Category Archives: Star Names

Keyvan

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plane saturn in graphic illustration
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  • Origin: Persian کیوان,
  • Meaning: “Saturn.”
  • Gender: Male
  • Variant Transcriptions: Keyvan, Kayvon, Kaivon, Keivan, Kaywan, Kavon, Kevan, or Kaevon.
  • Pron: KAY-VAHN

The name comes directly from the Persian کیوان, which is the Persian word for the planet Saturn. It is ultimately derived from the Sumerian designation of the planet, Kaimanu.

In Zoroastrianism, the planet Saturn was viewed as the planet of strength, endurance, loyalty and patience. The Mandaic version of the name is Kiwan ࡊࡉࡅࡀࡍ.

Despite its pre-Islamic associations, the name is still popularly used in Iran and is still used among Zoroastrian families.

The Syriac version of Kewan ܟܝ݂ܘܢ is used among Assyrian Christians.

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Noctiluca

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  • Origin: Latin
  • Meaning: “shining at night.”
  • Gender: Female

The name is formed from the Latin nox (“night”) and lucere (“to shine”). It is an obscure Roman epithet but may make the right choice for parents looking for a gothic, romantic and celestial appellation.

Noctiluca served as an epithet of Venus in ancient Rome. According to Ovid (Fasti 4.373–376), the Romans celebrated a festival to Venus Noctiluca (“Venus the Night-Shining”) on the Aventine Hill, where fires were lit in her honor.

The word was later borrowed into natural history as the name of a bioluminescent sea creature—Noctiluca scintillans—whose glowing waters inspired comparisons to stars reflected in the ocean.

Noctiluna is another variation that may be appealing to those who love Luna but want something more unique.

The nicknames Nockti, Nocktie, Nockty or Luca are options.

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Simay

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  • Origin: Turkish
  • Meaning: “silver moon; glitter moon; tinsel moon.”
  • Gender: Female
  • Pron: SEE-MYE

The name is a Turkish female name composed of the Turkish words, sim (silver; glitter; tinsel) and ay (moon; month).

The name has been among the Turkish Most Popular Female Names since 2017, it currently ranks in as the 91st most popular female name.

It is also used in Azeribaijan.

A notable bearer is Turkish actress, Simay Barlas (b. 1988).

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Evren

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  • Origin: Turkish
  • Meaning: “cosmos; the universe.”
  • Gender: Unisex

The name is from the Turkish word for “cosmos; the universe.” In Turkic mythology, it is the name of a dragon.

The name experienced some brief popularity among males in Turkey during the 1980s. As of 2024, it was the 973rd most popular male name in the United States.

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Suhail, Suhaila

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Suhail or sometimes transliterated as Suhayl, is derived from the Arabic word سَھْل (sahl) meaning “level; even; smooth, easy.” It is the Arabic name of the second brightest star known in the western world as Canopus. It’s appearance in the skies have traditionally been linked with the end of summer in the Arab world. It is the name of a few other stars.

It was also borne by one of the contemporaries of the Prophet Mohammed, known as Suhayl ibn ʿAmr (6th-century C.E).

Suhail appeared in the U.K. Top 1000 between 1996-2002, peaking at #694 in 1997. Its Urdu form of Sohail appeared in the U.K. Top 1000 between 1996-2007 and peaked at #305 in 1997.

Other forms include:

  • Suhajl (Albanian, Bosnian)
  • Süheyl (Azeri, Turkish)
  • Suhejlo (Bosnian)
  • Suhӏajlʹ СухӀайль (Chechen)
  • Suheyl (Kurdish)
  • Souhail (Maghrebi Arabic)
  • Soheil سهیل (Persian)
  • Sohail سہیل (Urdu)

It’s feminine form is Suhaila or Suhayla سهيلة

Other forms include:

  • Suhajla (Albanian, Bosnian)
  • Suhejla (Albanian, Bosnian)
  • Süheyla (Azeri, Turkish)
  • Souhaila (Maghrebi Arabic)
  • Soheila سهیلا (Persian)
  • Sohaila سہیل (Urdu)

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Kritika

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  • Origin: Sanskrit
  • Script: कृतिका (Hindi, Sanskrit) กฤติกา (Thai)
  • Meaning: “the pleiades.”
  • Gender: feminine
  • Pron: (KREE-tee-kuh)

The name comes directly from the Sanskrit कृतिका (krtika), meaning “the pleiades.”

The name is borne by Indian actress, Kritika Kamra (b. 1988).

It is also used in Thailand.

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Astraea

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  • Origin: Greek Ἀστραία
  • Meaning: “star.”
  • Gender: feminine
  • Eng Pronunciation: (uh-STRAY-ah)

The name is borne in Greek mythology by the daughter of Astraeus and Eos. She is the goddess of justice, innocence, purity, & precision and is closely associated with Dike, the goddess of Justice. According to Ovid, Astraea was a mortal woman during the Golden Age, but ascended into the heavens to become the constellation Virgo.

Other froms of the name include:

  • Astraia Աստրաիա (Armenian, Czech, German, modern Greek, Scandinavian)
  • Astrea Астрея (Bulgarian, Catalan, Italian, Russian, Spanish, Ukrainian)
  • Astrée (French)
  • Astraja (Lithuanian, Polish)
  • Astreia (Portuguese)

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Dhruv, Dhruva

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Vishnu appears before Dhruva – A painting by Raja Ravi Varma.
  • Origin: Sanskrit
  • Meaning: “constant, immovable, fixed; polar star.”
  • Gender: masculine
  • Pronunciation: DROOV; DROO-vah

The name is derived from the Sanskrit word dhruva, meaning, “constant; immovable, fixed” and is also synonymous with the polar star.

Dhruva appears in the Hindu text, Vishnu Parana as the name of the son of Uttānapāda’s second and less favored wife. Dhruva wants to sit on his father’s lap like his older brother, but is thrown off as he is the son of a second wife. Dhruva is heartbroken and is consoled by his mother to contemplate his fate in life and advises him to work hard for what he wants. Dhruva goes into the woods and prays to Vishnu, who eventually transform him into the polar star.

Other forms include:

  • Druwa (Indonesian/Javanese)

Dhruv entered the U.S. Top 1000 Male Names in 2019 and ranks in at #997

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Naledi

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Naledi

  • Origin: Sesotho
  • Meaning: “star.”
  • Gender: feminine
  • (nah-leh-DEE)

The name comes from the Sotho-Tswana word for “star.”

It is borne by South African minister of Science & Technology, Naledi Pandor (b. 1953).

It was also given to a species of homo sapiens known as homo naledi due to their bones being found in Rising Star Cave, South Africa.

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Nakshatra

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Arab-Mansions

  • Origin: Sanskrit नक्षत्र
  • Meaning: “constellation; star.”
  • Gender: unisex
  • (knock-SHOT-tra)

The name derives from the Sanskrit नक्षत्र (naksatra) meaning “star, constellation.” In Hindu astrology, this is a term for a lunar mansion.

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