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Name meanings

Names sorted by what they mean, with the actual root word behind each one and the language it comes from. These lists are built for naming characters rather than babies, so every entry also says how the name reads on the page. Where a name is widely listed under a meaning it does not have, we say so instead of repeating it.

Browse by meaning

6

631 names checked against reference works, not other name lists.

An astronomer's desk at night with a star atlas, astrolabe and telescope, the same constellations hanging in the sky above — cover art for names that mean star Names That Mean Star Vega, Altair and Rigel are Arabic phrases that travelled through medieval astronomy. Stella is just the word for star. Astrid is neither. Sorted honestly, with the real etymology behind each. 107 names A ferry boat with a lantern waiting at a stone landing at dusk, memorial stones and white poppies on the bank — cover art for names that mean death Names That Mean Death Very few real names mean death — parents do not name children for it. What the lists actually contain: gods, titles, and names like Amrita and Athanasios that are built from the death word and mean deathless. 110 names A paper lantern and a candle on a table with dawn light spilling through a window and a last star in the sky — cover art for names that mean light Names That Mean Light Light, brightness, dawn and lamplight are four different ideas, and most lists mix them. Sorted by the kind of light, with real etymologies — and an honest note on Robert, Lucas and the others that are not light names at all. 120 names A spark leaving a blacksmith's anvil at night and rising as an ember, then a flame, then a bonfire — cover art for names that mean fire Names That Mean Fire Most fire name lists are padded with names meaning red or bright. This one sorts fire from flame from ember from red, with the real root behind each — and explains why Blaise and Loki are not fire names. 106 names A crescent, half and full moon over still water, each reflected differently, with a small figure watching from a rock — cover art for names that mean moon Names That Mean Moon Arabic has three words for the moon, and so do several other languages. These names are sorted by which moon they name — crescent, full moon, moonlight — with real etymologies and the errors other lists repeat. 97 names A hooded traveller with a lantern at dusk, their long shadow splitting into the shapes of a wolf, a bird and a crown — cover art for names that mean shadow Names That Mean Shadow Real etymologies, not vibes: names meaning shadow, darkness and night across Greek, Norse, Japanese, Arabic and more — and a list of the ones every other site gets wrong. 91 names

How these lists are put together

Every name is checked against etymological references rather than other name lists, which is where most errors come from. A name that means “dark-haired” is listed as meaning dark-haired, not upgraded to something more dramatic. Names with disputed origins say that they are disputed. Each page ends with the sources it relied on, and a short list of names commonly given that meaning which do not actually carry it.

More meanings are added regularly. Suggestions and corrections are welcome — the contact page reaches the person who writes these.