Names that Mean Light
Light is one of the most universal symbols there is: warmth, clarity, hope and new beginnings. It’s no wonder so many languages turned their word for light into a name. Latin lux gave us Lucy and Lucian, Hebrew or gave Uri and Liora, Arabic nur gave Noor, and Sanskrit jyoti and Japanese hikari are still popular today.
This list has more than 95 names that mean light, lamp, bright or radiant, grouped by language so you can see how each tradition expresses the idea. For related themes, try names that mean sun, names that mean star or names that mean fire.
Latin names that mean light
Nearly every name that begins with Luc- goes back to Latin lux, lucis, “light.” Roman parents traditionally gave the name Lucius to a boy born at dawn. For more, see Latin boy names.
| Name | Meaning | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| Lucy | English form of Lucia, “light” | Girl |
| Lucia | Latin, “light”; St. Lucy of Syracuse | Girl |
| Lucie | French and Czech form of Lucia | Girl |
| Luciana | Italian and Spanish, “light” | Girl |
| Lucienne | French, “light” | Girl |
| Lucinda | Lucia + -inda, coined by Cervantes | Girl |
| Lucille | French form of Lucilla, “little light” | Girl |
| Lucilla | Latin, “little light” | Girl |
| Lucius | Latin, from lux, “light” | Boy |
| Lucian | From Lucianus, “light” | Boy |
| Luciano | Italian and Spanish form of Lucian | Boy |
| Lucio | Italian and Spanish form of Lucius | Boy |
| Lux | Latin, “light” | Unisex |
| Luz | Spanish, “light”; from Nuestra Señora de la Luz | Girl |
| Lucero | Spanish, “bright star, morning light” | Unisex |
| Candela | Spanish, “candle” | Girl |
Greek names meaning light
Greek phos (light) and phoibos (bright) are behind these names, along with Helen, whose meaning is often given as “torch” or “light,” though that link is uncertain.
| Name | Meaning | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| Helen | Greek, possibly “torch, light” | Girl |
| Elena | Italian, Spanish and Greek form of Helen | Girl |
| Elaine | Old French form of Helen | Girl |
| Fotini | Greek, “light” | Girl |
| Fotis | Greek, “light” | Boy |
| Phoebe | Greek, “bright, radiant” | Girl |
| Phoebus | Greek, “bright”; an epithet of Apollo | Boy |
| Phaedra | Greek, “bright” | Girl |
| Lampros | Greek, “bright, brilliant” | Boy |
Hebrew names that mean light
Hebrew or (light) combines easily with other words: Lior means “light is mine,” Uriel “God is my light.” More in Hebrew boy names.
| Name | Meaning | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| Ora | Hebrew, “light” | Girl |
| Orly | Hebrew, “light is mine” | Girl |
| Uri | Hebrew, “my light” | Boy |
| Uriel | Hebrew, “God is my light”; an archangel | Boy |
| Lior | Hebrew, “light is mine” | Unisex |
| Liora | Hebrew, “my light” | Girl |
| Eliora | Hebrew, “God is my light” | Girl |
| Meir | Hebrew, “one who shines” | Boy |
| Neriah | Hebrew, “lamp of God” | Unisex |
| Nehora | Aramaic, “light” | Girl |
| Zohar | Hebrew, “radiance, brilliance” | Unisex |
| Behira | Hebrew, “bright, clear” | Girl |
Arabic, Persian and Turkish names meaning light
Nur (light) is one of the 99 names of God in Islam (An-Nur), so it appears in countless Muslim names. See Arabic girl names and Persian girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| Noor | Arabic, “light” (also spelled Nour, Nur) | Girl |
| Nura | Arabic, “light” | Girl |
| Nuri | Arabic and Turkish, “luminous” | Boy |
| Munir | Arabic, “luminous, shining” | Boy |
| Munira | Arabic, “luminous, radiant” | Girl |
| Anwar | Arabic, “brighter, more luminous” | Boy |
| Diya | Arabic, “light, radiance”; Hindi, “lamp” | Girl |
| Zia | Arabic Ziya, “light, splendor” | Unisex |
| Siraj | Arabic, “lamp, light” | Boy |
| Misbah | Arabic, “lamp” | Unisex |
| Nabras | Arabic, “lamp” | Boy |
| Roshan | Persian, “light, bright” | Boy |
| Roshanak | Persian, “little light”; the root of Roxana | Girl |
| Parto | Persian, “ray of light” | Girl |
| Forough | Persian, “light, radiance” | Girl |
| Tabesh | Persian, “radiance, glow” | Boy |
| Işık | Turkish, “light” | Unisex |
| Işıl | Turkish, “shining, sparkling” | Girl |
| Aydın | Turkish, “bright, enlightened” | Boy |
| Nurcan | Turkish, “light” + “soul” | Unisex |
| Nurhan | Turkish, “ruler of light” | Unisex |
Indian names that mean light
Light matters in Hindu tradition, from the diya lamps of Diwali to the jyoti flame of worship. Find more in Indian girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| Jyoti | Sanskrit, “light, flame” | Girl |
| Prakash | Sanskrit, “light, brightness” | Boy |
| Deepa | Sanskrit, “lamp, light” | Girl |
| Deepak | Sanskrit, “lamp” | Boy |
| Deepika | Sanskrit, “little lamp” | Girl |
| Roshni | Hindi, “light” | Girl |
| Tejas | Sanskrit, “brilliance, radiance” | Boy |
| Alok | Sanskrit, “light” | Boy |
| Aloka | Sanskrit, “light, radiance” | Girl |
| Ujjwal | Sanskrit, “bright, radiant” | Boy |
| Prabha | Sanskrit, “light, radiance” | Girl |
| Kiran | Sanskrit, “ray of light” | Unisex |
Japanese, Chinese and Korean names that mean light
Japanese 光 (hikari) and Chinese 光 (guang) share the same character. See Japanese boy names for more.
| Name | Meaning | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| Hikari | Japanese 光, “light” | Girl |
| Hikaru | Japanese 光, “to shine, light” | Unisex |
| Akira | Japanese 明, “bright, clear” | Unisex |
| Teru | Japanese 照, “to shine” | Unisex |
| Mitsuki | Can be written 光月, “light” + “moon” | Girl |
| Hotaru | Japanese 蛍, “firefly” | Girl |
| Guang | Chinese 光, “light” | Boy |
| Ming | Chinese 明, “bright” | Unisex |
| Liang | Chinese 亮, “bright, light” | Boy |
| Hanbit | Korean, “great light” | Unisex |
European names that mean bright or shining
These don’t say “light” outright, but they carry the same idea of brightness. The Germanic element beraht (bright) hides in many classics.
| Name | Meaning | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| Clara | Latin, “clear, bright” | Girl |
| Claire | French form of Clara | Girl |
| Chiara | Italian form of Clara | Girl |
| Áine | Irish, “radiance, splendor” | Girl |
| Niamh | Irish, “bright, radiant” | Girl |
| Lleu | Welsh, “light, bright”; a hero of the Mabinogion | Boy |
| Lugh | Irish god, possibly “bright, shining” | Boy |
| Albert | Germanic, “noble and bright” | Boy |
| Bertha | Germanic, “bright, famous” | Girl |
| Robert | Germanic, “bright fame” | Boy |
| Bertrand | Germanic, “bright raven” | Boy |
African names that mean light
Swahili Nuru comes from the same Arabic root as Noor. More in African girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| Nuru | Swahili, “light” | Unisex |
| Imole | Yoruba, “light” | Girl |
| Berhane | Tigrinya and Amharic, “my light” | Boy |
| Khanya | Xhosa and Zulu, “light, shine” | Unisex |
| Khanyisile | Zulu and Xhosa, “one who brings light” | Girl |
How to choose a name that means light
- Lucy, Lucia and Luciana all shorten to Lu or Lucy, so pick the long form you like and the nickname comes free.
- Not every “Luc-” name means light: Luke and Lucas come from Lucania, a region of Italy, even though many sites say otherwise.
- Want a winter baby name? St. Lucy’s Day (December 13) is a festival of light in Sweden and Italy, a lovely link for Lucia.
- Pair a light name with a dark or night name for twins, like Lucian and Nyx; see names that mean night and twin names.
- For a subtle choice, try a light name from another culture you connect with, such as Kiran, Noor or Hikari.
Frequently asked questions
What name means light?
Lucy, Lucia and Lucian (Latin), Noor (Arabic), Ora and Uri (Hebrew), Jyoti and Kiran (Sanskrit), Hikari (Japanese) and Nuru (Swahili) all mean light.
Does Luke mean light?
Not originally. Luke comes from the Greek Loukas, “man from Lucania.” It is often linked to Latin lux, but that is folk etymology.
Does Helen mean light?
Helen is often said to mean “torch” or “light,” but the true origin of the Greek name is uncertain.
What boy name means light of God?
Uriel means “God is my light,” and Neriah means “lamp of God.” Eliora is a girl option with the same meaning as Uriel.
What is a unisex name that means light?
Lux, Lior, Kiran, Zohar, Işık, Hikaru and Nuru work for any gender.