Ancient Egyptian Names
In ancient Egypt a name was part of the soul. Egyptians believed the ren (name) had to be spoken and written for a person to live on after death, which is why pharaohs carved theirs into temples and enemies chiseled them off. Most names were short sentences of praise: Amenhotep means “Amun is satisfied,” Nefertiti “the beautiful one has come.” Here are more than 100 of them, with meanings based on standard Egyptological readings.
Spellings vary because hieroglyphs record no vowels; we use the familiar English forms. For modern Arabic-era names, see Egyptian names; for the gods themselves, see Egyptian god names. More civilizations wait in ancient names.
Names of famous pharaohs
Royal birth names often name a god (Amun, Ra, Thoth, Ptah) and describe its favor.
| Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Narmer | Possibly “striking catfish” | Unified Egypt, c. 3100 BC |
| Djoser | “Holy, sacred” | Step Pyramid at Saqqara |
| Sneferu | “He has perfected me” | Built the Bent and Red Pyramids |
| Khufu | Short for “Khnum protects me” | Great Pyramid of Giza |
| Khafre | “Appearing like Ra” | Second pyramid at Giza |
| Menkaure | “Eternal are the souls of Ra” | Third pyramid at Giza |
| Userkaf | “His soul is powerful” | Fifth Dynasty founder |
| Pepi | Nickname-form; meaning uncertain | Pepi II reigned for decades |
| Mentuhotep | “Montu is satisfied” | Reunited Egypt, Middle Kingdom |
| Senusret | “Man of the goddess Wosret” | Middle Kingdom warrior kings |
| Amenemhat | “Amun is at the forefront” | Twelfth Dynasty |
| Ahmose | “The moon is born” | Expelled the Hyksos |
| Thutmose | “Born of Thoth” | Thutmose III, the warrior pharaoh |
| Amenhotep | “Amun is satisfied” | Amenhotep III, height of power |
| Akhenaten | “Effective for the Aten” | Sun-disk revolution |
| Tutankhamun | “Living image of Amun” | Famous tomb, found 1922 |
| Horemheb | “Horus is in jubilation” | General turned king |
| Seti | “Of the god Set” | Father of Ramesses II |
| Ramesses | “Ra is the one who bore him” | Ramesses II, the Great |
| Merneptah | “Beloved of Ptah” | Merneptah Stele |
| Taharqa | Kushite name; meaning uncertain | Nubian pharaoh |
| Piye | Kushite name | Conquered Egypt from Nubia |
Queens and royal women
Many queen names honor a goddess or use nefer, “beautiful.” More in queen names.
| Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hatshepsut | “Foremost of noble women” | Ruled as pharaoh |
| Nefertiti | “The beautiful one has come” | Wife of Akhenaten |
| Nefertari | “Beautiful companion” | Tomb in the Valley of the Queens |
| Tiye | Meaning uncertain | Powerful wife of Amenhotep III |
| Merneith | “Beloved of Neith” | Possibly ruled in the First Dynasty |
| Sobekneferu | “Beauty of Sobek” | First confirmed female pharaoh |
| Ankhesenamun | “Her life is of Amun” | Wife of Tutankhamun |
| Hetepheres | “Her face is content” | Mother of Khufu |
| Khentkaus | “Foremost of her souls” | Fourth–Fifth Dynasty queen |
| Meritaten | “Beloved of the Aten” | Daughter of Nefertiti |
| Twosret | “Mighty one” | Female pharaoh, 19th Dynasty |
| Ahhotep | “The moon is satisfied” | Warrior queen mother |
| Tetisheri | Meaning uncertain | Matriarch of the 18th Dynasty |
| Isetnofret | “Beautiful Isis” | Wife of Ramesses II |
| Kiya | Possibly a pet name | Secondary wife of Akhenaten |
| Ahmose-Nefertari | “The moon is born, beautiful companion” | Deified queen |
Everyday ancient Egyptian girl names
Names found on stelae, letters and household items, not just in royal tombs.
| Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Merit | “Beloved” | Very common |
| Nebet | “Lady, mistress” | Often in titles |
| Henut | “Mistress” | Old Kingdom and later |
| Nefer | “Beautiful, good” | Also used for men |
| Sitre | “Daughter of Ra” | Royal nurse of Hatshepsut |
| Satamun | “Daughter of Amun” | Princess, 18th Dynasty |
| Neferu | “Beauty” | Middle Kingdom |
| Iset | Egyptian form of Isis | Popular theophoric name |
| Meryt | Variant of Merit | Wife of the architect Kha |
| Takhat | Meaning uncertain | 19th Dynasty royal woman |
| Nodjmet | “Sweet one” | Queen, 21st Dynasty |
| Tuya | Meaning uncertain | Mother of Ramesses II |
| Baketamun | “Servant of Amun” | Theophoric |
| Mutnedjmet | “Mut is sweet” | Wife of Horemheb |
| Ankhesenpaaten | “She lives through the Aten” | Birth name of Ankhesenamun |
Scribes, officials and everyday boy names
Builders, priests and scribes left us some of the best-documented Egyptian names.
| Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Imhotep | “The one who comes in peace” | Architect, later deified |
| Ptahhotep | “Ptah is satisfied” | Author of wisdom teachings |
| Senenmut | “Brother of the mother” | Hatshepsut’s architect |
| Khaemwaset | “Appearing in Thebes” | Son of Ramesses II, early “Egyptologist” |
| Rekhmire | “Knowing like Ra” | Vizier with a famous tomb |
| Rahotep | “Ra is satisfied” | Famous painted statue |
| Nebamun | “Amun is my lord” | Tomb paintings in the British Museum |
| Nakht | “Strong” | Common name |
| Kha | “Appearing” | Architect, intact tomb at Deir el-Medina |
| Sennedjem | “Pleasant brother” | Tomb builder, Deir el-Medina |
| Amenemope | “Amun is in Opet” | Author of a wisdom text |
| Wenamun | “Amun exists” | Hero of a travel tale |
| Hunefer | Meaning uncertain | Scribe; Book of the Dead papyrus |
| Ani | Meaning uncertain | Scribe; Papyrus of Ani |
| Paser | “The noble one” | Vizier under Ramesses II |
| Maya | Meaning uncertain | Treasurer of Tutankhamun |
| Menna | Meaning uncertain | Scribe of the fields |
| Djehuty | Egyptian name of Thoth | General of Thutmose III |
| Ineni | Meaning uncertain | Architect of early tombs |
| Sobekhotep | “Sobek is satisfied” | Kings and officials |
| Mery | “Beloved” | Common short name |
| Kagemni | “I have found my soul” | Old Kingdom vizier |
Egyptian gods and goddesses as names
Popular for pets and characters today. Full profiles are on Egyptian god names and goddess names.
| Name | Domain | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Isis | Magic, motherhood | Greek form of Aset |
| Osiris | Afterlife, rebirth | Lord of the dead |
| Horus | Sky, kingship | Falcon-headed |
| Anubis | Embalming, the dead | Jackal-headed |
| Bastet | Home, cats, protection | Cat goddess |
| Sekhmet | War, healing | Lioness goddess |
| Ra | The sun | Supreme creator god |
| Thoth | Writing, wisdom | Ibis-headed |
| Maat | Truth, cosmic order | Feather of judgment |
| Nut | The sky | Arches over the earth |
| Hathor | Love, music, joy | Cow-eared goddess |
| Ptah | Craftsmen, creation | Patron of Memphis |
| Amun | Hidden creator | “The hidden one” |
| Sobek | Nile, crocodiles | Crocodile-headed |
| Neith | War, weaving | Ancient creator goddess |
| Nephthys | Mourning, night | Sister of Isis |
| Khonsu | The moon | Name means “traveler” |
| Tefnut | Moisture | Lioness-headed |
Greek names of Ptolemaic Egypt
After Alexander, Egypt’s rulers were Macedonian Greeks, and their names mixed with Egyptian ones. Compare Greek names.
| Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cleopatra | “Glory of the father” | Cleopatra VII, last active ruler |
| Ptolemy | “Warlike” | Name of every king of the dynasty |
| Arsinoe | Possibly “raising the mind” | Arsinoe II, powerful queen |
| Berenice | “Bringer of victory” | Several queens |
| Caesarion | “Little Caesar” | Son of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar |
| Manetho | Possibly “truth of Thoth” | Priest who wrote a history of Egypt |
| Selene | “Moon” | Cleopatra Selene II |
| Alexander | “Defender of men” | Alexander Helios, twin of Selene |
How to choose an ancient Egyptian name
- Short forms work best for modern babies and pets: Merit, Nakht, Kha, Tiye and Iset are easy to say.
- Look at the god inside a name. Amen-, Ra-, Ptah- and Sobek- each point to a different deity and personality.
- Avoid names of disgraced figures if you care about symbolism; Akhenaten was later erased from king lists.
- For cats, the goddess Bastet is the classic choice. See more in our cat names.
- Pair with Egyptian girl names or Egyptian boy names if you want a modern name with the same roots.
Frequently asked questions
What does Nefertiti mean?
Nefertiti means “the beautiful one has come.” She was the chief wife of the pharaoh Akhenaten in the 14th century BC.
What is a strong ancient Egyptian boy name?
Ahmose, Thutmose, Nakht (“strong”), Horemheb and Ramesses are all names tied to warriors or powerful kings.
What were common names for ordinary Egyptians?
Everyday names included Merit, Nebet, Nakht, Mery, Kha and names built on gods, like Amenemope or Sobekhotep.
Why do Egyptian names have different spellings?
Hieroglyphs don’t write vowels, so scholars add them by convention. Ramesses, Ramses and Rameses are the same name.
Was Cleopatra Egyptian?
Cleopatra VII ruled Egypt, but her family, the Ptolemies, was of Macedonian Greek descent, and her name is Greek for “glory of the father.”