Constellation And Star Names

Leo

Latin

"lion"

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. Brave but sparky, Leo has ranked in the Top 20 in the US,…

Atlas

Greek

"bearer of the heavens"

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…

Phoenix

Arizona place-name and Greek

"dark red"

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…

Orion

Greek

"boundary, limit"

Orion is a rising star, with both mythical and celestial overtones. The Greek mythological Orion was the legendary hunter who pursued the seven daughters of Atlas, was slain by the goddess Artemis,…

Aries

Latin

"a ram"

Better than Capricorn or Cancer, not as usable as Leo, the name of the Roman god of war becomes more possible as a baby name every day, as mythological names take the place of biblical names.

Major

Latin

"greater; or, a military rank"

This bold choice soared in popularity from 2008 to 2013, and now seems to have plateaued. But watch out—the character Major Major Major Major in the classic absurdist novel Catch-22 had a terrible…

Perseus

Greek

"to destroy"

Perseus is an up-and-coming name with a plenty going for it, so it's no wonder it's almost tripled in usage since the 2010s. Given to nearly 170 boys in the US in a recent year, Perseus ticks the…

Caelum

Latin

"heaven"

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,…

Draco

Greek from Latin

"dragon"

For as long as we all shall live, Harry Potter's sneering nemesis.

Lynx

Animal name

One of the fierce new animal names new to name lists, helped by its strong x-ending.

Sirius

Latin from Greek

"burning"

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.