Star and Planet Names (2024)

  1. Ara
    • Origin:

      Armenian
    • Meaning:

      "king"
    • Description:

      Simple and yet distinctive, Ara is a mythological name of a famously handsome king. Although it originated as a boys' name, in the contemporary US, it's now much more commonly used for girls.

    Ara ContinuedChevron - Right

  2. Galatea
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "she who is milk-white"
    • Description:

      This name's meaning derives from the material from which the mythical sculptor Pygmalion chiselled his ideal woman - she was carved from ivory. Pygmalion fell in love with his creation and Aphrodite, taking pity on him, brought the sculpture to life. The woman was named Galatea due to her incredibly pale skin. The Pygmalion myth was the inspiration behind the story of "My Fair Lady" starring Julie Andrews on stage and Audrey Hepburn on screen.

    Galatea ContinuedChevron - Right

  3. Mars
    • Origin:

      Roman mythology god of war
    • Description:

      The name of the Roman god of war began to sound less intimidating when Erykah Badu gave it to her daughter, and musicians Thomas and Bruno Mars (the latter born Peter Hernandez) have given it a modern edge. Mars actually could make a pleasant, planetary middle name for either sex.

    Mars ContinuedChevron - Right

  4. Ursa
    • Origin:

      Short form of Ursula, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "little female bear"
    • Description:

      Ursa might be a good choice if you're looking for a bear name for your daughter but want to avoid the She Witch curse placed on Ursula by Disney's The Little Mermaid. Too bad, because Ursula is a classic and lovely name, but Ursa has less baggage.

    Ursa ContinuedChevron - Right

  5. 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.

  6. Libra
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "scales, balance"
    • Description:

      Appropriate for a girl born between late September and late October, Libra suggests both balance and freedom.

    Libra ContinuedChevron - Right

  7. 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.

    Norma ContinuedChevron - Right

  8. Io
    • Origin:

      Greek mythology name
    • Description:

      Io may be one of the slightest names in the book, but there aren't many two-letter names with as much substance as this Greek mythological example. Io, a name used for the largest moon of Jupiter, was in classic myth raped by Zeus and escaped from him by changing herself into a cow.

    Io ContinuedChevron - Right

  9. Vega
    • Origin:

      Arabic, Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "swooping eagle; meadow"
    • Description:

      Another astral name, this one relating to one of the largest and brightest stars in the heavens, is popular in Scandinavia and Spain, where it ranks among the Top 50 girls' names. Although still very rare in the US, we think it has serious potential to follow the likes of Luna and Lyra up the charts.

    Vega ContinuedChevron - Right

  10. Atria
    • Origin:

      Star name, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "entry hall"
    • Description:

      A star in the constellation Triangulum Australe, also the name of a publishing imprint and an assisted living corporation, probably because it has that streamlined corporate I-could-be-a-car-name feel. Atria is the plural of the more familiar term for an entry hall or foyer, atrium.

    Atria ContinuedChevron - Right

  11. Sky
    • Origin:

      Nature name
    • Description:

      Sky is an ambigender nature name that was first legitimized as the character of Sky Masterson in the 1950 musical Guys and Dolls, played in the film version by Marlon Brando. It's a name we appreciate for its clear, wide-open feel, less hippyish than others like Rainbow and Starlight, and makes an appealing middle name possibility.

    Sky ContinuedChevron - Right

  12. Finlay
    • Origin:

      Irish and Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "fair-haired hero"
    • Description:

      Finlay is a Scottish royal name: it belonged to Macbeth's father, Finlay MacRory--or Findlaech mac Ruaidri--that has a bit of a split personality. It has two acceptable spellings--Finlay and Finley, the first more popular in its native Scotland, where it ranks in the Top 10, the second in the US. It is also becoming more and more unisex in the States, with the Finley spelling now split between girls and boys.

    Finlay ContinuedChevron - Right

  13. Oberon
    • Origin:

      Variation of Auberon
    • Meaning:

      "noble, bearlike"
    • Description:

      The Shakespearean character Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream is King of the Fairies, but the name, with its strong 'O' beginning, projects a far more virile image than that.

    Oberon ContinuedChevron - Right

  14. Indi
    • Origin:

      Variation of Indie, English
    • Meaning:

      "independent"
    • Description:

      A true maverick of a girls' name —even more so with this spelling, the least common between Indie, Indy, and Indi.

    Indi ContinuedChevron - Right

  15. 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.

    Mercury ContinuedChevron - Right

  16. 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.

    Venus ContinuedChevron - Right

  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.

    Jupiter ContinuedChevron - Right

  18. Titania
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "giant, great one"
    • Description:

      This name of the queen of the fairies in A Midsummer Night's Dream has a delicate, lacy charm similar to Tatiana's, but that first syllable could cause embarrassing problems.

    Titania ContinuedChevron - Right

  19. Dione
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "divine queen"
    • Description:

      In Greek mythology the mother of Aphrodite by Zeus, and also one of Saturn's moons; this is an astral name quite distinct from the better known Dionne.

    Dione ContinuedChevron - Right

  20. Aquila
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "eagle"
    • Description:

      An evocative ancient word that's used as a first name in the New Testament, among other places. It's also the name of an eagle-shaped constellation.

    Aquila ContinuedChevron - Right

Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts

As an expert and enthusiast, I have access to a wide range of information and can provide insights on various topics. Now, let's discuss the concepts mentioned in this article.

Ara:

  • Origin: Armenian
  • Meaning: "king"
  • Description: Ara is a mythological name of a famously handsome king. Although it originated as a boys' name, in the contemporary US, it's now much more commonly used for girls.

Galatea:

  • Origin: Greek
  • Meaning: "she who is milk-white"
  • Description: Galatea's meaning derives from the material from which the mythical sculptor Pygmalion chiseled his ideal woman - she was carved from ivory. The woman was named Galatea due to her incredibly pale skin. The Pygmalion myth was the inspiration behind the story of "My Fair Lady".

Mars:

  • Origin: Roman mythology god of war
  • Description: Mars is the name of the Roman god of war. It began to sound less intimidating when Erykah Badu gave it to her daughter, and musicians Thomas and Bruno Mars have given it a modern edge. Mars could make a pleasant, planetary middle name for either sex.

Ursa:

  • Origin: Short form of Ursula, Latin
  • Meaning: "little female bear"
  • Description: Ursa might be a good choice if you're looking for a bear name for your daughter but want to avoid the She Witch curse placed on Ursula by Disney's The Little Mermaid. Ursa has less baggage compared to Ursula.

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.

Libra:

  • Origin: Greek
  • Meaning: "scales, balance"
  • Description: Libra is appropriate for a girl born between late September and late October. It suggests both balance and freedom .

Norma:

  • Origin: English or Latin
  • Meaning: "from the north; or, the pattern"
  • Description: Norma is a name that had some star quality in the silent-screen and Marilyn Monroe days, but it's now less popular. It is considered a classic and lovely name, but it is currently in baby name limbo.

Io:

  • Origin: Greek mythology name
  • Description: Io may be one of the slightest names in the book, but there aren't many two-letter names with as much substance as this Greek mythological example. Io, a name used for the largest moon of Jupiter, was in classic myth raped by Zeus and escaped from him by changing herself into a cow.

Vega:

  • Origin: Arabic, Spanish
  • Meaning: "swooping eagle; meadow"
  • Description: Vega is the name of one of the largest and brightest stars in the heavens. It is popular in Scandinavia and Spain, where it ranks among the Top 50 girls' names. Although still very rare in the US, it has the potential to become more popular.

Atria:

  • Origin: Star name, Latin
  • Meaning: "entry hall"
  • Description: Atria is the plural of the more familiar term for an entry hall or foyer, atrium. It is also the name of a star in the constellation Triangulum Australe, as well as a publishing imprint and an assisted living corporation.

Sky:

  • Origin: Nature name
  • Description: Sky is an ambigender nature name that was first legitimized as the character of Sky Masterson in the 1950 musical Guys and Dolls. It's a name appreciated for its clear, wide-open feel, less hippyish than others like Rainbow and Starlight, and makes an appealing middle name possibility.

Finlay:

  • Origin: Irish and Scottish
  • Meaning: "fair-haired hero"
  • Description: Finlay is a Scottish royal name that has two acceptable spellings: Finlay and Finley. The first is more popular in Scotland, where it ranks in the Top 10, while the second is more common in the US. It is also becoming more unisex in the States, with the Finley spelling now used for both girls and boys.

Oberon:

  • Origin: Variation of Auberon
  • Meaning: "noble, bearlike"
  • Description: Oberon is a variation of Auberon and is the name of the Shakespearean character in A Midsummer Night's Dream who is the King of the Fairies. It projects a more virile image than the character it represents.

Indi:

  • Origin: Variation of Indie, English
  • Meaning: "independent"
  • Description: Indi is a true maverick of a girls' name, even more so with this spelling. It is the least common spelling between Indie, Indy, and Indi.

Mercury:

  • Origin: Latin
  • Meaning: "Roman messenger god"
  • Description: Mercury is an adventurous name that is also the name of a planet and a metallic element. It has a friendly nickname, Merc. The Roman god Mercury is the patron of tradesmen and travelers and is associated with the sign of Virgo.

Venus:

  • Origin: Latin
  • Meaning: "love, desire"
  • Description: Venus is the name of a heavenly planet and the Roman goddess of beauty and love. It was considered intimidating until tennis champ Venus Williams put an athletic, modern spin on it.

Jupiter:

  • Origin: Latin
  • Meaning: "godfather"
  • Description: Jupiter's partner Juno has entered the mainstream, so it's possible that Jupiter could follow. However, it is currently mostly used for girls 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.

Titania:

  • Origin: Greek
  • Meaning: "giant, great one"
  • Description: Titania is the name of the queen of the fairies in A Midsummer Night's Dream. It has a delicate, lacy charm similar to Tatiana's, but the first syllable could cause embarrassing problems.

Dione:

  • Origin: Greek
  • Meaning: "divine queen"
  • Description: Dione is an astral name that is quite distinct from the better-known Dionne. In Greek mythology, Dione was the mother of Aphrodite by Zeus, and it is also the name of one of Saturn's moons.

Aquila:

  • Origin: Latin
  • Meaning: "eagle"
  • Description: Aquila is an evocative ancient word that's used as a first name in the New Testament and is also the name of an eagle-shaped constellation.

These descriptions provide an overview of the concepts mentioned in the article. If you have any specific questions or would like more information on any of these names, feel free to ask!

Star and Planet Names (2024)

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Gov. Deandrea McKenzie

Last Updated:

Views: 6197

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (46 voted)

Reviews: 85% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Gov. Deandrea McKenzie

Birthday: 2001-01-17

Address: Suite 769 2454 Marsha Coves, Debbieton, MS 95002

Phone: +813077629322

Job: Real-Estate Executive

Hobby: Archery, Metal detecting, Kitesurfing, Genealogy, Kitesurfing, Calligraphy, Roller skating

Introduction: My name is Gov. Deandrea McKenzie, I am a spotless, clean, glamorous, sparkling, adventurous, nice, brainy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.