100 Unique Names That Mean Star

Picking a name for your baby is one of the most meaningful decisions you’ll ever make. If you want something timeless, poetic, and just a little magical — names that mean star are hard to beat. Stars have guided sailors, inspired poets, and lit up the dreams of every culture on earth.

Before we dive into the full list, here are five names that truly stand out across all categories:

Stella (Latin) — The gold standard. Means “star” directly, effortlessly elegant, and never goes out of style.
Seren (Welsh) — Simply means “star” in Welsh; it’s the #1 girls’ name in Wales and feels fresh everywhere else.
Orion (Greek) — The most iconic celestial name for boys, rooted in mythology and immediately recognizable worldwide.
Hoshi (Japanese — 星) — Short, cross-cultural, and carries the beautiful Japanese character for “star.”
Vega (Arabic) — One of the brightest stars in the night sky; bold, modern, and rising fast in popularity.

This full list covers 100 star-inspired names from across the world — Japanese, Korean, Greek, Arabic, Hawaiian, Welsh, Nahuatl, and more — with meanings and origins in easy-to-scan tables.

Table of Contents

Girl Names That Mean Star

These feminine names carry the light and mystery of the night sky. From classic Latin beauties to rare gems from Celtic and Asian traditions.

#	Name	Origin	Meaning / Notes
1	Stella	Latin	Directly means “star.” Timeless and widely loved.
2	Estelle	French/Latin	A softer French form of Stella. Old-world grace.
3	Esther	Hebrew/Persian	Possibly from the Persian word for “star.” Deep biblical roots.
4	Astra	Greek/Latin	Means “star” or “of the stars.” Rare and striking.
5	Astrid	Norse	Long associated with divine starlight; a Scandinavian classic.
6	Seren	Welsh	Simply means “star” in Welsh. The #1 girls’ name in Wales today.
7	Celia	Latin	From caelum (heaven or sky). Quietly celestial.
8	Nova	Latin	A star that suddenly blazes brighter. Modern and fast-rising.
9	Lyra	Greek	A northern constellation, named after the lyre of Orpheus.
10	Vega	Arabic	One of the brightest stars in the sky. Bold and distinctive.
11	Celeste	Latin	Means “heavenly” or “of the sky.” Soft and romantic.
12	Aurora	Latin	Roman goddess of dawn; also the Northern Lights. Luminous.
13	Cassiopeia	Greek	A W-shaped constellation named after a mythological queen.
14	Andromeda	Greek	Princess rescued by Perseus, now immortalized as a constellation.
15	Selene	Greek	The Greek goddess of the moon. Ethereal and classic.
16	Citlali	Nahuatl (Aztec)	Means “star” in the Aztec language. Rare and culturally rich.
17	Sidra	Arabic/Latin	Means “like a star” or “of the stars.” Used widely in Arabic countries.
18	Sitara	Urdu/Persian	Means “star” in Urdu, from Persian setareh. A South Asian beauty.
19	Setareh	Persian	The direct Persian word for “star.” Rare in the West; truly unique.
20	Zornitsa	Bulgarian	Means “morning star” in Bulgarian. Hauntingly beautiful.
21	Zoryana	Ukrainian	From Ukrainian zorya meaning “dawn” or “star.”
22	Danica	Slavic	Means “morning star” across Slavic languages. Warm and familiar.
23	Estela	Spanish/Portuguese	A form of Stella meaning “star.” Common across Latin America.
24	Estrella	Spanish	Directly means “star” in Spanish. Vivid and vibrant.
25	Étoile	French	The French word for “star.” Rare as a given name but breathtakingly chic.
26	Astraea	Greek Mythology	Goddess of justice who became the constellation Virgo. Majestic.
27	Csilla	Hungarian	From the Hungarian word csillag (star). Uncommon outside Hungary.
28	Yıldız	Turkish	The Turkish word for “star.” Popular in Turkey; exotic elsewhere.
29	Itzel	Mayan	Associated with the Mayan moon goddess and starlight.
30	Starbright	English (Modern)	An evocative word-name for parents seeking something truly unique.

Boy Names That Mean Star

Star names for boys tend to feel bold, mythological, or cosmic — built to stand out.

#	Name	Origin	Meaning / Notes
31	Orion	Greek	The great hunter of mythology; one of the sky’s most recognizable constellations.
32	Sirius	Greek/Latin	The brightest star in the night sky, in the constellation Canis Major.
33	Rigel	Arabic	The brightest star in Orion. From Arabic rijl (foot). Strong and astral.
34	Altair	Arabic	One of the three stars of the Summer Triangle. Means “the flying eagle.”
35	Castor	Greek	One of the twin stars in Gemini. The mortal twin in mythology.
36	Pollux	Greek	The immortal Gemini twin; also a bright star. Bold and mythological.
37	Sol	Latin	The Latin word for “sun” — the closest star to Earth. Simple and strong.
38	Atlas	Greek	The Titan who held up the celestial heavens; also a star in the Pleiades.
39	Phoenix	Greek	A southern constellation and the mythical bird of resurrection.
40	Perseus	Greek	Hero who slew Medusa; now a constellation. Epic and classical.
41	Archer	English	Associated with Sagittarius, the celestial archer constellation.
42	Caelum	Latin	A southern constellation; means “chisel” in Latin. Rare and sophisticated.
43	Draco	Latin/Greek	The dragon constellation circling the North Pole. Bold.
44	Leo	Latin	One of the oldest constellations, meaning “lion.” Confident and classic.
45	Aries	Latin	The ram constellation; first sign of the zodiac.
46	Shihab	Arabic	Means “shooting star” or “meteor” in Arabic. Dynamic and vivid.
47	Najm	Arabic	The Arabic word for “star.” Simple and deeply meaningful.
48	Ylli	Albanian	From the Albanian word yll (star). Short and striking.
49	Bardhyl	Albanian	Means “white star” from Albanian bardhë (white) + yll (star). Ancient Illyrian roots.
50	Astrophel	Greek-inspired, Literary	Means “star lover” from aster + philos. Coined by 16th-century poet Philip Sidney.

Japanese Names That Mean Star

Japan has a rich tradition of star-themed names, especially connected to the Tanabata festival — the beloved story of two star-crossed lovers (Orihime and Hikoboshi) who meet once a year across the Milky Way. Most of these names use the kanji 星 (hoshi, meaning “star”).

#	Name	Kanji	Meaning / Notes
51	Hoshi	星	Simply “star.” Used for both boys and girls.
52	Hoshiko	星子	“Star child.” The suffix -ko is a classic feminine ending.
53	Hoshimi	星美	“Beautiful star.” A lovely girl’s name.
54	Seina	星奈	Combines 星 (star) with 奈 (renowned). Soft and feminine.
55	Seiran	星蘭	“Star orchid.” Rare and elegant.
56	Hoshino	星野	“Starfield” or “star wilderness.” Primarily a Japanese surname.
57	Fuyuse	冬星	Combines 冬 (winter) with 星 (star). Wintry and poetic.
58	Hikoboshi	—	The Japanese name for the star Altair. Means “boy star.” From Tanabata mythology.
59	Tanabata	七夕	Named after the Star Festival itself. Extremely rare as a given name; deeply poetic.
60	Akahoshi	赤星	“Red star.” Primarily a surname but striking as a given name.

Korean Names That Mean Star

In Korean, the native word for star is 별 (byeol). Korean names often layer Chinese-derived hanja characters with native Korean words, creating names with multiple levels of meaning.

#	Name	Writing	Meaning / Notes
61	Byeol	별	Directly means “star” in native Korean. Simple and sweet.
62	Eun-Byul	은별	“Silver star.” A soft, romantic combination of grace and starlight.
63	Byeol-ha	별하	“Star river” — evoking the Milky Way. Poetic and rare.
64	Byeol-i	별이	An affectionate form meaning “little star.” Used as a pet name and sometimes a given name.
65	Seong	星	From hanja meaning “star” or “planet.” Found in many Korean compound names for boys.

Greek Names That Mean Star

Greek has contributed more star names to the English-speaking world than almost any other language, through mythology and the word ἀστήρ (aster, meaning “star”).

#	Name	Origin	Meaning / Notes
66	Aster	Greek	The word for “star” itself. Used for both boys and girls; also a genus of flowers.
67	Asteria	Greek Mythology	Titan goddess of shooting stars and nocturnal oracles. Daughter of Coeus and Phoebe.
68	Asterope	Greek Mythology	One of the seven Pleiades sisters. Means “star-face” or “lightning.”
69	Eosphoros	Greek Mythology	Personification of the morning star (Venus at dawn). Means “bringer of dawn.”
70	Hesperos	Greek	The evening star — Venus at dusk. Means “western star.”
71	Astraeus	Greek Mythology	Titan god of the dusk and the stars. Father of the four wind gods.
72	Phosphoros	Greek Mythology	Another name for the morning star. Means “light-bearer.”
73	Astraea	Greek Mythology	Goddess of justice and innocence who became the constellation Virgo.

Chinese Names That Mean Star

In Chinese, the character for star is 星 (xīng). It appears in compound names alongside characters for beauty, brightness, jade, and nature.

#	Name	Characters	Meaning / Notes
74	Xing	星	Directly means “star” or “planet.” Used for both boys and girls.
75	Fangxuan	芳璇	Combines 芳 (fragrant, virtuous) with 璇 (beautiful jade-star). Refined and feminine.
76	Bingxuan	冰璇	Combines 冰 (ice) with 璇 (jade-star). Cool, clear, and elegant.
77	Fanxuan	凡璇	Combines 凡 (every, all) with 璇 (beautiful star, jade).

Hawaiian Names That Mean Star

In Hawaiian, the word for star is hōkū. Hawaiian star names are deeply tied to navigation — Polynesian wayfinders used the stars to cross the Pacific, and these names honor that tradition.

#	Name	Meaning / Notes
78	Hōkūlani	“Heavenly star.” From hōkū (star) and lani (heaven, royalty).
79	Hōkūleʻa	“Star of gladness.” The Hawaiian name for Arcturus, Hawaii’s zenith navigation star. Also a famous voyaging canoe.
80	Hōkūokalani	“Star of the heavens.” A grand, lyrical full-length name.

Arabic Names That Mean Star

Many of the world’s brightest stars carry Arabic names — a legacy of medieval Arab astronomers who first catalogued them. These naming traditions are still very much alive today.

#	Name	Arabic	Meaning / Notes
81	Najma	نجمة	Feminine form of najm (star). Common in Arabic-speaking and Swahili-speaking countries.
82	Kawkab	كوكب	Means “star” or “planet.” Old-fashioned but rich with meaning.
83	Thurayya	الثريا	The Arabic name for the Pleiades star cluster. Means “small stars.” A classic across the Arab world.
84	Nujood	—	Means “stars at night” in Arabic. Poetic and feminine.

Celtic, Welsh & Irish Names That Mean Star

#	Name	Origin	Meaning / Notes
85	Seren	Welsh	The #1 girls’ name in Wales — simple, lyrical, and meaning “star.”
86	Sirona	Gaulish Mythology	Ancient Gaulish healing goddess. From Celtic stera (star). Rare and powerfully ancient.
87	Berlewen	Cornish	Means “morning star, Venus” in the Cornish language. Extremely rare and deeply Celtic.

Other Global Names That Mean Star

Names meaning “star” from Africa, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Polynesia, and Eastern Europe.

#	Name	Origin	Meaning / Notes
88	Nyota	Swahili	The Swahili word for “star.” Simple, warm, and widely used in East Africa.
89	Bituin	Tagalog (Filipino)	The Tagalog word for “star.” Melodic and popular in the Philippines.
90	Fetia	Tahitian/Polynesian	Means “star” in Tahitian. Rare outside Polynesia.
91	Fetu	Samoan	Means “star” in Samoan. Short and strong.
92	Yulduz	Uzbek	Means “star” in Uzbek. A popular name in Central Asia.
93	Sitora	Tajik/Uzbek	Tajik form of Sitara, meaning “star.” Soft and melodic.
94	Zvezdana	Serbian/Slovenian	Means “star” in South Slavic languages. Unusual and beautiful.
95	Matariki	Māori	The Māori name for the Pleiades, marking the Māori New Year. Deeply cultural.
96	Estêre	Kurdish	Possibly means “star” in Kurdish. Rare and striking.
97	Fetuilelagi	Samoan	Means “universe” and “star in the sky.” A long, lyrical Samoan name.
98	Zornitsa	Bulgarian	Means “morning star” in Bulgarian. Hauntingly beautiful.

Last Names That Mean Star

Some families look for star-meaning surnames for pen names, professional names, or simply to understand their own heritage.

#	Name	Origin	Meaning / Notes
99	Hoshino	Japanese — 星野	“Starfield.” One of the more common Japanese surnames with a star meaning.
100	Anjum	Urdu/Arabic	Plural of najm, meaning “stars.” Used as both a first name and a family name across South Asia and the Arab world.

Other notable last names meaning star include Akahoshi (Japanese, “red star”), Hoshikawa (Japanese, “star river”), Hoshizora (Japanese, “starry sky”), Akyıldız (Turkish, “white star”), and Cacoub (Judeo-Spanish, from Arabic kawkab meaning “lucky star”).

Names That Mean Star of the Sea

A smaller but beloved subcategory — these names blend star and ocean imagery:

Name	Origin	Meaning
Stella Maris	Latin	“Star of the sea.” A traditional title for the Virgin Mary as a guide for sailors.
Maristella	Latin compound	“Mary-star” or “star of the sea.” Used as a given name in Italian and Spanish traditions.
Sereia	Portuguese	Means “mermaid,” closely linked in Brazilian folklore to Estrela do Mar (Star of the Sea).
Hōkūleʻa	Hawaiian	Star-name used by Polynesian ocean navigators to cross the Pacific.

How to Choose the Right Star Name?

With 100 options in front of you, it helps to narrow things down with a few practical questions.

Sound and rhythm:

A name should flow naturally with your last name. Short names like Lyra, Vega, or Hoshi pair well with longer surnames. Longer names like Andromeda or Cassiopeia work better with shorter last names.

Cultural connection:

If your family has Japanese, Korean, Greek, Arabic, or Celtic roots, a name from that tradition adds real personal meaning on top of the star symbolism.

Popularity vs. uniqueness:

Stella and Nova are trending right now. If you want something nobody else in the class will have, consider Seren (Welsh), Bituin (Tagalog), Fetia (Tahitian), or Berlewen (Cornish).

Nicknames:

Long star names often shorten beautifully: Andromeda → Andi, Cassiopeia → Cass, Asteria → Aster, Thurayya → Thura.

Gender flexibility:

Several names on this list — Aster, Hoshi, Xing, Byeol, Fetu — work well for any gender if that matters to you.

Final Thoughts

Stars have meant something to every human civilization that has ever looked up. A name drawn from that tradition carries thousands of years of wonder behind it. Whether you choose a familiar classic like Stella, a Japanese gem like Hoshi, a rare Polynesian find like Fetia, or a Welsh lyric like Seren — you’re giving your child a name that connects them to something much bigger than themselves.

The night sky is full of possibilities — and so is this list.

For further reading on name origins and meanings, Behind the Name is a well-sourced, linguist-reviewed reference used by researchers and parents worldwide. The International Astronomical Union maintains the official catalog of approved star names if you want names with real astronomical standing.