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This is the index for our names-by-meaning lists. Each linked post gives 100 or more names for one meaning, grouped by gender and culture, with the language of origin and the accepted etymology for every entry. Start with the meaning you want and read the list that matches.
The lists
- Names that mean moon — Luna, Selene, Chandra, Aylin, Mahina and the moon deities, with the literal meanings separated from the mythology.
- Names that mean light — Lucia, Noor, Meir, Hikari, Svetlana and the rest, sorted by tradition.
- Names that mean fire — Aidan, Ignatius, Agni, Seraphina, Ember, with a separate section for girls and the names that only mean red.
- Names that mean death — Thanatos, Mara, Morana, Ciaran, Nyx and the underworld figures, for writers, gamers and dark-aesthetic namers.
- Names that mean sun — Sunniva, Soleil, Ravi, Aditya, Helios and the names that mean sunshine, dawn or gold.
- Names that mean star — Stella, Tara, Najma, Hoshi, Seren and the names of real stars and constellations.
- Names that mean water — Mayim, Marina, Kai, Varun and Moana, split into sea, river and rain names.
- Names that mean snow — Neve, Yuki, Eira, Himani and Snezhana, plus ice, frost, winter and white.
- Names that mean storm — Tempest, Thor, Raiden, Damini and the thunder gods of a dozen myths.
- Names that mean night — Layla, Nyx, Nisha, Yoru and Vesper, with evening and dark names kept apart.
- Names that mean shadow — Chhaya, Zillah, Umbra and Kage, for babies and for characters.
- Names that mean wolf — Faolán, Ylva, Lowell, Vuk and the Germanic wulf names hiding in Rudolph and Ralph.
Every list links to the Baby Name Generator, which builds shortlists around a meaning, an origin or a sound you already like and shows the meaning next to each result.
How to read a name meaning
A name meaning is a claim about the language the name came from. Luna means moon because luna is the Latin word for moon. Selene is the Greek moon goddess, and her name is usually connected to selas, brightness, so the literal meaning is light rather than moon. Both belong on a moon list, but only one is a literal translation. Our lists say which is which in every entry.
Three kinds of entries turn up in every meaning search. Literal names are words for the thing in some language, such as Chandra, Noor or Ignis. Mythological names belong to a figure associated with the thing, such as Artemis or Helios, and their own etymology may be unrelated or lost. Adjacent names mean something nearby, such as dawn, ember or shadow. Name sites often merge all three into one list without saying so, which is how a name that means grace ends up on a list of names that mean light.
Where scholars disagree, the entry says the meaning is debated. If a meaning is the deciding factor for you, check it in a second source that names the language of origin, because popular baby-name sites copy each other's mistakes.
Frequently asked questions
Where do the meanings come from?
From the standard etymological references for each language, which is the same material behind the large name databases. We do not invent meanings to fill a list, and an entry whose origin is disputed is marked debated rather than given the most flattering option.
Does a name have to mean something?
No. Many popular names have lost their original sense, and plenty of parents choose on sound alone. A meaning is one more filter, useful if you want a private significance or a theme across siblings. It should not override how the name sounds with your surname.
Can a name mean two things?
Yes, when the same spelling arose in two languages. Mara is bitter in Hebrew and a death spirit in Slavic folklore. Kai is sea in Hawaiian and has separate origins in Japanese, Scandinavian and Māori naming. Our entries give the origin that supports the meaning in the list you are reading and note the other where it matters.
Are these lists only for babies?
They are used at least as much by writers, game masters and players naming characters, and by people naming pets, boats and businesses. The death list in particular leans toward fiction. The meanings are the same whoever is being named.