Babies bring so much light into our lives. They’re pure, full of joy, and they’ve got giggles for days. Plus, every baby deserves a brilliant name that will inspire their sunlit paths in life — encouraging them to shine on, even in moments when the world feels wrapped in darkness. That’s why we’re loving all kinds of baby names that mean “light” right now.
We’ve rounded up some of our favorites, including unique baby names like Ner and Nura, as well as more familiar classic names like Lucy and Dawn. And some of these names are likely to surprise you. For example, did you know Ellen and Phoebe are both Greek names that mean “light”?
We’ve also included lists of baby names meaning light that are a little further afield — think baby names associated with sunshine, starlight, or fire.
The radiant baby names below have origins that span centuries, cultures, and languages, with roots in Hindi, Hebrew, Greek, Arabic, Latin, Japanese, Gaelic, Old English, Spanish, Hungarian, Hawaiian, and more. There’s something for every baby here, so without further ado, it’s time to let in the light!
Izar: This Basque baby name means “star,” and could be a unisex option
Kir: A Persian name meaning “sun”
Namid: This indigenous baby name has a lyrical meaning—”star dancer”
Polaris: Give your baby a name that means “North Star”
Samson: This Biblical baby name is connected with the super-strong hero—it also means “sun”
Tyson: A bright English name that means “firebrand”
Whether you’re more interested in choosing a baby name based on its meaning, or are just obsessed with how one of these flows with a potential middle name or your last name, you’re likely to find a luminous idea among the names on this list. And hey, if you’re nervous about naming your kid Ziv, you can always make it a middle name — or balance it out with a classic middle name (Ziv Christopher?). Check your family tree for contenders too. And shine on, baby.
A version of this article was originally published in June 2013.