Egyptian God Names
Ancient Egypt worshipped hundreds of gods over three thousand years, and their names still carry an unmistakable weight: Ra, Isis, Osiris, Anubis, Sekhmet. Some were worshipped across the whole country, others only in a single city, and many merged over time into combined forms like Amun-Ra.
Below are more than 100 Egyptian gods and goddesses, grouped by role, with what they governed and how artists showed them on temple walls. It’s useful for students, writers, gamers and anyone hunting for a strong, ancient-sounding name. For names real Egyptians used, see our ancient Egyptian names and modern Egyptian names; for another pantheon, compare the Greek god names.
The great gods of Egypt
These are the headline deities: the sun gods, the nine-god family of Heliopolis (the Ennead) and the Osiris myth that shaped Egyptian beliefs about death and kingship.
| Deity | Role | Depicted as |
|---|---|---|
| Ra | Sun god, king of the gods | Falcon-headed man with a sun disk |
| Atum | Creator; the evening sun | Man wearing the double crown |
| Shu | Air and dry wind | Man with an ostrich feather on his head |
| Tefnut | Moisture and rain | Lioness-headed woman |
| Geb | The earth | Man lying beneath the sky, sometimes with a goose |
| Nut | The sky | Star-covered woman arched over the earth |
| Osiris | Afterlife, resurrection, fertility | Green-skinned mummified king with crook and flail |
| Isis | Magic, motherhood, protection | Woman with a throne-shaped headdress |
| Set | Desert, storms, chaos | Man with the head of the “Set animal” |
| Nephthys | Mourning and protection of the dead | Woman with a house-and-basket headdress |
| Horus | Kingship and the sky | Falcon or falcon-headed man |
| Anubis | Embalming and tombs | Black jackal or jackal-headed man |
| Thoth | Writing, wisdom, the moon | Ibis-headed man or a baboon |
| Ptah | Craftsmen and creation (Memphis) | Mummified man in a skullcap |
| Amun | “The hidden one,” king of gods at Thebes | Man with a tall double-plumed crown |
| Aten | The sun disk (under Akhenaten) | Sun disk with rays ending in hands |
| Khepri | The rising sun and rebirth | Scarab beetle |
| Ma’at | Truth, justice, cosmic order | Woman with an ostrich feather |
Egyptian goddess names
Egypt’s goddesses were fierce as often as they were gentle: lionesses who could destroy armies, cobras guarding the crown, and cow goddesses of love and music. For more divine women across cultures, see our goddess names.
| Goddess | Domain | Symbol |
|---|---|---|
| Hathor | Love, music, joy, motherhood | Cow horns with a sun disk |
| Sekhmet | War, plague and healing | Lioness |
| Bastet | Home, cats, protection | Cat or cat-headed woman |
| Mut | Mother goddess of Thebes | Vulture headdress |
| Neith | War, weaving, creation (Sais) | Crossed arrows and shield |
| Wadjet | Protector of Lower Egypt | Cobra (the uraeus) |
| Nekhbet | Protector of Upper Egypt | Vulture |
| Taweret | Childbirth and fertility | Pregnant hippopotamus |
| Serket | Scorpions; healing stings | Scorpion on her head |
| Meretseger | “She who loves silence,” guardian of Theban tombs | Cobra |
| Heqet | Childbirth | Frog |
| Renenutet | Harvest and nourishment | Cobra |
| Seshat | Writing, measurement, record-keeping | Seven-pointed star emblem |
| Satet | The Nile flood at Elephantine | Crown with antelope horns |
| Anuket | The Nile cataracts | Tall feathered crown; gazelle |
| Meskhenet | Birth and destiny | Birthing brick |
| Mafdet | Justice; protection against snakes | Cheetah-like feline |
| Sopdet | The star Sirius, herald of the flood | Star on her head |
| Pakhet | “She who scratches,” the hunt | Lioness |
| Menhit | War, “she who massacres” | Lioness |
| Iusaaset | Creator goddess of Heliopolis | Scarab on her head |
| Tayet | Weaving; linen for mummies | Woman holding cloth |
| Hesat | Milk and nourishment | White cow |
| Werethekau | “Great of magic” | Lioness-headed cobra |
| Kebechet | Purification of the dead | Serpent |
| Bat | Early cow goddess, later merged with Hathor | Face with cow ears and horns |
| Mehet-Weret | The “great flood,” celestial cow | Cow with a sun disk |
| Raet-Tawy | Female counterpart of Ra | Sun disk with horns |
| Unut | Hare goddess of Hermopolis | Hare |
Gods of the Nile, craft and everyday life
Farmers, potters, parents and soldiers each had deities to call on. Bes and Taweret amulets, for example, turn up in ordinary homes across Egypt.
| Deity | Role | Depicted as |
|---|---|---|
| Sobek | The Nile, fertility, military strength | Crocodile or crocodile-headed man |
| Khnum | Potter who shaped humans | Ram-headed man at a wheel |
| Bes | Household protector, childbirth, fun | Dwarf with lion-like features |
| Khonsu | The moon, “the traveler” | Youth with a moon disk and side-lock |
| Min | Fertility, harvest, desert roads | Man with tall plumes and raised flail |
| Montu | War | Falcon-headed man with two plumes |
| Hapi | The annual Nile flood | Plump man with a papyrus crown |
| Heka | Magic and medicine | Man with a hieroglyph on his head |
| Wepwawet | “Opener of the ways” | Wolf or jackal |
| Anhur | War and hunting (Greek Onuris) | Man with four tall plumes |
| Nefertem | The lotus and perfume | Man with a lotus crown |
| Maahes | Lion prince of war | Lion-headed man |
| Ihy | Music; son of Hathor | Child with a sistrum |
| Iah | The moon | Man with a moon disk |
| Neper | Grain | Man with grain or a grain-covered body |
| Shai | Fate and destiny | Man or snake |
| Hu | The creative spoken word | Man, often in Ra’s boat |
| Sia | Perception and insight | Man, often in Ra’s boat |
| Tutu | Protection from demons | Striding sphinx |
| Tatenen | The primeval mound | Man with ram horns and plumes |
| Sokar | Craftsmen; the Memphite necropolis | Falcon |
Underworld gods and creatures of chaos
The Duat, the Egyptian underworld, was full of guardians and dangers. If you like these, our dark names and names that mean death go further.
| Name | Role | Form |
|---|---|---|
| Apep | Serpent of chaos who attacks the sun boat nightly | Giant serpent (Greek Apophis) |
| Ammit | “Devourer of the dead” who ate unworthy hearts | Crocodile, lion and hippo mix |
| Aker | Guardian of the horizon and underworld gates | Two lions back to back |
| Shezmu | Wine presses and slaughter | Lion-headed man |
| Khentiamentiu | “Foremost of the westerners,” early god of the dead | Jackal |
| Andjety | Early god of Busiris, absorbed by Osiris | Man with a plumed crown |
| Mehen | Protector of Ra’s boat | Coiled serpent |
| Nehebkau | Primeval guardian snake | Serpent with human arms |
| Babi | Aggression and the underworld | Baboon |
| Imsety | Son of Horus, guarding the liver | Human-headed canopic jar |
| Hapy | Son of Horus, guarding the lungs (distinct from Hapi) | Baboon-headed jar |
| Duamutef | Son of Horus, guarding the stomach | Jackal-headed jar |
| Qebehsenuef | Son of Horus, guarding the intestines | Falcon-headed jar |
The Ogdoad: eight gods of creation
At Hermopolis, priests taught that the world began with four pairs of primeval gods, male and female. The eighth, Amun, is listed above with the great gods.
| Deity | Represents | Pair |
|---|---|---|
| Nun | The primeval waters | With Naunet |
| Naunet | The primeval waters | With Nun |
| Heh | Infinity, endless time | With Hauhet |
| Hauhet | Infinity | With Heh |
| Kek | Darkness | With Kauket |
| Kauket | Darkness | With Kek |
| Amaunet | Hiddenness | With Amun |
Sacred bulls, deified humans and foreign gods
Egypt honored living animals as divine vessels, turned a few remarkable people into gods, and adopted deities from its neighbors.
| Name | Who or what | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Apis | Sacred bull of Memphis | Living image of Ptah |
| Mnevis | Sacred bull of Heliopolis | Linked to Ra |
| Buchis | Sacred bull of Armant | Linked to Montu |
| Imhotep | Architect of the Step Pyramid | Later worshipped as a god of medicine |
| Amenhotep son of Hapu | Royal scribe and architect | Deified for his wisdom |
| Qetesh | Canaanite fertility goddess | Shown standing on a lion |
| Anat | Canaanite war goddess | Adopted in the New Kingdom |
| Astarte | Near Eastern goddess of war and love | Linked to horses and chariots |
| Reshep | Canaanite god of war and plague | Wears a gazelle-headed crown |
| Baal | Canaanite storm god | Identified with Set |
Combined and later forms
Egyptians often fused gods to express shared power, and Greek rulers added their own twist. These names are great for fiction because they sound both ancient and grand.
| Name | Combines | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Amun-Ra | Amun and Ra | The hidden god united with the sun |
| Ra-Horakhty | Ra and Horus | “Ra, Horus of the Two Horizons” |
| Harpocrates | Horus the child | Greek form of Har-pa-khered |
| Haroeris | Horus the Elder | Greek form of Har-wer |
| Ptah-Sokar-Osiris | Ptah, Sokar and Osiris | Creation, death and rebirth |
| Serapis | Osiris and Apis with Greek features | Created under the Ptolemies |
| Hermanubis | Hermes (Thoth) and Anubis | Guide of souls in the Roman era |
How to use Egyptian god names
- Mind the spelling. Egyptian writing skipped vowels, so Set is also Seth or Sutekh, Serket is Selket, and Ma’at is often written Maat.
- Pick a god that fits the character. Thoth suits a scholar, Sekhmet a warrior, Bes a protective friend.
- For pets, cats come first. Bastet, Sekhmet and Mafdet are natural fits; see our cat names for more.
- Try the lesser-known. Seshat, Satet, Nefertem and Khonsu sound fresh as baby or character names and have positive associations.
- Be careful with the villains. Apep and Ammit are thrilling in a story but loaded choices for a child.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the most powerful Egyptian god?
Ra, the sun god, was usually considered king of the gods. From the Middle Kingdom onward he was often merged with Amun as Amun-Ra, the chief god of the Egyptian state.
What is the Egyptian god of death?
Anubis oversaw embalming and guided souls, while Osiris ruled the afterlife and judged the dead.
Who is the Egyptian goddess of love?
Hathor was the goddess of love, music, joy and motherhood; she was often identified with the Greek Aphrodite.
Why do so many Egyptian gods have animal heads?
Animal forms expressed a god’s qualities: the jackal Anubis haunted cemeteries, the falcon Horus soared over the sky, and the lioness Sekhmet showed ferocity.
How many gods did ancient Egypt have?
Scholars have identified well over 1,500 named deities, though only a few dozen were worshipped widely.