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Names that mean star: 70+ star and celestial names

71 names · Updated · By The Nomezo Editors · Save to Pinterest

Names that mean star include Stella (Latin), Tara (Sanskrit) and Najm (Arabic), and nearly every language has one: Seren in Welsh, Yıldız in Turkish, Citlali in Nahuatl and Hoshi in Japanese.

Below are more than 70 real names linked to the stars. They are grouped into girl names, boy names and unisex names that mean star, then the names of real stars and the Pleiades, Indian names from the stars, and celestial names for the morning star and the heavens. Each note gives the meaning and the language of origin, with a pronunciation where it helps.

Can't decide? Shuffle 6 random picks

  • Anjum

    Stars; Arabic plural, used in Urdu for all genders

  • Sirius

    Burning, scorching; Greek, the brightest star in the night sky

  • Altair

    The flyer; Arabic, a bright star, used as a name in Brazil

  • Sterre

    A star; Dutch, from ster

  • Ashwini

    Named for the Ashvins, the twin horsemen gods; Sanskrit, the first lunar star group

  • Parvin

    The Pleiades star cluster; Persian, mostly for girls in Iran

Find a star name on this page

Narrow 71 names by how common they were for US babies in 2025, by section, length or first letter, or search the meanings.

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Star names for girls

Girl names that mean star in Latin, Welsh, Arabic, Persian, Japanese, Nahuatl and more.

  1. Stella US #52: A star; Latin, coined by the poet Philip Sidney
  2. Estelle US #573: A star; French, from Old French esteile
  3. Estrella US #612: A star; Spanish. Say es-TREH-ya
  4. Estela 128 in 2025: A star; Spanish and Portuguese form of a Latin name
  5. Estel Under 5 in 2025: A star; Catalan, from northeastern Spain
  6. Astra 66 in 2025: A star, from Greek; a rare English name since the 1900s
  7. Aster 57 in 2025: A star; Greek, also a daisy-like flower
  8. Sterre Under 5 in 2025: A star; Dutch, from ster
  9. Seren 50 in 2025: A star; Welsh, a modern favorite in Wales. Say SEH-ren
  10. Najma 21 in 2025: A star; Arabic and Urdu, a classic girl's name
  11. Setareh Under 5 in 2025: A star; Persian. Say seh-tah-REH
  12. Yıldız 5 in 2025: A star; Turkish. Say yuhl-DUZ
  13. Hoshi Under 5 in 2025: A star, written 星; Japanese
  14. Hoshiko Under 5 in 2025: Star child, written 星子; Japanese
  15. Citlali 159 in 2025: A star; Nahuatl, a beloved Mexican name. Say seet-LAH-lee
  16. Naledi 10 in 2025: A star; Tswana and Sotho, from southern Africa
  17. Kokeb Under 5 in 2025: A star; Amharic, from Ethiopia
  18. Tainá 20 in 2025: A star; Karajá, an Indigenous language of Brazil
  19. Star 92 in 2025: Celestial body; English word name, bright and simple
  20. Starla 25 in 2025: A star; English, a playful elaboration of a word name

Boy names that mean star

Boy names that mean star, shooting star or the name of a bright star.

  1. Najm 8 in 2025: A star; Arabic, also the title of a Quran chapter
  2. Najmuddin Under 5 in 2025: Star of the faith; Arabic, a medieval honorific name
  3. Asterios Under 5 in 2025: Starry; Greek. Say a-STEH-ree-os
  4. Kartik 10 in 2025: Of the Pleiades; Sanskrit, also a Hindu month
  5. Tarak 9 in 2025: Star, protector; Sanskrit, a Hindi and Bengali name
  6. Itri Under 5 in 2025: A star; Tamazight, a Berber name
  7. Tariq 107 in 2025: Night visitor, morning star; Arabic, from a Quran chapter about a piercing star
  8. Shihab Under 5 in 2025: Flame, shooting star; Arabic
  9. Suhail 10 in 2025: The star Canopus, from a word for smooth; Arabic. The IAU gave the official name Suhail to a star in Vela
  10. Altair 16 in 2025: The flyer; Arabic, a bright star, used as a name in Brazil

Unisex star names

Gender-neutral names that mean star, used for girls and boys.

  1. Akhtar Under 5 in 2025: A star; Persian, used in Urdu for girls and boys
  2. Anjum Under 5 in 2025: Stars; Arabic plural, used in Urdu for all genders
  3. Lucero 147 in 2025: Bright star, morning star; Spanish, popular in Mexico
  4. Izar 10 in 2025: A star; Basque, for girls and boys. Say ee-SAR
  5. Nkanyezi Under 5 in 2025: A star; Zulu, used for girls and boys
  6. Nthanda Under 5 in 2025: A star; Tumbuka, from Malawi and Zambia
  7. Xing Under 5 in 2025: Star, written 星; Chinese. Say shing
  8. Hōkū Under 5 in 2025: A star; Hawaiian. Say ho-KOO
  9. Parvin Under 5 in 2025: The Pleiades star cluster; Persian, mostly for girls in Iran
  10. Ashwini Under 5 in 2025: Named for the Ashvins, the twin horsemen gods; Sanskrit, the first lunar star group

Names of real stars, a constellation and the Pleiades

Star names in the most literal sense: names borne by bright stars, the Lyra constellation and the Pleiades, the Seven Sisters cluster.

  1. Sirius 33 in 2025: Burning, scorching; Greek, the brightest star in the night sky
  2. Vega 43 in 2025: Swooping eagle; Arabic, the brightest star in Lyra
  3. Lyra US #435: Lyre; Greek, the harp-shaped constellation
  4. Bellatrix 29 in 2025: Female warrior; Latin, a bright star in Orion, and a Harry Potter villain
  5. Maia US #433: Good mother, foster mother; Greek, eldest of the seven Pleiades
  6. Alcyone Under 5 in 2025: Kingfisher; Greek, the brightest star of the Pleiades
  7. Soraya US #868: The Pleiades star cluster; Persian, from Arabic
  8. Thurayya Under 5 in 2025: The Pleiades star cluster; Arabic. Say thoo-RYE-ya
  9. Ülker Under 5 in 2025: The Pleiades star cluster; Turkish
  10. Subaru 5 in 2025: The Pleiades, written 昴; Japanese. Also a carmaker whose logo shows the cluster
  11. Pervin Under 5 in 2025: The Pleiades star cluster; Turkish form of a Persian name

Indian names from the stars

Hindu astronomy divides the sky into 27 nakshatras, or lunar star groups. Many are popular girl names.

  1. Tara US #847: A star; Sanskrit, also a Buddhist goddess
  2. Sitara 78 in 2025: A star; Urdu and Hindi, from Persian
  3. Nakshatra 11 in 2025: Star, lunar mansion; Sanskrit, the word for a lunar star group
  4. Rohini 7 in 2025: Ascending, the star Aldebaran; Sanskrit
  5. Swati Under 5 in 2025: The star Arcturus; Sanskrit, a lunar star group
  6. Chitra Under 5 in 2025: Bright, brilliant, the star Spica; Sanskrit
  7. Anuradha Under 5 in 2025: Causing success; Sanskrit, a star group in Scorpius
  8. Revati Under 5 in 2025: Prosperous; Sanskrit, the last lunar star group
  9. Vishakha Under 5 in 2025: Forked, branched; Sanskrit, a star group in Libra
  10. Dhruv 195 in 2025: Pole star, steadfast; Sanskrit, the devoted prince of legend

Celestial names: morning star and heavens

Celestial names for the morning and evening star, starry goddesses and the heavens.

  1. Danica 127 in 2025: Morning star; Slavic, also used in English
  2. Dalva Under 5 in 2025: Morning star; Portuguese, from estrela d'alva
  3. Noga 21 in 2025: Brightness, the planet Venus; Hebrew
  4. Vesper 80 in 2025: Evening star; Latin, the Roman name for Venus at dusk
  5. Astraea 112 in 2025: Starry one; Greek, the star maiden of justice
  6. Asteria 33 in 2025: Starry one; Greek, a daughter of the Titans Phoebe and Coeus
  7. Maristela Under 5 in 2025: Star of the sea; Portuguese, a title of Mary
  8. Celeste US #188: Heavenly, of the sky; Latin
  9. Ourania 5 in 2025: Heavenly; Greek, the Muse of astronomy. Say oo-ra-NEE-a
  10. Hōkūlani 7 in 2025: Heavenly star; Hawaiian. Say ho-koo-LAH-nee

How to pick the right name

Decide how literal you want it

Stella, Tara and Najm simply mean star. Vega, Sirius and Altair are the names of real stars, with meanings of their own. Both work, and the note on each name tells you which kind it is.

Look to your family's sky

Every culture names its stars. Soraya, Parvin and Subaru all name the Pleiades, while Rohini and Swati are Indian star names. A star from your own tradition adds a story to the name.

Pair with moon and sun names

Star names make easy sibling sets with moon and sun names, such as Stella and Luna or Tara and Ravi. Our names that mean moon and names that mean sun pages have matches.

Names that mean star: 71 ideas from Nomezo

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Names that mean star, checked: the popular ones that don't, which are official star names, and the stories behind Stella, Esther and Tara

By The Nomezo Editors · Updated October 26, 2026 · How we research names

Stella, the best-known star name, was invented: the poet Philip Sidney coined it in the 1500s, and it was No. 52 for US girls in 2025. Several names sold as star names are not, including Astrid (No. 376) and Sterling (No. 346 for boys).

Some names on this page are official star names too: the International Astronomical Union approved Sirius, Vega and Maia in 2016 and the Indian names Revati and Bharani in 2017. The finder above narrows the names by section, length or US popularity, and the tags show each name's 2025 US rank or count.

  1. Step 1Pick a kindMeans star, is a star, or names the heavens.
  2. Step 2Skip the false star namesAstrid and Sterling mean something else.
  3. Step 3Check US useStella is No. 52; Vega had 31 girls.
  4. Step 4Know the storyEsther, Stella and Tara each have one.

Names often called star names that are not

Popular names often listed as meaning star, and what they mean
NameUS rank, 2025What it really means
Sterling#346 for boysFrom the Scottish place name Stirling; only the silver word may come from Old English for little star
Itzel#359 for girlsOf uncertain meaning
Astrid#376 for girlsOld Norse for god and beautiful
Sidra162 girlsArabic for a lote tree, though one appears in the Quran's chapter The Star
Esther#119 for girlsPossibly Persian for star, or from the goddess Ishtar; uncertain

Sources: Behind the Name: Sterling, Itzel, Astrid, Esther; Wikipedia: Sidrat al-Muntaha; US Social Security Administration.

Star names in US data

Star names on US babies, 2025
NameUS rank, 2025Trend
Stella#52 for girlsPeaked at #38 in 2018
Maia#433 for girlsNear its 2022 best, #420
Estella#509 for girlsPeaked at #106 in 1883
Estrella#612 for girlsPeaked at #296 in 2005
Tara#847 for girlsPeaked at #35 in 1977
Soraya#868 for girlsIts best ever
Astraea112 girlsIts most ever
Vega31 girlsReal-star names stay rare

Source: US Social Security Administration, births 1880 to 2025.

The stories behind the star names

  • Stella and Vanessa were both Esthers. Jonathan Swift called his friend Esther Johnson Stella, and he made up Vanessa for Esther Vanhomrigh in his 1726 poem Cadenus and Vanessa (Behind the Name, Vanessa).
  • A White House baby boosted Esther. Esther Cleveland, born in the White House on September 9, 1893, is the only child of a president born there (Wikipedia). The name rose from No. 39 for US girls in 1893 to No. 27 in 1896, its best rank ever.
  • Tara is two names. The Sanskrit Tara means star, but most American Taras trace to Ireland's hill of Tara, the O'Hara plantation in Gone with the Wind (Behind the Name). Tara first appears in US records in 1939, the year of the film.
  • Official stars. The IAU approved Sirius, Vega, Altair and Bellatrix on June 30, 2016 and Maia that July, and gave the Indian names Revati and Bharani to stars in Pisces and Aries on June 30, 2017 (IAU Catalog of Star Names). Its official Suhail is a star in Vela, not Canopus.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

What name means star?

Stella means star in Latin, Estrella in Spanish, Tara in Sanskrit, Najm and Najma in Arabic, Setareh in Persian, Seren in Welsh, Yıldız in Turkish and Hoshi in Japanese.

What boy names mean star?

Najm means star in Arabic and Asterios means starry in Greek. Tariq is the Arabic name for the morning star, Shihab means shooting star, and Sirius and Altair are names of bright stars.

What are celestial names?

Celestial names come from the sky: stars, planets and the heavens. Examples include Celeste (heavenly), Ourania (the Muse of astronomy), Danica (morning star) and Hōkūlani (heavenly star).

Does Esther mean star?

Esther may come from a Persian word for star, but it may instead come from the goddess Ishtar. Because its meaning is uncertain, it is not listed here.

What does Orion mean?

Orion is the hunter constellation of Greek myth, but the meaning of the name itself is uncertain. That is why it is not on this list, even though it is a popular celestial name.

Does Astrid mean star?

No. Astrid comes from the Old Norse Ástríðr, from áss, god, and fríðr, beautiful or beloved. It only looks like Greek aster, star. It was No. 376 for US girls in 2025, its best rank ever.

What does Tara mean?

It depends on the name. The Sanskrit Tara means star, but the Irish Tara is a place name, the hill of the high kings, and Gone with the Wind made it popular in the US. It peaked at No. 35 for US girls in 1977.

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