Star names are easy to find in almost every language: Stella in Latin, Seren in Welsh, Tara in Sanskrit, Sitara in Urdu, Najm in Arabic, Yıldız in Turkish, Hoshi in Japanese. This list collects real given names whose meaning is 'star', 'morning star' or a named star, each checked against a cited source, mostly Behind the Name and Wiktionary. Ranks for England and Wales, where they exist, come from the ONS.
A few famous 'star' names aren't what they seem. Esther may or may not mean 'star'; Astrid doesn't; and Mary's 'star of the sea' is a title, not a meaning. We've marked these uncertain and said why.
By Rich · 13 November 2026 · 63 names · 29 with their real rank in England and Wales · every meaning checked against the sources below
Checked The meaning is recorded in the sources below.
Word name A modern name made from a real word.
Disputed The meaning is disputed or popular but unproven.
Latin stella is behind most of the best-known star names in English: Stella itself, Estelle and Estella from French, Estrella from Spanish, and Stela in Romanian and other languages. If you want the meaning to be obvious, these are the safest choices. Seren, the Welsh word for star, does the same job with a shorter, softer sound.
Morning star names
Several languages have a name for Venus as the morning star: Danica in the Slavic languages, Zornitsa in Bulgarian, Lucero in Spanish and Tariq in Arabic. They suit a child born early in the morning, or anyone who wants the star meaning without the obvious Stella.
Two names, one spelling
Tara and Dara are both 'star' in one language and something else in another. The Sanskrit Tara means 'star'; the Irish Tara is a royal hill. The Khmer Dara means 'star'; the Irish Dara comes from Dáire. Both versions are used in England and Wales, so the rank beside them counts everyone with that spelling.
Names That Mean 'Moon': Over 60 real names that mean 'moon', 'moonlight' or 'full moon', from Luna and Selene to Qamar and Mahina, each meaning checked against a cited source.
Names That Mean 'Night': Real names that mean 'night', 'evening' or 'darkness', from Layla and Nyx to Kieran and Vesper, with sourced meanings and the 'night' names that are myths.
Names That Mean 'Light': Over 70 real names that mean 'light', 'lamp' or 'brightness', from Lucy and Nur to Uriel and Kiran, with every meaning checked against a cited source.
Names That Mean 'Sun': Over 60 real names that mean 'sun' or 'sunshine', from Soleil, Sunniva and Heulwen to Samson, Ravi and Shams, with every meaning checked and sourced.
Roman Names: Praenomen, Nomen and Cognomen (Naming Library): How Roman names worked: praenomen, nomen and cognomen, how women, freed slaves and adopted sons were named, and why Cicero means chickpea.
Old Norse Names: How Viking-Age Names Worked (Naming Library): How Old Norse names were built: two-part names like Þorsteinn, patronymics, and bynames like Fairhair and Bloodaxe, plus what survives in England.
Frequently Asked Questions
+What name means 'star of the sea'?
Maristela comes from Stella Maris, Latin for 'star of the sea', a title of the Virgin Mary. Mary itself is often said to mean 'star of the sea', but that is the title, not the meaning of the name, which is uncertain.
+What boy names mean 'star'?
Najm ('star') and Shihab ('shooting star') are Arabic, and Tariq is the Arabic name of the morning star. Dhruv means the Pole Star in Sanskrit. Ylli (Albanian) and Dzvezdan (Macedonian) also mean 'star'.
+What name means 'star' in Japanese?
Hoshi, written 星, means 'star', and Hoshiko means 'star child'. As with all Japanese names, the meaning depends on the kanji, and the same sounds can be written other ways.