; ocean; mirror"

    • Description:

      A truly international choice, the sweet and simple Mira has its origins in Sanskrit, Latin, Slavic, and Arabic, just to name a view. With its arty aura and succinct look, it makes a versatile option, much like the similar Nina and Mina.
  4. Orion

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "boundary, limit"

    • Description:

      Orion is a rising star, with both mythical and celestial overtones.
  5. Gemma

    • Origin:

      Italian, Catalonian, Spanish

    • Meaning:

      "precious stone"

    • Description:

      Gemma is a jewel of a name, an Italian classic that was very popular in 1980s England, but has only recently been started to be used here; it entered the list in 2008.
  6. 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.
  7. Maia

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "mother"

    • Description:

      Maia was derived from the Greek word maia, meaning "mother." In Greek legend, she was the fair-haired daughter of Atlas who mothered Zeus's favorite illegitimate son, Hermes. To the Romans, Maia was the incarnation of the earth mother and goddess of spring, after whom they named the month of May. Maya is the more common spelling.
  8. Mars

    • Origin:

      Roman mythology

    • Meaning:

      "god of war; male; red planet"

    • Description:

      Mars is a name with interesting potential, ticking the boxes as a mythological name, a space name, and a single syllable choice ending in -s. For parents wanting something unexpected, Mars could work as an alternative to popular Brooks, Max, Atlas, or Miles - and given to around 150 boys - and 35 girls - in a recent year, it is unusual but recognisable.
  9. Carina

    • Origin:

      Italian

    • Meaning:

      "dear little one"

    • Description:

      Carina is a pretty delicately feminine name whose fall from popularity is not helped by its similarity to hurricane name Katrina or slang victim Karen.
  10. Vela

    • Origin:

      Sanskrit, Latin

    • Meaning:

      "shore, sail"

    • Description:

      Vela is one of those rare names that is at once simple, straightforward, authentic, and unusual, at least in the Western World. Besides being an Indian girls' name, Vela is a Southern sky constellation whose name is Latin for sail – originally part of the Argo Navis constellation.
  11. Cassiopeia

    • Origin:

      Greek mythology name

    • Meaning:

      "cassia juice"

    • Description:

      Cassiopeia, the name of a mythological mother who became a stellar constellation, is challenging but intriguing, and has all those softening Cass nicknames available. And with all names Cass-related trending, Cassiopeia may be an unusual route to a stylish name.
  12. Perseus

    • Origin:

      Greek mythology name

    • Meaning:

      "to destroy"

    • Description:

      Perseus is a godly Greek hero (he was a son of Zeus) whose ancient name just might have modern possibilities along with other so-old-they're-new-again names such as Atticus and Orion.
  13. Alya

    • Origin:

      Arabic

    • Meaning:

      "heavens, highborn, exalted"

    • Description:

      Alya is most familiar in the US in its much-more-complicated form Aaliyah, the spelling used by the later singer. The traditional name of the star system Theta Serpentis, Alya is also an established Muslim first name and a Turkish place-name. It may also be a Russian short form for Alexandra or any other Al- name.
  14. Andromeda

    • Origin:

      Greek mythology name

    • Meaning:

      "advising like a man"

    • Description:

      One of the stellar unique baby names from mythology, Andromeda was the beautiful daughter of Cassiopeia who, like her mother, literally became a star--the constellation that bears her name.The Bohemian Andromeda makes a dramatic and adventurous choice in a time when four-syllable mythological names are gradually making their way into the mainstream.
  15. Sirius

    • Origin:

      Latin from Greek

    • Meaning:

      "burning"

    • Description:

      Yes, it's the name of the brightest star in the sky, but can't you just hear people saying, "Are you serious?" Singer Erykah Badu used it as a middle name for son Seven.
  16. Mercury

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "Roman messenger god"

    • Description:

      Adventurous parents are starting to look back to names of ancient gods like Mercury, Zeus, and Apollo. This one is also a planet and a metallic element, and has a friendly nickname, Merc. The Roman god Mercury, which derives from the Latin words for trade or wages, is the patron of tradesmen and travelers and the fastest-moving planet in the solar system. Mercury is the planet associated with the sign of Virgo, so this is one of the prime names for Virgo babies.
  17. Jupiter

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "godfather"

    • Description:

      Jupiter's partner Juno has entered the mainstream, so it's possible that her divine mate could follow. But not necessarily for boys — Jupiter is currently mostly female in the US, thanks to its similarity to Juniper. Stars including Ed Sheeran and Ashley Tisdale recently welcomed daughters named Jupiter, which could shift the balance even more towards the girls.
  18. Castor

    • Origin:

      Greek; Latin

    • Meaning:

      "beaver; pious one"

    • Description:

      Forget the oil. It's one of the twins that make up the constellation Gemini, and a mythological name on the cutting-edge of fashion; used by Metallica's James Hetfield.
  19. Norma

    • Origin:

      English or Latin

    • Meaning:

      "from the north; or, the pattern"

    • Description:

      Invented for Bellini's opera, Norma had some star quality in the silent-screen and Marilyn Monroe days, but at this point it's a graying grandma in baby name limbo.
  20. Venus

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "love, desire"

    • Description:

      The name of a heavenly planet and the Roman goddess of beauty and love was an intimidating no-no until tennis champ Venus Williams put an athletic, modern spin on it.