Because your baby is the center of your universe...
by Jamie Kenney
Finding the perfect baby name is a journey... and who’s to say that journey can’t take you beyond the moon and back? I’m big into the idea of celestial baby names — names inspired by the sun, moons, planets, stars, and even galaxies beyond our own. (And, OK, I might slip in a celestial pop culture reference or two.) Here are 50 of Romper’s favorite celestial baby names to get you started.
Celestial names for girls
- Cassiopeia : A constellation in the northern sky named after an Ancient Greek queen from mythology.
- Stella: This beautiful celestial name literally means “star.”
- Luna: This name has found new popularity in recent years and means “moon.”
- Soleil: In French, this celestial name means “sun.”
- Andromeda: In addition to being a heroine in a Greek myth, Andromeda is a constellation in the northern sky.
- Venus: Even though Mercury is the closest planet to the sun, Venus is the hottest due to its atmosphere-trapping heat. It is also the name of the Roman goddess of love and beauty.
- Io: In Greek mythology, Io (pronounced “eye-oh”) is one of Zeus’ (Jupiter in Roman mythology) lovers, which is why Io is now one of Jupiter’s moons, orbiting it for all eternity.
- Lyra: This constellation is meant to represent the lyre of Orpheus, who traveled to the Underworld in an attempt to rescue his beloved wife from death.
- Vela: Another constellation name, Vela represents the sails of a ship.
- Callisto: The second largest moon of Jupiter, Callisto is named for a nymph tricked by Zeus, turned into a bear, and ultimately was cast into the heavens to become the constellation Ursa Major, so this is a doubly significant celestial name for girls!
- Elara: Yet another moon of Jupiter, Elara (like all of the Jovian moons except Ganymede) is named for one of Zeus’ lovers. In Italian, Elara means “cheerful.”
- Nyota: This beautiful Swahili name translates to “star.”
- Chanda: In Sanskrit, this perfectly heavenly name means “moonlight.”
- Ophelia: Did you know that most of the 27 moons of Uranus are named after characters from Shakespeare? Others include Miranda, Ariel, Oberon, and Titania.
- Seren: This simple Welsh name (and many Welsh names are not simple for non-native speakers) means “star.”
- Sitara: This Indian name translates to “morning star” or “starlight.”
- Carme: Did you think we were done with Jovian moon names? We’re not! There are just too many good ones! This one is pronounced “car-MEE” or “car-MAY.”
- Amalthea: Named for the goat foster mother of Zeus, this satellite is said to be the reddest object in the solar system. (Now we’re done with the Jovian moon names!)
- Adhara: This bluish-white star is one of the brightest in the sky and is part of the constellation Canis Major.
- Artemis: The Greek goddess of the moon and the hunt is a perfect celestial namesake for your little one.
- Aurora: This lovely name was first given to the Roman goddess of the dawn and means “dawn.”
- Nova: This space-y name refers to the explosive death of a star. When this happens, the star can shine up to a million times brighter than usual.
- Celeste: This beautiful name comes to us from Latin and means “heavenly.”
- Valentina: Valentina Tereshkova was a cosmonaut from the USSR and the first woman in space. She also holds the distinction of being one of the three youngest space travelers in history; she made her first mission at just 26!
- Vega: This celestial name for girls refers to the brightest star in the constellation Lyra.
Celestial names for boys
- Aries: the first sign of the zodiac, “the Ram” is a northern constellation associated with tenacity and leadership.
- Sol: this Latin word for sun is simple but strong.
- Caelum: This faint constellation in the southern sky means “heaven” in Latin.
- Cephus: A large constellation known as “the King,” Cephus is named for the ruler of Aethiopia and father of Andromeda.
- Corvus: This small constellation depicts the crow (which is what Corvus means in Latin) who informed Apollo that the god’s lover Coronis was being unfaithful. As a result, Apollo flew into a rage, singeing the snow-white feathers of the bird to their current black.
- Draco: While many people may think of this celestial name via its association with a certain British wizard, it also refers to a constellation in the far northern sky and means “dragon.”
- Jupiter: The Roman name for the Green god Zeus, this planet is the biggest in the solar system.
- Mars: We like this celestial boy name, which comes from the Roman name for the Greek war god Ares, especially for a little redheaded kid. (Red planet? Redhead? Get it?!)
- Leo: Whether or not your kiddo was born under the sun sign Leo (July 23 to August 23), this name is both cute and powerful. It means “lion.”
- Orion: If you know one constellation, there’s a pretty good chance it’s this one! Orion was beloved by the goddess Artemis so much he was placed among the stars when he died. Have you heard of Orion’s belt? It’s a real waist of space. (Sorry. That was a terrible joke: three stars.)
- Hyperion: One of the 83 moons of Saturn, Hyperion is named after the titan in charge of watchfulness and observation. The name itself means “he that walks on high.”
- Aster: This name comes from Greek and means “star.”
- Tom: As in “Ground control to Major Tom” from David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.” It’s a fun way to get in a celestial name that’s at once traditional, creative, and a little bit cheeky.
- Castor: One of the twins featured in the Gemini constellation (May 21 to June 21), he is eternally beside his brother Pollux. (We think Castor got the better name.)
- Sirius: Also known as “the Dog Star,” Sirius is the brightest star in the sky and means “glowing” or “scorching.”
- Holmes: Comet Holmes was discovered in 1892. In 2007, it temporarily brightened by a factor of a million — the largest known outburst by a comet — and was briefly the largest object in the solar system. (Yes: even bigger than the sun... technically.)
- Ataru: This lovely Japanese boy name means “the sun.”
- Cosmo: It’s not just the name of Seinfeld’s kooky neighbor Kramer! Cosmo is the English version of the Italian name Cosimo, which means “order, decency, and beauty.”
- Izar: This binary star can be found in the constellation Boötes. It is a Basque word meaning “star.”
- Hoku: We love this Hawaiian celestial name, which also means “star.”
- Ravi: This Indian name comes to us from Sanskrit and means “sun.”
- Itri: This unique celestial name comes to us from Berber languages in Northern Africa and means “star.”
- Apollo: Can you get much more celestial than naming your son after the god of the sun? I don’t think so.
- Yang: This Chinese boy’s name means “the male principle of the universe” (as in yin and yang); “light” or “sun.”
- Badar: An Arab boy’s name that means “full moon,” I love this one for a little guy.
I hope these 50 celestial baby names can give you some good ideas on your intergalactic journey to the one that’s perfect for your little future astronaut.
