15 Boys and Girls' Names Inspired by Astronomy
When you find out you’re pregnant, one of the first things you start to think about is whether your little one will be a boy or a girl. As you do that, you start to think of possible names for them, both male and female. Stay with us as we look at names inspired by astronomy.
Some people are clear about their child’s name right from the very start, for many different reasons. Others, however, aren’t so clear about it, and so they look for inspiration in different places. There are all sorts of very different names these days, often with meanings in other languages and cultures, and parents are considering them more and more as names for their children.
Because of this, today we’re going to bring you a selection of different child names based on the world of astronomy. You’ll discover many names that you’ve probably never heard of before. Who knows if you’ll love them so much that they’ll become some of your top choices for your baby’s name?
Boys and girls’ names inspired by astronomy
Boys’ names
- Arthur: Arthur has been a popular name for many years. However, many believe that it derives from “Arcturus,” the third brightest star in the night sky. It’s an ancient Greek name with a very special meaning. It means “bear’s guardian” due to the proximity that this star has with the Ursa Major and the Ursa Minor constellations.
- Izar: Izar is a double star; its origin comes from Arabic and means “veil.”
- Perseus: Perseus is a well-known name in mythology – he was the person who beheaded Medusa. However, his name is also a constellation.
- Oberon: When we talk about astronomy, we’re not only referring to the stars, but also to the planets. In this case, Oberon is one of the planet Uranus’s satellites. This satellite takes its inspiration from one of the most outstanding authors in the history of international literature, William Shakespeare. Oberon was a character in his famous work, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
- Suhail: Suhail, whose meaning is “noble” in Arabic, is the third brightest star in the constellation Vela.
- Leo: Leo is another of our names inspired by astronomy. This constellation is located between Cancer and Virgo, and its meaning has always been linked to the figure of the lion and its strength.
- Donati: Italian astronomer Giovanni Battista Donati was the first person to photograph a comet, and because of this, the comet took its name from him.
Girls’ names
- Atria: This is the brightest star in the Southern Triangle constellation.
- Cordelia: This name, just like the boy’s name Oberon, has its origin with the famous English writer William Shakespeare. And, strangely enough, it’s also one of Uranus’s satellites. Shakespeare used it for one of the women in his play King Lear, and she was the youngest daughter of the king in that play.
More girls’ names inspired by astronomy
- Eris: In Greek mythology, Eris is the goddess of discord. It’s the name of a dwarf planet in our solar system, and is the biggest dwarf planet known to astronomers. It almost became the tenth planet in our solar system.
- Luna: Although it’s a Spanish word, it’s probably one of the best known of our names inspired by astronomy. It does, of course, mean “moon,” and we’ve all heard the name used in songs and other sources.
- Nereida: This star is found in the constellation of Capricorn, and is its fourth brightest star. Its meaning is “bearer of good news,” and comes from Arabic.
- Miranda: The planet Uranus has five satellites in all, Miranda being the smallest of them. Again, William Shakespeare is involved here, as he gave this name to the daughter of one of the main characters in his play The Tempest.
- Alhena: Alhena is the former name of the third brightest star within the constellation of Gemini. Its meaning comes, again, from Arabic – in this case meaning “brand,” as in the brand applied to a camel’s neck.
- Talitha: The last of our boys and girls’ names inspired by astronomy is the name given to two stars within the constellation of the Big Dipper, and is the ninth brightest star. The word means “third,” as in the “third leap of a gazelle” to reach the stars. It’s also featured in a story in the Gospels where it means “little girl.”
We hope this selection of boys and girls’ names inspired by astronomy will inspire you to find an original and unique name for your future baby.