Nickname help!
We want to name our baby Penelope but we can’t decide on a nickname? Help!
Keen to choose a name for your baby that is of astronomical importance?
We’ve got you covered.
Celestial baby names shine with history and meaning, awe and wonder, significance and possibility.
A tribute to the magic of the universe that surrounds us, these names refer to stars, planets, and the ancient myths that they have given birth to.
From astrology names to those inspired by constellations, to names that mean celestial, these names are, well, heaven-sent.
In this article: 📝
- What are beautiful names of stars?
- What are some cute planet names?
- Celestial girl names
- Celestial boy names
- What female names mean fallen star?
What are beautiful names of stars?
The night sky is a vast and mysterious place, full of wonder and beauty.
And among the most beautiful things in the night sky are the stars.
From the bright and shining sun to the faint and twinkling stars, each one has its own unique name and story.
Some stars are named after gods and goddesses, while others are named after animals or plants.
And still others are named for their brightness or their location in the sky.
So here are our faves:
- Adhara. This Arabic name meaning “maidens” refers to one of the brightest stars in the sky.
- Alpha. The first letter of the Greek alphabet and the brightest star in a constellation.
- Asterope. Meaning “starry-faced” or “lightning,” Asterope was a water nymph in Greek mythology.
- Capella. A beautiful Latin name, this bright northern star is sometimes referred to as the Goat Star. Capella means “goat” in Latin.
- Cassiopeia. A constellation in the northern sky, Cassiopeia is the mythological queen who boasted of her beauty.
- Castor. One of the Gemini “heavenly twin” stars, Castor is of Greek origin and means both “beaver” and “pious one.”
- Chara. This sweet name means “dear,” “joy,” and “beloved,” and refers to a bright star in the northern constellation Canes Venatici.
- Citlali. A name of Aztec origin, Citlali simply means “star.”
- Columba. This name means “dove” and is a faint constellation in the southern skies.
- Comet. A comet is a cosmic snowball. Now that’s a magical name for your little one.
- Danica. “Morning star.”
- Dara. From its Thai origins, Dara means “star.” It’s also got some other meanings from all over the world, including “pearl of wisdom” and “gift.”
- Estela. This sweet Old French name means “star.”
- Hercules. A tribute to the ancient Greek hero, Hercules is a constellation in the northern sky.
- Hoku. This stellar name of Hawaiian origin means “star.”
- Indus. From its Hindu roots, Indus means “star.”
- Izar. This one’s of Spanish origin and means “star.”
- Leo. From the Latin for lion, Leo is the constellation between Cancer and Virgo.
- Libra. The weighing scales, this constellation is in the Southern Hemisphere. Check out more Libra baby names here.
- Lintang. A name with Indonesian roots, Lintang means “star.”
- Lyra. With its Greek roots, this musical name means “harp” — and it’s also a small constellation.
- Maristela. This is a special kind of star — a star of the sea.
- Namid. “Star dancer.”
- Nashira. This Arabic name means “the bearer of good news” as the former name of a giant star in the constellation of Capricornus.
- Nova. This is the name of exploding stars.
- Orion. A significant constellation that can be seen from all over the world, Orion was also a famous hunter from Greek mythology.
- Pavo. The Latin word for “peacock,” Pavo is a constellation in the southern sky.
- Perseus. The home of Algol, the demon star, Perseus is a constellation in the northern sky.
- Polaris. The name of the famous North Star, Polaris is in the constellation of Ursa Minor.
- Pollux. This giant orange star is in the constellation of Gemini.
- Rigel. A supergiant star, Rigel lives in the constellation of Orion.
- Roxana. “Little star.”
- Tara. From its Sanskrit roots, Tara means “star” or “shining.”
- Ursa. This name has Latin roots and means “bear.” Ursa Major (the great bear) and Ursa Minor (the smaller bear) are both constellations in the northern sky.
- Vanessa. A name popular in various parts of the world, Vanessa has a few different meanings, including “butterfly” and, of course, “star.”
- Vesper. From its Latin roots, Vesper means “evening star.”
- Zaniah. A triple star system in Virgo, Zaniah is an Arabic name meaning “corner.”
What are some cute planet names?
Looking for names that are truly out of this world?
Try these interstellar options:
- Ariel. Not just the name of a famous mermaid, Ariel is also one of the Uranian moons.
- Badar. “Full moon.”
- Belinda. A Uranian satellite, the name Belinda also means “beautiful.”
- Bianca. Meaning “pure,” Bianca is a Uranian inner moon.
- Callisto. The name of a Greek mythological nymph, Callisto was transformed into a bear and then the constellation Ursa Major (the great bear). Callisto is also the name of Jupiter’s second-largest moon.
- Calypso. A moon of Saturn, Calypso is also a genre of West Indian music.
- Cassini. This interesting name refers to the dark space between Saturn’s brightest rings.
- Cordelia. Fans of Shakespeare’s King Lear will be familiar with this one. It’s also the name of a Uranian moon.
- Cressida. Another Shakespearean name, Cressida is also an inner Uranian satellite.
- Despina. This tiny moon orbits Neptune.
- Eris. This plutoid or dwarf planet orbits Neptune.
- Eros. Referring to the Greek god of desire, Eros is an asteroid, the first known to come into contact with the orbit of Mars.
- Halley. This is the name of the only naked-eye comet that you can see twice in your lifetime.
- Janus. AKA Saturn X, Janus is an inner satellite of Saturn.
- Juliet. The famous heroine of Shakespeare’s tragic romance, Juliet is also an inner Uranian satellite.
- Jupiter. This is the largest planet in our solar system — and the name of the chief Roman god.
- Jovian. A Jovian planet is any of the four outermost planets in our solar system.
- Kamaria. “Moon” or “moonlight.”
- Larissa. Neptune’s lover, Larissa has found her space among the stars as an inner satellite of Neptune.
- Leda. Referring to the mother of Helen of Troy (the most beautiful woman in the world of ancient Greek mythology), Leda is a main-belt asteroid.
- Luna. Simply “moon.”
- Mars. A mighty name for a little red planet, Mars was the Roman god of war.
- Mercurius. Now attached to the planet Mercury, Mercurius is the name of the Roman messenger of the gods.
- Miranda. A Uranian satellite, Miranda means “to be wondered at.”
- Neptune. Named after the Roman god of the sea, this is the icy blue planet which is eighth from the sun in our solar system. It’s a name that is growing in popularity.
- Oberon. Another favorite for Shakespeare lovers, Oberon means “royal bear” and is the name of the outermost Uranian moon.
- Phoebe. From the Greek meaning “radiant and bright,” Phoebe is one of Saturn’s moons. It’s also a fun Shakespearean name from As You Like It.
- Portia. This one’s got Shakespearean ties too, and refers to a fast-moving Uranian moon.
- Rhea. The second-largest moon of Saturn, Rhea was the mother of Zeus and her name means “flowing.”
- Saturn. The name of the Roman god of agriculture, Saturn is the sixth planet from our sun.
- Titania. We’re back to the Shakespearean names with this one. Titania is the largest Uranian moon.
- Venus. The name of the ancient Roman goddess of love and beauty, Venus is the planet second closest to our sun.
Celestial girl names
- Adara. “Maidens”, Greek.
- Angel. ’Nuff said. 👼🏽
- Artemis. “Goddess of the moon.”
- Astra. “Star”, Greek.
- Aurora. “Dawn”, Latin.
- Cassia. “Cinnamon” in Latin, also a nickname for the constellation of Cassiopeia.
- Celeste. “Heavenly.”
- Ĉiela. “Celestial”, Esperanto.
- Cosmos. “The universe.”
- Diana. “Divine”, Roman.
- Eden. “Paradise.”
- Estelle. “Star”, French.
- Iris. “Rainbow”, Greek.
- Juno. “Queen of heaven.”
- Lani. “Celestial”, Hawaiian.
- Maia. “Mother”, Greek. Also one of the Pleiades, a group of stars in the constellation of Taurus.
- Selene. “Moon”, Greek.
- Stella. “Celestial star.”
- Saros. The saros is a period of time used to predict eclipses. It comes from sāru, a Babylonian word that means “to sweep.”
- Tiāntǐ. “Celestial” in Chinese.
Celestial boy names
- Adair. “Oak tree of the river”, Scottish. Also the name of a star in the constellation of Ursa Major.
- Altair. Arabic, meaning “flying eagle”, also one of the brightest stars in the night sky.
- Atlas. He’s the mythical figure who holds up the heavens.
- Caelum. This faint constellation in the Southern Hemisphere has a specifically celestial meaning in Latin — “heaven.”
- Cielo. “Sky.”
- Eos. “Dawn”, Greek.
- Felix. “Happy”, Latin. Also the name of a star in the constellation of Ursa Major.
- Hector. “Holder”, Greek. Also the name of a star in the constellation of Orion.
- Icarus. “Wax wing”, Greek. After the Greek myth of the man who flew too close to the sun.
- Isaac. “God laughed.”
- Micah. “Who is like God”
- Orpheus. “The darkness of the night.”
- Ravi. “Sun.”
- Samson. “Of the sun.”
- Sol. “Sun.”
- Tentai. “Celestial”, Japanese.
- Themis. Meaning “divine law,” Themis is also the name of a large asteroid.
- Zodiac. This belt-shaped part of the sky contains the twelve signs of Western astrology. It means “cycle or circle of little animals.”
What boy name means brightest star?
- Sirius. The name of the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius aptly means “burning brightly.”
What female names mean fallen star?
- Elara. An irregular satellite that orbits Jupiter — as well as being the name of one of Zeus’s lovers. It’s also Greek for “fallen star”.
- Liúxīng. Chinese for “fallen star”.
- Vega. A bright star in the constellation of Lyra, Vega also means “stooping eagle”, “dweller in the meadow”, and “falling star”.
So, there you have it!
A list of celestial baby names that are sure to inspire and amaze.
So whether you’re looking for a name that is out of this world or one that is simply beautiful, you’re sure to find the perfect one for your babe.
And who knows?
Maybe one day, your child will look up at the night sky and see their name shining among the stars.
The sky’s the limit!