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15 English names

Names that mean light, sun or star

English names whose meaning is about light, brightness, the sun or the stars.

Names

  1. AlbertBoyAL-bert · GermanicMeans “noble and bright”Albert is a Germanic name that came to England with the Normans, but it was rare for centuries. It became very popular in Britain after Queen Victoria married the German Prince Albert in 1840. King George VI was also called Albert by his family.
  2. AuroraGirluh-ROR-uh · LatinMeans “dawn”Aurora was the Roman goddess of the dawn, who was believed to bring the morning light each day. The northern lights are also called the aurora borealis. The princess in Disney’s Sleeping Beauty is named Aurora, and the name has become very popular in the US in recent years.
  3. ClaireGirlKLAIR · LatinMeans “clear, bright”Claire is the French form of the Latin name Clara, from a word for clear and bright. The Normans brought it to England, where it was often spelled Clare. It was especially popular in Britain in the 1960s and 1970s.
  4. ClaraGirlKLAIR-uh · LatinMeans “clear, bright”Clara comes from a Latin word for clear and bright, and was spread by St Clare of Assisi, a friend of St Francis. It was used in England from the 19th century, often in honour of the German pianist Clara Schumann. It is the heroine’s name in the ballet The Nutcracker in many versions.
  5. EleanorGirlEL-uh-nor · FrenchMeans “uncertain, often linked with light”Eleanor comes from Aliénor, an old name from the south of France whose origin is uncertain; it is often linked with Helen and with light, but this may not be correct. Eleanor of Aquitaine brought the name to England in the 12th century when she married King Henry II, and later Edward I married Eleanor of Castile. It is very popular again in the US and UK in the 2020s.
  6. EstherGirlES-tur · PersianMeans “star”Esther is the brave Jewish queen of Persia in the Old Testament book named after her. The name is probably from a Persian word for star, though some link it with the Babylonian goddess Ishtar. English Puritans used it from the 17th century, sometimes in the form Hester.
  7. HelenGirlHEL-un · GreekMeans “torch, light”In Greek mythology, Helen of Troy was the most beautiful woman in the world. Her name may come from Greek words for a torch or the moon, but its origin is not certain. It spread in Christian Europe through St Helena, the mother of the Roman emperor Constantine.
  8. LucasBoyLOO-kus · GreekMeans “from Lucania”Lucas is the Latin form of the Greek name Loukas, which meant a person from Lucania in southern Italy; people have also long linked it to the Latin word lux, “light”. Saint Luke, who wrote one of the Gospels, has this name. It is one of the most popular boys’ names in Europe and the US.
  9. LucyGirlLOO-see · LatinMeans “light”Lucy comes from the Latin name Lucia, from lux, the word for light. St Lucy was a 4th-century Christian saint whose feast in December is still a festival of light in Sweden. The Normans brought the name to England, and it has been widely used ever since.
  10. LukeBoyLOOK · GreekMeans “from Lucania”Luke is the English form of the Greek name Loukas, meaning a person from Lucania in southern Italy; it is also often linked to the Latin word lux, “light”. Saint Luke wrote one of the four Gospels in the Bible. The name has been used in England since the Middle Ages.
  11. LunaGirlLOO-nuh · LatinMeans “moon”Luna is the Latin word for the moon and the name of the Roman goddess of the moon. It is also used in Spanish and Italian. In the 2020s it has become one of the most popular girls’ names in the US and many other countries.
  12. PhoebeGirlFEE-bee · GreekMeans “bright, pure”In Greek mythology, Phoebe was a Titan, and her name was also used for the moon goddess Artemis. A woman called Phoebe is praised by St Paul in the New Testament. It was used by Puritans and is well liked in Britain today.
  13. RobertBoyROB-ert · GermanicMeans “bright fame”Robert comes from Germanic words for “fame” and “bright”. The Normans brought it to England, and in Scotland it is linked to the hero king Robert the Bruce. It was one of the most common boys’ names in Britain and the US for centuries.
  14. RobinUnisexROB-in · GermanicMeans “bright fame”Robin began in the Middle Ages as a pet form of Robert, a Germanic name made from words for “fame” and “bright”, and it is also the name of a small red-breasted bird. It is the name of the outlaw hero Robin Hood. In the UK it is more often a man’s name, while in the US it is more common for women.
  15. StellaGirlSTEL-uh · LatinMeans “star”Stella is the Latin word for a star. The English poet Sir Philip Sidney used it in the 16th century in his love poems Astrophel and Stella, which made it a name. It is popular again in the US.