Space names are baby names drawn from the night sky, such as Stella, Orion, Lyra and Nova, and this list gives a checked origin and meaning for 131 star, planet, constellation and sky names.
Space names are having a moment with parents who love the night sky. Some come from real stars like Sirius and Vega, some from the myths behind constellations like Orion and Andromeda, and some from planets, moons and the words for star, sky and sun in languages around the world.
We grouped the names by theme: star names, constellation names, the Pleiades, planets and dwarf planets, planetary moons, names that mean star, sky names, and sun and cosmic names. Then we sort them by gender and finish with tips to help you choose. Every meaning was checked against the name’s own Behind the Name entry.
Key Takeaways
Popular space names include Stella, Orion, Nova, Lyra, Atlas, Celeste, Vega and Juno.
Star names such as Sirius, Altair, Rigel and Deneb often come from Greek or Arabic words.
Planet names such as Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter come from Roman gods and goddesses.
Names like Estelle, Tara, Seren, Citlalli and Yıldız all mean star in their own languages.
Read the full story behind myth names, since a few, like Eris (strife), carry harsh meanings.
Table of Contents
Space Names at a Glance
Quick Answer
Favorite space names: Stella, Orion, Nova, Lyra, Atlas, Celeste, Vega, Juno, Cosmo and Seren. For star names, try Sirius, Altair, Bellatrix or Arcturus; for constellations, Andromeda, Cassiopeia, Pegasus or Carina; for planets and dwarf planets, Venus, Mars, Ceres or Haumea; for names that mean star, Estelle, Tara, Astra or Citlalli; for sky names, Cielo, Sora, Kalani or Akash; for sun names, Sol, Soleil, Helios or Surya.
Every origin label and meaning on this page was checked against the name’s own entry on Behind the Name in October 2026. Where the reference calls a meaning unknown, uncertain or only possible, we print it that way. Astronomy facts come from those entries or from NASA.
Space names are baby names taken from the night sky: stars, constellations, planets and their moons, plus names that simply mean “star”, “sky” or “sun” in languages around the world. Some are brand new as given names, and some have been on birth certificates for centuries. The ten below are the easiest place to start: short, easy to say and clearly cosmic.
Name
Origin
Meaning
Stella
English, Italian, Dutch, German (feminine)
From the Latin word for “star”; coined by the poet Philip Sidney in the 16th century and common as a given name from the 19th century
Orion
Greek mythology (masculine)
Origin uncertain: perhaps from Greek for “boundary, limit” or an Akkadian phrase meaning “light of the heavens”; the constellation is named after a legendary hunter
Nova
English, Swedish and Dutch (modern; feminine)
From Latin novus, “new”; first used as a name in the 19th century
Lyra
Astronomy (feminine)
The northern constellation that contains the star Vega, traditionally linked to the lyre of Orpheus
Atlas
Greek mythology (masculine)
Possibly “enduring”, from Greek tlao, “to endure”; the Titan made to hold up the heavens on his shoulders
Celeste
Italian (feminine and masculine); Spanish, Portuguese, English (feminine)
Italian form of Caelestis, a Latin name meaning “of the sky, heavenly”
Vega
Astronomy (feminine)
The name of a star in the constellation Lyra, from an Arabic phrase meaning “the swooping (eagle)”
Juno
Roman mythology (feminine)
Meaning unknown, perhaps from a root meaning “young” or of Etruscan origin; the wife of Jupiter and queen of the heavens
Cosmo
Italian, English (masculine)
Italian form of Cosimo, which comes from Cosmas and the Greek kosmos, “order, world, universe”
Seren
Welsh (feminine)
Means “star” in Welsh; a recently created name
Ten favorite space names, with the origin and meaning given by Behind the Name.
None of these ten made the 2025 top 10 for U.S. babies, according to the Social Security Administration (SSA), so they will feel familiar without being everywhere. Stella and Nova are probably the best known. Lyra and Vega come straight from astronomy, while Orion, Atlas and Juno come from Greek and Roman myth and then went up into the sky.
This page has 131 space names in all. Each one appears in only one table, so you can scan by theme without seeing repeats. If you love nature-inspired names more broadly, our nature names list is a good companion.
Star Names for Babies
These are the names of real stars, and Behind the Name lists most of them under its “Astronomy” usage. Several come from Arabic, and their entries show meanings that describe a part of a figure in the sky: a foot, a tail, a flyer, maidens.
Name
Origin
Meaning
Sirius
Astronomy (masculine)
A bright star in the constellation Canis Major; through Latin from Greek seirios, “burning”
Adhara
Astronomy (feminine)
From Arabic for “maidens”; the second brightest star in Canis Major, after Sirius
Aludra
Astronomy (feminine)
From an Arabic word meaning “maiden”; a star in Canis Major
Altair
Astronomy; Portuguese, Brazilian (masculine)
Means “the flyer” in Arabic; a star in the constellation Aquila
Antares
Astronomy (masculine)
From Greek, traditionally read as “opposing Ares”; the brightest star in Scorpius
Arcturus
Astronomy (masculine)
From Greek Arktouros, often rendered “guardian of the bear”; the fourth brightest star in the sky, in Boötes
Arista
Astronomy (feminine)
Means “ear of grain” in Latin; a star in Virgo also known as Spica
Bellatrix
Astronomy (feminine)
Means “female warrior” in Latin; the star at the left shoulder of Orion
Deneb
Astronomy (masculine)
From Arabic dhanab, “tail”; a star in the constellation Cygnus
Rigel
Astronomy (masculine)
From Arabic for “foot”; the star that forms the left foot of Orion
Regulus
Ancient Roman, Astronomy (masculine)
A Roman cognomen meaning roughly “prince” or “little king”; a star in Leo carries the name
Castor
Greek mythology (masculine)
Possibly linked to a Greek verb meaning “to excel, to shine”, or to the word for “beaver”; the twin of Pollux and a star in Gemini
Pollux
Roman mythology (masculine)
Roman form of Polydeukes, “very sweet”; the twin of Castor and a star in Gemini
Dhruva
Hinduism (masculine)
Sanskrit, “fixed, immovable, firm, stable”; also the North Star (Polaris), which a devotee of Vishnu became in Hindu mythology
Dhruv
Hindi, Nepali (masculine)
Modern form of Dhruva
Arundhati
Hinduism, Hindi (feminine)
Sanskrit, “not restrained”; the name of a star also called Alcor, linked with the wife of the sage Vasishtha
Suha
Arabic (feminine)
From an Arabic sense of “forgotten, overlooked”; also Al-Suha, a star in Ursa Major also called Alcor
Star names, with the star each name belongs to as Behind the Name describes it.
A few notes. Sirius is the bright star of Canis Major, and Adhara is the second brightest star in that same constellation, according to their entries. Arcturus is described as the fourth brightest star in the whole sky. Bellatrix and Rigel are both part of Orion, so they make a natural sibling or middle name pairing with that name.
The Hindu and Arabic names in this table are lovely finds. Dhruva means “fixed, firm” in Sanskrit and is also the name of the North Star, and Dhruv is its modern form. Arundhati and Suha both belong to Alcor, a small star in Ursa Major. Suha’s everyday Arabic sense is “forgotten”, so read the full entry before you choose it. For more names from India, see our Indian boy names guide.
Constellation Names
Most constellation names come from Greek and Roman myth: heroes, queens, animals and monsters that the ancients pictured in the stars. In each case the person or creature came first and the constellation was named after them, which is why many of these names have long histories as given names too.
Name
Origin
Meaning
Andromeda
Greek mythology (feminine)
From Greek “man” plus a word meaning “to be mindful of” or “to protect, rule over”; the princess rescued by Perseus, with a northern constellation and a galaxy named after her
Cassiopeia
Greek mythology, Latinized (feminine)
May mean “cassia juice”; the mother of Andromeda, changed into a constellation in the northern sky
Cepheus
Greek mythology, Latinized (masculine)
Meaning unknown; a king, husband of Cassiopeia, made into a constellation
Perseus
Greek mythology (masculine)
May come from a Greek verb likely meaning “to destroy”; the hero who rescued Andromeda
Pegasus
Greek mythology, Latinized (masculine)
Perhaps from Greek for “strong” or “from a water spring”; the winged horse, with a northern constellation named after him
Draco
Ancient Greek, Latinized (masculine)
From Greek drakon, “dragon, serpent”; also a constellation in the northern sky
Hydra
Astronomy, Greek mythology (feminine)
From the Greek word for “water”: a water serpent of myth; also a northern constellation and one of Pluto’s moons
Hercules
Roman mythology (masculine)
The usual Latin form of Heracles, from the Etruscan form Hercle
Aquila
Biblical, Ancient Roman (masculine and feminine)
A Roman cognomen meaning “eagle” in Latin; a New Testament name
Carina
English, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Ancient Roman (feminine)
From Latin carus, “dear, beloved”; also a constellation in the southern sky, where the Latin word means “keel”
Astraea
Greek mythology, Latinized (feminine)
From Greek aster, “star”; a goddess of justice and innocence placed among the stars as the constellation Virgo
Aries
Astronomy (masculine)
Means “ram” in Latin; a constellation and the first sign of the zodiac
Taurus
Astronomy (masculine)
Means “bull” in Latin; a constellation and the second sign of the zodiac
Gemini
Roman mythology, Astronomy (masculine)
Means “twins” in Latin; the third sign of the zodiac, whose brightest stars are Castor and Pollux
Scorpio
Astronomy (masculine)
From Greek skorpios, “scorpion”; the eighth sign of the zodiac, linked to the constellation Scorpius
Virgo
Astronomy (feminine)
Means “maiden, virgin” in Latin; a constellation and the sixth sign of the zodiac
Constellation and zodiac names for babies.
The Andromeda story ties several of these names together. Andromeda was the daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia, and Perseus rescued her; Pegasus, the winged horse, was born after Perseus slew Medusa. Behind the Name notes that a northern constellation carries Andromeda’s name, and that the Andromeda galaxy shares it because, as seen from Earth, it lies inside that constellation. A family of constellation names could easily work for siblings or twins.
Carina is a nice crossover: it is a familiar given name from Latin carus, “dear, beloved”, and also a southern constellation whose name means the keel of the ship Argo. Behind the Name files Perseus, Hercules and Aquila under constellation names as well, though their entries mainly tell the myth or Roman history. The zodiac names (Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Scorpio and Virgo) are listed by the reference as astronomy names, so they count as space names whether or not your family follows astrology.
The Pleiades: Seven Sisters Names
The Pleiades are a star cluster in the constellation Taurus, as the entries for Maia, Pleione and Alcyone describe it. In Greek myth they were the seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione. Many cultures have their own name for the same cluster, so this small group of stars gives you names from Greek, Arabic, Persian and Turkish.
Name
Origin
Meaning
Maia
Greek and Roman mythology, Portuguese, Georgian (feminine)
From a Greek word glossed “good mother, dame, foster mother”; the eldest of the Pleiades and the mother of Hermes
Electra
Greek mythology, Latinized (feminine)
From the Greek word for “amber”; one of the Pleiades, and also the daughter of Agamemnon in myth
Alcyone
Greek mythology, Latinized (feminine)
From Greek alkyon, “kingfisher”; also the brightest star of the Pleiades
Merope
Greek mythology (feminine)
From Greek meros, “share, part”, and ops, “face, eye”; the seventh of the Pleiades
Taygete
Greek mythology (feminine)
From Mount Taygetos near Sparta, probably a pre-Greek name; one of the Pleiades, and a small moon of Jupiter is named after her
Sterope
Greek mythology (feminine)
From Greek for “lightning”, a variant of Asterope; one of the Pleiades
Pleione
Greek mythology (feminine)
May come from Greek for “more, greater”; the wife of Atlas and mother of the Pleiades
Thurayya
Arabic (feminine)
The Arabic name for the Pleiades, a star cluster in Taurus
Means “the Pleiades” in Persian; usually feminine in Iran and unisex in India
Parveen
Urdu, Hindi (feminine and masculine)
Alternate transcription of Parvin
Ülker
Turkish (feminine)
Means “the Pleiades” in Turkish
Names linked to the Pleiades star cluster.
Maia is the best known of the sisters and the eldest in myth. Alcyone is the name of the brightest star in the cluster, according to its entry. Soraya is the Persian form of the Arabic Thurayya, and Parvin (sometimes written Parveen) is another Persian name for the cluster, used for girls in Iran and for both girls and boys in India. Ülker is the Turkish word for the Pleiades. Atlas, the sisters’ father, is in the favorites table above.
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Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune all share their names with Roman or Greek gods, and each entry below tells both the myth and the planet. We added a few names for Earth itself and for the planet Venus seen as the morning and evening star.
Name
Origin
Meaning
Mercury
Roman mythology, Anglicized (masculine)
From Latin Mercurius, probably linked to words for “to trade” or “wages”; the god of trade and travelers; the planet closest to the Sun
Venus
Roman mythology (feminine)
From a Latin word for “love, desire”; the goddess of love; the second planet from the Sun is named after her
Terra
English (feminine)
Variant of Tara, possibly influenced by the Latin word for “land, earth”
Gaia
Greek mythology, Italian (feminine)
From Greek gaia, a form of ge, “earth”; the mother goddess who presided over the earth
Mars
Roman mythology (masculine)
From an older Latin form, Mavors, possibly of non-Italic origin; the god of war; the fourth planet
Jupiter
Roman mythology, Anglicized (masculine)
From Latin Iuppiter, from roots meaning “Zeus” plus “father”; the chief Roman god, ruler of the sky; the fifth and largest planet
Saturn
Roman mythology, Anglicized (masculine)
From Latin Saturnus, of unknown meaning; a god linked with farming; the ringed sixth planet
Uranus
Greek mythology, Latinized (masculine)
From the Greek word for “the heavens”; the husband of Gaia and father of the Titans; the seventh planet
Neptune
Roman mythology, Anglicized (masculine)
From Latin Neptunus, of unknown meaning, perhaps from a root tied to wetness or clouds; the god of the sea; the eighth planet
Pluto
Greek mythology, Latinized; Roman mythology (masculine)
From Greek ploutos, “wealth”; another name for Hades; a dwarf planet once counted as the ninth planet
Ceres
Roman mythology (feminine)
From a root linked to growing and increasing; the Roman goddess of agriculture
Eris
Greek mythology (feminine)
Means “strife, discord” in Greek; a goddess of conflict
Haumea
Polynesian mythology (feminine)
From Hawaiian words for “ruler” and “reddish brown”, roughly “red ruler”; a goddess of fertility and childbirth; a dwarf planet was named after her in 2008
Sedna
New World mythology (feminine)
Meaning unknown; an Inuit goddess of the sea and sea animals; a dwarf planet in the outer solar system was named for her in 2004
Danica
Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Slovak, Macedonian, English (feminine)
From a Slavic word for the planet Venus seen as the morning star
Hesperos
Ancient Greek (masculine)
From the Greek word for “evening”; the personified Evening Star, the planet Venus
Vesper
Roman mythology; Dutch, modern (masculine and feminine)
The Latin counterpart of Hesperos, the evening star
Planet, dwarf planet and morning or evening star names.
NASA lists five dwarf planets: Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake and Eris. Ceres is the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, according to NASA, and it was the first dwarf planet visited by a spacecraft. Haumea and Sedna come from Hawaiian and Inuit tradition, and their entries note that a dwarf planet was named after Haumea in 2008 and an outer solar system body after Sedna in 2004.
Some planet names are easier to wear than others. Venus, Juno (in the favorites table) and Ceres are classic goddess names. Mars, Jupiter and Saturn have a bold sound for a boy, and Terra and Gaia are gentle ways to honor Earth. Eris means “strife” and Pluto was another name for the god of the underworld, so read the full stories first. Danica, Hesperos and Vesper all point to Venus as the bright morning or evening star.
Names From the Moons of the Planets
The moons of Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune carry names from Greek and Roman myth, and several of them make striking baby names. Each entry below names the moon, or NASA’s list of Saturn’s moons includes it. (Names that mean the Moon itself have their own page: see our names that mean moon list.)
Name
Origin
Meaning
Io
Greek mythology (feminine)
Meaning unknown; a princess loved by Zeus in myth; a moon of Jupiter is named after her
Europa
Greek mythology, Latinized (feminine)
From the Greek name for Europe, likely “wide face”; a princess carried to Crete; also a moon of Jupiter
Ganymede
Greek mythology, Anglicized (masculine)
Possibly from Greek roots meaning “to be glad” and “plans, counsel, cunning”; cupbearer to the gods; a moon of Jupiter is named after him
Callisto
Greek mythology, Latinized (feminine)
Latinized form of Kallisto; a moon of Jupiter carries the name
Titan
English, modern (masculine)
From the English word for the giant gods of Greek myth, also used for anyone large or great; the largest moon of Saturn
Rhea
Greek and Roman mythology (feminine)
Meaning unknown, possibly from Greek “to flow” or “ground”; the Titan mother of Zeus
Tethys
Greek mythology (feminine)
From Greek tethe, “grandmother”; a Titan of the sea
Hyperion
Greek mythology (masculine)
From Greek hyper, “over”; a Titan associated with the sun and light
Iapetus
Greek mythology, Latinized (masculine)
Latinized form of Iapetos; the name of one of Saturn’s moons
Janus
Roman mythology (masculine)
From a Latin word meaning “archway”; the two-faced god of gateways and beginnings, for whom January is named
Triton
Greek mythology (masculine)
Meaning uncertain, perhaps from a sea-related root or the Greek word for “three”; a son of Poseidon; the largest of Neptune’s moons is named after him
Names shared with moons of Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune.
Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto are the four big moons of Jupiter that Behind the Name connects with each name, and Taygete (in the Pleiades table) names a small Jovian moon too. NASA’s list of Saturn’s moons includes Titan, Rhea, Tethys, Hyperion, Iapetus, Calypso and Janus, plus a small moon called Atlas. NASA describes Titan as larger than the planet Mercury. Triton is the largest of Neptune’s moons, according to its entry, and Hydra (in the constellation table) is also one of Pluto’s moons.
Names That Mean Star
If you want the meaning, not just the connection, these names all mean “star” (or come from a word for star) in their own languages. They range from familiar English picks to names used in Persian, Arabic, Turkish, Hawaiian, Nahuatl, Croatian, Hungarian and Japanese.
Name
Origin
Meaning
Estelle
English, French (feminine)
From an Old French name meaning “star”, from Latin stella; revived in the 19th century
Estrella
Spanish (feminine)
Spanish form of Stella, the same as the Spanish word for “star”
Star
English (feminine)
From the English word for the celestial body, from Old English steorra
Starla
English (feminine)
Elaborated form of Star
Astra
English, rare (feminine)
Means “star”, from Greek aster; used only since the 20th century
Aster
English, rare (feminine and masculine)
From the aster flower, whose name comes from Greek for “star”
Asterios
Ancient Greek, Greek mythology, Greek (masculine)
Greek form of Asterius, from aster, “star”
Asteria
Greek mythology (feminine)
Feminine form of Asterios; a Titan in Greek myth
Esther
English, Jewish, Biblical and more (feminine)
From Hebrew, possibly meaning “star” in Persian, or from the name of the goddess Ishtar; the queen in the Old Testament Book of Esther
Tara
Hinduism, Buddhism, Hindi, Nepali, Persian (feminine)
From Sanskrit for “star”; an astral goddess in Hinduism and a bodhisattva of protection in Buddhism
Sitara
Urdu (feminine)
Means “star” in Urdu, ultimately from Persian
Setareh
Persian (feminine)
Means “star” in Persian
Akhtar
Urdu, Bengali (masculine and feminine)
From the Persian word for “star”
Najm
Arabic (masculine)
Means “star” in Arabic
Najma
Arabic, Urdu (feminine)
Feminine form of Najm
Yıldız
Turkish (feminine)
Means “star” in Turkish
Hōkūlani
Hawaiian (feminine)
Means “heavenly star”, from Hawaiian hōkū, “star”, and lani, “heaven, sky” (also royalty, majesty)
Citlalli
Nahuatl (feminine)
From the Nahuatl word for “star”
Citlali
Nahuatl (feminine)
Variant of Citlalli
Zvjezdana
Croatian (feminine)
From the Croatian word zvijezda, “star”
Zvezdana
Serbian, Slovene (feminine)
Serbian and Slovene form of Zvjezdana
Csilla
Hungarian (feminine)
From Hungarian csillag, “star”; created by the author András Dugonics for an 1803 novel
Hoshi
Japanese (feminine)
From Japanese 星 (hoshi), “star”, or other kanji with the same pronunciation
Names that mean star, from many languages.
Several of these are related. Stella (in the favorites table), Estelle and Estrella all trace back to Latin stella. Astra, Aster, Asterios and Asteria share the Greek aster. Sitara, Setareh and Akhtar come from Persian words for star, and Najma is the feminine form of the Arabic Najm. Esther is the most classic name here, though its entry says the “star” meaning is only possible: it may come from the name of the goddess Ishtar instead.
Two notes on spelling. Japanese names depend on the kanji chosen, so Hoshi means “star” only when it is written with that character, and our Japanese girl names guide explains this further. Yıldız uses the Turkish dotless i, and Hōkūlani uses Hawaiian long vowel marks. U.S. paperwork does not always carry accents or other special characters, so decide early how you will spell the name day to day.
Names That Mean Sky or Heaven
Sky names look up rather than out into space, but they fit the same dreamy style. Most come from Latin caelum (“sky, heaven”), from Hawaiian lani, or from the plain English words.
Name
Origin
Meaning
Caelestis
Late Roman (masculine)
A Latin name meaning “of the sky, heavenly”, from caelum, “heaven, sky”
Celestine
English (feminine and masculine)
English form of Caelestinus, from Latin caelum, “sky”; more often used for girls
Cielo
Spanish (feminine)
Means “sky, heaven” in Spanish, from Latin caelum
Heaven
English, modern (feminine)
From the English word heaven, from Old English heofon, “sky”
Sky
English, modern (feminine and masculine)
From the English word sky, from Old Norse ský, “cloud”
Sora
Japanese (feminine and masculine)
From Japanese 空 or 昊, both meaning “sky”; other kanji are possible
Lani
Hawaiian (feminine)
Means “sky, heaven, royal, majesty” in Hawaiian
Kalani
Hawaiian (masculine and feminine)
Means “the heavens”, from ka, “the”, and lani, “heaven, sky”
Leilani
Hawaiian, English (feminine and masculine)
From lei, “flowers, child”, and lani, “heaven, sky, royalty”; usually read as “heavenly flowers” or “royal child”
Kailani
Hawaiian; English and Latin American Spanish, modern (feminine)
From Hawaiian words for “ocean, sea” and “sky, heaven”
Akash
Hindi, Marathi, Bengali (masculine)
From Sanskrit ākāśa, “open space, sky”
Ourania
Greek mythology, Greek (feminine)
From Greek ouranios, “heavenly”; the Muse of astronomy
Urania
Greek mythology, Latinized (feminine)
Latinized form of Ourania
Names that mean sky, heaven or heavenly.
Celeste (in the favorites table) and Celestine both come from Latin names built on caelum, and the French feminine form Célestine is part of why Celestine is mostly a girls’ name today. The four Hawaiian names all include lani: Lani on its own, Kalani (“the heavens”), Leilani and Kailani (sea and sky). Ourania was the Muse of astronomy in Greek myth, and Urania is the Latinized spelling.
Sun Names and Cosmic Word Names
The Sun is our own star, so sun names belong on a space list too. Many come from the names of sun gods and goddesses in Greek, Hindu, Baltic, Arabian and Inca tradition.
Name
Origin
Meaning
Sol
Spanish, Portuguese (feminine)
Means “sun” in Spanish or Portuguese
Soleil
Various (feminine)
Means “sun” in French; not commonly used as a name in France itself
Saulė
Lithuanian, Baltic mythology (feminine)
Means “sun” in Lithuanian; the Lithuanian sun goddess
Saule
Latvian, Baltic mythology (feminine)
Latvian form of Saulė
Sunniva
Norwegian (feminine)
Scandinavian form of the Old English name Sunngifu, from “sun” and “gift”
Shams
Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Semitic mythology (feminine and masculine)
Means “sun” in Arabic; a pre-Islamic Arabian sun goddess
Helios
Greek mythology (masculine)
From the Greek word for “sun”; the Titan sun god who drove a chariot across the sky
Surya
Hinduism, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and more (masculine)
Means “sun” in Sanskrit; the Vedic god of the sun
Ravi
Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali and more (masculine)
From a Sanskrit word for “sun”; a Hindu sun god sometimes identified with Surya
Aditya
Hinduism, Hindi, Malayalam and more (masculine)
Sanskrit, “belonging to Aditi”; also another name for the sun god Surya
Inti
Quechua, Inca mythology (masculine)
Means “sun” in Quechua; the Inca sun god
Cosima
Italian (feminine)
Italian feminine form of Cosimo, which goes back to Greek kosmos, “order, world, universe”
Sun names and cosmic names for babies.
Sol and Soleil are short and bright for a girl, and Sunniva is a lovely Norwegian name built from “sun” and “gift”. For boys, Surya, Ravi and Aditya are all linked with the Hindu sun god, Helios was the Greek sun Titan and Inti the Inca sun god.
Two cosmic names round out this page. Nova (in the favorites table) means “new” in Latin, and Behind the Name files it under astronomy. Cosmo and Cosima go back, through the Italian Cosimo and the saint’s name Cosmas, to Greek kosmos, “order, world, universe”.
Space Names for Girls, Boys and Gender-Neutral
We printed each entry’s gender in the Origin column. Here is a quick sort, using those labels.
Space names for girls: Stella, Lyra, Vega, Nova, Seren, Juno, Andromeda, Cassiopeia, Carina, Maia, Electra, Alcyone, Soraya, Venus, Ceres, Haumea, Danica, Io, Europa, Callisto, Estelle, Estrella, Tara, Citlalli, Csilla, Cielo, Lani, Kailani, Ourania, Sol, Soleil, Saulė and Sunniva. Our baby girl names list has many more.
Space names for boys: Orion, Atlas, Cosmo, Sirius, Altair, Arcturus, Rigel, Regulus, Castor, Pollux, Dhruv, Cepheus, Perseus, Pegasus, Draco, Mars, Jupiter, Hesperos, Ganymede, Titan, Hyperion, Triton, Janus, Najm, Akash, Helios, Surya, Ravi and Inti. See our baby boy names for more.
Gender-neutral space names: the entries list Celeste, Aquila, Parvin, Parveen, Vesper, Aster, Akhtar, Sora, Sky, Kalani, Leilani, Celestine and Shams for both genders. Our gender-neutral names guide covers this style in depth.
How to Choose a Space Name
A shortlist of space names can grow fast. These quick tests help you narrow it down:
Read the whole story: many sky names come from myths. Some stories are gentle and some are dark, so read the meaning column before you fall in love.
Say it with your last name: a long name like Andromeda or Cassiopeia pairs well with a short surname, while short names like Io, Sol or Lani balance a long one.
Try it as a middle name: bold names such as Jupiter, Sirius or Bellatrix can be easier to carry in the middle. Pair a classic first name with a space middle name, or the reverse. Our middle names guide has more ideas.
Think about everyday use: a long myth name may get shortened at school, so say the first syllable or two out loud and make sure you like how that sounds too.
Check pronunciation: several names are said differently in different languages. Behind the Name lists pronunciations for most entries, so check before you decide.
Plan for spelling: names like Yıldız, Hōkūlani and Saulė carry special characters. Decide how you will write the name on forms and at school.
Look up popularity: the SSA’s Popularity of a Name tool shows how a name has been used over the years in the United States.
Sibling sets are fun with this theme: Orion and Lyra (both constellations), Castor and Pollux (the twin stars of Gemini), or Stella, Tara and Seren (three ways to say star).
Space names reach from the brightest stars (Sirius, Vega, Arcturus) to constellations (Orion, Andromeda, Carina), the Pleiades (Maia, Soraya, Ülker), planets and dwarf planets (Venus, Mars, Ceres, Haumea), moons (Io, Titan, Triton) and names that mean star, sky or sun in many languages (Stella, Seren, Cielo, Sol). Shortlist a few, read each story, say them aloud with your last name, and choose the one that still feels right after a week.
Star names also fit a starry nursery theme. When bedtime comes, our good night quotes pair nicely with a sky-themed room.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some good space names for babies?
Good space names include Stella, Orion, Nova, Lyra, Atlas, Celeste, Vega, Juno, Cosmo and Seren. They are short and easy to say. For something less common, try a star name like Altair or Bellatrix, a constellation name like Carina or Cassiopeia, or a sky name like Cielo, Sora or Kalani.
What are some space names for girls?
Space names for girls include Stella, Lyra, Vega, Nova, Andromeda, Cassiopeia, Maia, Soraya, Venus, Ceres and Haumea. Names that mean star, such as Estelle, Estrella, Tara, Seren and Citlalli, also fit, as do sky and sun names like Cielo, Lani, Sol, Soleil and Sunniva.
What are some space names for boys?
Space names for boys include Orion, Atlas, Cosmo, Sirius, Altair, Arcturus, Rigel, Castor, Pollux, Perseus, Pegasus, Draco, Mars and Jupiter. Moon names such as Titan, Ganymede and Triton work too, and sun names like Helios, Surya, Ravi and Inti add a warm, bright feel.
What names mean star?
Names that mean star include Stella, Estelle and Estrella from Latin; Astra and Aster from Greek; Tara from Sanskrit; Sitara, Setareh and Akhtar from Persian roots; Najm from Arabic; Yıldız from Turkish; Seren from Welsh; Citlalli from Nahuatl; and Csilla from Hungarian. Esther possibly means star in Persian.
What are some constellation names for babies?
Constellation names include Orion, Lyra, Andromeda, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Pegasus, Draco, Hydra and Carina, plus zodiac names like Aries, Gemini and Virgo. Most come from Greek and Roman myth, so read each story before choosing. Carina also works as a familiar given name meaning dear or beloved in Latin.
What are some celestial names that mean sky or heaven?
Celestial names that mean sky or heaven include Celeste and Celestine from Latin, Cielo from Spanish, Sora from Japanese, Akash from Sanskrit, and the Hawaiian names Lani, Kalani, Leilani and Kailani. Ourania, the Greek Muse of astronomy, comes from a word meaning heavenly.
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