Names That Mean Star
Star names shine in almost every language. Latin gives us Stella and its many cousins, Sanskrit gives Tara, Welsh gives Seren and Arabic gives Najm. We’ve gathered more than 95 names that genuinely mean star, grouped into girl, boy and unisex names, followed by the names of real stars and constellations — many of which make striking baby or pet names in their own right.
If you love the night sky, you’ll find more inspiration on our lists of names that mean moon, constellation names and star names.
Classic girl names that mean star
The Latin stella and Greek aster are the roots of most European star names. Many of these also appear among our elegant girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Stella | “Star” | Latin |
| Estelle | “Star” | French |
| Estella | “Star” | Spanish / English |
| Estrella | “Star” | Spanish |
| Estela | “Star” | Spanish / Portuguese |
| Stellina | “Little star” | Italian |
| Astra | “Of the stars” | Latin, from Greek |
| Esther | Possibly “star” (Persian stāra); Book of Esther | Persian / Hebrew |
| Hester | Form of Esther | English |
| Etoile | “Star” | French |
| Star | “Star” | English |
| Starla | Modern elaboration of Star | English |
| Seren | “Star” | Welsh |
| Sterenn | “Star” | Breton |
| Réalta | “Star” | Irish |
| Csilla | Coined from csillag, “star” | Hungarian |
| Zvezdana | “Star” | Serbian / Croatian / Slovene |
| Danica | “Morning star” | Slavic |
| Zornitsa | “Morning star” | Bulgarian |
| Astraea | “Starry maiden”; goddess of justice | Greek |
| Estee | Short form of Esther | English |
Girl names that mean star around the world
From Persian to Nahuatl, these names carry the same bright meaning. For more multicultural choices, see Persian girl names and Arabic girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Tara | “Star” | Sanskrit |
| Sitara | “Star” | Hindi / Urdu |
| Setareh | “Star” | Persian |
| Soraya | The Pleiades star cluster | Persian, from Arabic |
| Thurayya | The Pleiades | Arabic |
| Najma | “Star” | Arabic |
| Yıldız | “Star” | Turkish |
| Yulduz | “Star” | Uzbek |
| Ulduz | “Star” | Azerbaijani |
| Hoshiko | “Star child” (星子) | Japanese |
| Hōkūlani | “Heavenly star” | Hawaiian |
| Citlali | “Star” | Nahuatl (Aztec) |
| Kochava | “Star” | Hebrew |
Boy names that mean star
Fewer boy names mean star directly, which makes the ones that do feel special. See our boy names with meaning for more.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Najm | “Star” | Arabic |
| Najmuddin | “Star of the faith” | Arabic |
| Suhail | Canopus, the second-brightest star | Arabic |
| Tariq | “Night visitor”; the piercing star of Quran 86 | Arabic |
| Dhruv | “Steadfast”; the Pole Star | Sanskrit |
| Tarak | “Star; protector” | Sanskrit |
| Zvezdan | “Star” | Serbian |
| Yıldıray | “Star and moon” | Turkish |
| Astraeus | “Starry”; Titan father of the stars | Greek |
| Asterion | “Starry” | Greek |
| Hesperus | “Evening star” | Greek |
Unisex names that mean star
These work for any gender and suit modern, nature-inspired naming styles. More options: gender-neutral names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Aster | “Star”; also the star-shaped flower | Greek |
| Hoku | “Star” | Hawaiian |
| Hoshi | “Star” (星) | Japanese |
| “Star” (星) | Chinese | |
| Byeol | “Star” | Korean |
| Nakshatra | “Star, constellation” | Sanskrit |
| Starr | “Star” | English |
| Vesper | “Evening star” | Latin |
| Kawkab | “Star, planet” | Arabic |
Names of real stars
Most bright stars have Arabic, Greek or Latin names, left over from medieval astronomy. They make memorable names for characters, pets and sci-fi ships.
| Name | The star | What the name means |
|---|---|---|
| Sirius | Brightest star in the night sky | Greek, “scorching” |
| Vega | Bright star in Lyra | Arabic, “swooping (eagle)” |
| Rigel | Blue supergiant in Orion | Arabic, “foot” (of the giant) |
| Altair | Brightest star in Aquila | Arabic, “the flier” |
| Deneb | Star in Cygnus, the swan | Arabic, “tail” |
| Arcturus | Brightest star in the northern sky’s Boötes | Greek, “guardian of the bear” |
| Antares | Red supergiant in Scorpius | Greek, “rival of Ares (Mars)” |
| Aldebaran | Red eye of Taurus | Arabic, “the follower” |
| Capella | Bright star in Auriga | Latin, “little she-goat” |
| Bellatrix | Star in Orion’s shoulder | Latin, “female warrior” |
| Polaris | The North Star | Latin, “of the pole” |
| Spica | Brightest star in Virgo | Latin, “ear of grain” |
| Regulus | Brightest star in Leo | Latin, “little king” |
| Castor | One of the Gemini twins | Greek, a mythological twin |
| Pollux | The other Gemini twin | Latin form of Polydeuces |
| Mira | Variable star in Cetus | Latin, “wonderful” |
| Alnilam | Middle star of Orion’s Belt | Arabic, “string of pearls” |
| Adhara | Star in Canis Major | Arabic, “the virgins” |
| Nashira | Star in Capricornus | Arabic, “bearer of good news” |
The Pleiades and constellation names
The Seven Sisters of the Pleiades were daughters of Atlas in Greek myth, and constellations add a few more beautiful options. See our full list of constellation names.
| Name | Where it’s found | Myth or meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Maia | Pleiades | Eldest sister; mother of Hermes |
| Electra | Pleiades | “Amber, shining” |
| Alcyone | Pleiades (brightest star) | Linked to the kingfisher |
| Merope | Pleiades | Married a mortal, so her star is faintest |
| Celaeno | Pleiades | “Dark, swarthy” |
| Taygete | Pleiades | Nymph of Mount Taygetus |
| Sterope | Pleiades | “Lightning” |
| Asteria | Myth | Titan goddess of falling stars |
| Orion | Constellation | A giant hunter of Greek myth |
| Lyra | Constellation | The lyre of Orpheus |
| Andromeda | Constellation | Princess rescued by Perseus |
| Cassiopeia | Constellation | Vain queen, Andromeda’s mother |
| Carina | Constellation | “Keel” (of the ship Argo) |
Names from the Indian nakshatras
In Hindu astronomy, the sky is divided into 27 nakshatras (lunar mansions), each tied to a star or cluster. Their names are widely used for babies, especially in India. See also Indian girl names.
| Name | Nakshatra / star | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Rohini | Aldebaran | “Red one” |
| Revati | Zeta Piscium | “Wealthy, prosperous” |
| Swati | Arcturus | Often read as “independent” or “sword” |
| Chitra | Spica | “Bright, brilliant” |
| Kritika | The Pleiades | Named for the six Krittika mothers of Kartikeya |
| Anuradha | Stars of Scorpius | “Following Radha,” i.e., success |
| Vishakha | Stars of Libra | “Forked, branched” |
| Ashwini | Stars of Aries | “Horsewoman” |
| Shravan | Altair region (Shravana) | “Hearing” |
| Magha | Regulus | “Mighty, bountiful” |
Tips for choosing a star name
- Pick a spelling that travels. Stella, Estelle and Estrella all mean star; choose the one that fits your surname and heritage best.
- Pair with the sky. Star names make natural sibling sets with moon and sun names — see names that mean sun.
- Check real star names for pronunciation. Betelgeuse is tricky; Vega, Mira and Lyra are easy wins.
- Consider the middle spot. Seren, Astra and Estelle sparkle as middle names — browse middle names for girls.
- Watch for mix-ups. Astrid is often listed as a star name, but it actually comes from Old Norse for “god” and “beautiful.”
Frequently asked questions
What name means star?
Stella (Latin), Tara (Sanskrit), Seren (Welsh), Estrella (Spanish), Najma (Arabic) and Hoshi (Japanese) all mean star.
What boy name means star?
Najm (Arabic), Dhruv (Sanskrit, the Pole Star), Tarak, Zvezdan and Astraeus are boy names tied to stars. Star names like Orion, Sirius and Rigel are also used for boys.
Does Esther mean star?
Esther is often linked to the Persian word stāra, “star,” though some scholars connect it to the goddess Ishtar. Her Hebrew name in the Bible is Hadassah, “myrtle.”
Does Astrid mean star?
No. Despite the “astr-” sound, Astrid comes from Old Norse Ástríðr, combining words for “god” and “beautiful.”
What is the brightest star name?
Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. Its name comes from Greek seirios, “scorching” or “glowing.”