Tag Archives: moonlight

Mahtab

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  • Origin: Persian مهتاب
  • Meaning: “moonlight.”
  • Gender: Female, unisex in Southeast Asia
  • Pron: MAH-tawb

The name is from the Persian word, مهتاب (mahtab), meaning “moonlight.” It is a poetic female name that has spread throughout the Persianate world. It is occasionally used on males in Southeast Asia.

Notable Bearers

  • Mahtab Singh (1782-1813), was the first wife of Ranjit Singh, founder of the Sikh Empire.
  • Mehtab Kadın (1830-1888) (Turkish form), was the name of the consort of Sultan Abdulmejid I of the Ottoman Empire.
  • Mahtob Mahmoody (b. 1979): Iranian-American author and daughter of Betty Mahmoody, whose story inspired Not Without My Daughter (1991), starring Sally Field.

Its Turkish form of Mehtap was among the top 100 girls’ Turkish names between 1980-1993, and peaked at # 58 in 1983.

International Variations

  • Mehtəb (Azeri)
  • Mahtob Маҳтоб (Tajik, Uzbek)
  • Mahitab (Turkish – Ottoman)
  • Mehtap (Turkmen, Turkish)

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Dalbit

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  • Origin: Korean 달빛
  • Meaning: “moonlight.”
  • Gender: Unisex

From the Korean word 달빛 meaning, “moonlight,” it is a unisex name that is slightly more common for girls.

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Sarangerel

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woman holding a moon
Photo by Ruvim on Pexels.com
  • Origin: Mongolian Сарангэрэл
  • Meaning: “moonlight.”
  • Gender: Female

The name comes directly from the Mongolian word сарны гэрэл (saran gerel), meaning, “moonlight.”

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Ziri, Taziri

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Ziri, Taziri
  • Origin: Berber
  • Transcription: ⵣⵉⵔⵉ, زيري
  • Meaning: “moonlight.”

Ziri is an ancient masculine Berber name derived from the Tamazigt tziri, taziri, meaning, “moonlight.” Taziri or Thiziri (ⵜⵉⵣⵉⵔⵉ) is used as its female counterpart.

In history, Ziri was borne by Ziri ibn Manad, a 10th-century Berber king who founded the Zirid dynasty.

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Aynur, Ainura

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  • Origin: Turkish
  • Meaning: “moonlight.”
  • Gender: feminine
  • Pronunciation: I-noor; i-NOO-rah

Aynur is a Turkic female name, which is composed of the elements, ay (moon) and nur (light). It’s various offshoots across Central Asia have been popularly used.

Aynur appeared in the Turkish Top 100 Female Names between 1980-1997, and peaked at #22 in 1980.

Aynur is used as a female name in Azerbaijan, among the Uyghur and the Kurds. Among the Tatars of Russia, it is a masculine name, while Ajnur is a male name in Bosnia and Albania, it currently ranks in as the 11th most popular male name in Bosnia & Herzegovina (2019).

Other forms include:

  • Ajnura (Albanian, Bosnian)
  • Ainur Айнұр (Kazakh)
  • Ainura, Aynura Айнура (Kyrgyz)
  • Ainuria, Aynurya Айнурия (Tatar)

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