200+ Lovely Girls', Boys', and Unisex Names That Mean Light

If you’re looking for a luminous name that reflects the dazzling nature of light in all its forms, you’ve come to the right place. There are powerful and gorgeous names meaning “light” in languages from around the world, and it’s no wonder; whether it’s associated with the sun, daylight, light in the darkness or even a flickering candle, light is a lovely thing to be named for! Read on for an extensive collection of names that mean “light” (and related concepts like “radiance” and “dawn”) for girls, boys, and people of any gender.

Names That Mean Light

Name expert Sonya Prior explains that some names, like Lucien, literally mean "light." But you can also explore names with related meanings, such as Dawn, Aurora, and Celeste. Check out some of these names from around the world that mean "light" or have similar meanings (such as "clear" or "radiant"):

Greek names meaning light: Alina, Castor, Helena, Ilene, Orion, and Roxana
Japanese names meaning light: Akimitsu, Chiaki, Haru, Hina, Kōki, and Mitsuki
Hebrew names meaning light: Abner, Keren, Leora, Meira, Oran, and Orli
Latin names meaning light: Aureole, Illuminata, Lito, Lucia, Lucius, and Lux

Section 1 of 8:

Girl Names that Mean Light

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Naming someone after the light can be symbolic of the hope and happiness they bring to the world! Plus, there are also names with slightly more specific meanings, like “child of light” or “light of god.” Check out the options for traditionally feminine names that mean “light” below:
- Aila - A Finnish name that means “light-bearer.” It’s also a Turkish name meaning “moonlight”!
- Alina - A Greek name that means “light” (as well as “bright” and “beautiful” in its Slavic translation).
- Asterope - This name comes from the Greek word for “lightning,” but it also means “starry-faced.”
- Azenor - An ancient Breton name meaning “light,” or “one who is destined to shine brightly.”
- Chiara - An Italian name meaning “light” or “clear.”
- Ciana - A shortened version of the Latin name “Luciana” that means “light.”
- Clarimond - A French name that means “light of the world.”
- Diya - A Hindi name that means “light.”
- Elaine - A French and Scottish name that means “bright and shining light.”
- Elin - A Welsh and Swedish name that means “shining light,’ in addition to “bright” or “moon.”
- Ellie - A variation of the Greek name “Helen,” which means “light” or “bright one.”
- Fana - An African name that means “light” and “jungle.”
- Helena - A Greek name that means “shining light.”
- Hina - A Japanese name meaning “light” or “greenery.”
- Hiranur - A Turkish name meaning “light.”
- Ilene - A Greek name that means “light” and “torch” as well as “beautiful bird” and “strength” in its Irish translation.
- Inara - An Arabic name that means “shining light.”
- Keren - A Hebrew name meaning “light.”
- Laoise - A Irish name that means “light.”
- Leora - A Greek and Hebrew name meaning “my light” or “I have light.”
- Lucia (or Luciana) - A Latin name meaning “light” (since it’s derived from the Latin word for light, which is “lux”).
- Lucy - Another name derived from “lux” in Latin; “Lucy” is sometimes short for names like Lucinda or Lucille.
- Luz - A Spanish name meaning “light.”
- Margot - A Greek and Persian name that means “child of light.”
- Meira - A Hebrew name that means “one who illuminates” and “giving light.”
- Mitsuki - A Japanese name meaning “light and hope” or “beautiful moon,” representing light in the darkness.
- Mitsuko - Another Japanese name meaning “light child.”
- Nera - A Hebrew name that means “candle” or “light.”
- Nora (or Norabel) - Nora is an Irish and Greek name that means “light” (as a diminutive of “Honora”). Meanwhile, Norabel means “beautiful light.”
- Orli - A Hebrew name meaning “light for me.”
- Roxana - A Greek and Persian name meaning “shining light.”
- Säde - A Finnish name meaning “ray of light.”
- Svetlana - A Slavic name derived from the element “svet,” which means “light.”
- Toula - A Greek name that means “light” or “life.”
- Yetta - A Yiddish name that means “light.”
- Zuhra - An Arabic name meaning “shining light.”

Section 2 of 8:

Boy Names that Mean Light

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If you’re looking for a traditionally masculine name that represents light in its many forms, the options are plenty! From names that directly translate to “light” to names that mean “luminous,” “lighthouse,” or “giving light,” take a look at the list below.
- Abner - A Hebrew name meaning “my father is a light.”
- Akimitsu - A Japanese name meaning “bright light.”
- Anwar - An Arabic name that means “light,” “luminous,” and “radiance.”
- Barak - An African name that means “lightning.”
- Bodhi - A Sanskrit name meaning “enlightenment” or “awakening.”
- Castor - A Greek name meaning “light” or “to shine.” Castor and his twin, Pollux, were part of the constellation of Gemini in Greek mythology.
- Deepak - A Sanskrit name that means “light” or “lamp.”
- Elnur - An Azerbaijani name meaning “light of my people.”
- Elouan - A French name with Breton roots that means “light.”
- Fotis - A Greek name that means “light.”
- Fulgencio - A Spanish name meaning “shining light.”
- Gulnur - A Turkish name that means “rose light.”
- Haruki - A Japanese boys’ name meaning “light” along with “brightness” or “living.”
- Hideaki - Another Japanese name meaning “excellent light.”
- Ifa - An East African (Oromo) name meaning “light.”
- Kōki - A Japanese name that means “light” or “happiness” in addition to “hope” or “brightness.”
- Krešimir - A Croatian name meaning “the one who lights up the world” (with “Kreši” meaning “light, sparkle” and “-mir” meaning “peace, world.”
- Lito - A Latin name that means “light.”
- Lucius - A Latin name derived from the word “lux,” meaning “light.”
- Lucian (or Luciano) - An English name meaning “light.”
- Lucas - A Latin name that means “bringer of light,” with roots in the Latin word “lux.”
- Maor - A Hebrew name meaning “light.”
- Meir - Another Hebrew name. This one means “giving light.”
- Meyer - A Hebrew name that means “bringer of light light” or “illuminating.”
- Nuri - An Arabic name that means “my light.”
- Pradeep - A Hindu name that means “light” and “lantern.”
- Reyansh - A Hindu name meaning “ray of light.”
- Shaviv - A Hebrew name that means “spark” or “ray of light.”
- Ziya - An Arabic name meaning “light” as well as “splendor, glow.”

Section 3 of 8:

Gender-Neutral Names that Mean Light

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Gender-neutral names include those that are traditionally unisex (used for girls and boys) as well as those that aren’t considered specifically masculine or feminine. If you’re looking for a gender-neutral name that reflects the beauty and many awe-inspiring forms light can take, check out the options here:
- Ailbhe - An Irish name meaning “light.” It’s more common as a girls’ name, but can be used for any gender.
- Amardeep (or Amandeep) - Sanskrit names meaning “immortal light” and “peace and light,” respectively.
- Blaze - A name that means “fire,” which is associated with both light and heat.
- Cahaya (or Cahya) - An Indonesian name that means “one who is the light in the darkness.”
- Chiaki - A Japanese name meaning “thousand” as well as “light,” “autumn” and “clear.”
- Fairlight - An English name meaning “beautiful light.”
- Gurdeep - A Sanskrit name meaning “teacher of light.”
- Haru - A Japanese name that means “light” and “spring.”
- Kenzie - A Scottish name that means “light one” or “fair one.”
- Khurshid - A Persian name meaning “shining sun.”
- Kiran - A Sanskrit name that means “ray of light” or “sunbeam.”
- Luce - An Italian name that means “light.”
- Lucero - A Spanish name that means “bright star” or “morning star.”
- Lumen - Another Latin name derived from “lux” (for “light”).
- Myeong - A Korean name meaning “light” as well as “bright, clear.”
- Neirin - A Celtic name meaning “surrounded by light.”
- Nimai - A Sanskrit name meaning “filled with an inner light.”
- Noor (or Nur) - An Arabic name meaning “light.”
- Ori (or “Or”) - A Hebrew name that means “my light.”
- Roshan - A Persian and Indian name meaning both “light” and “bright.”
- Sunny - An upbeat name that describes the weather when the sun is out in English.
- Zohar - A Hebrew name that means “light.”

Section 4 of 8:

Names from Various Cultures that Mean Light

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There are so many ways to say “light” in different languages that it can truly boggle the mind—and that means there are many beautiful variations of names that mean “light” from around the world! To reflect that rich variety, this list covers light-themed names from Japan to Hungary to South Africa:
- Girl Names:
  - Aberash - An East African (Amharic) name that means “giving off light.”
  - Abha - A Sanskrit name meaning “light” and “splendor.”
  - Aegle - A Greek name that means “dazzling light.”
  - Ayla - A Turkish name meaning “moonlight” or “halo,” and also symbolic of light in the darkness.
  - Bergljot - An Old Norse name meaning “light” and “salvation.”
  - Dipa - An Indian name meaning “light” in Sanskrit.
  - Drita - An Albanian name that means “light.”
  - Elena - An alternate version of Helen with Spanish, Italian, Greek, and German roots. It means “bright and shining light.”
  - Gerel - A Mongolian name meaning “light.”
  - Haruko - A Japanese name meaning “child of light” or “spring child.”
  - Illuminata - A Latin name meaning “illuminated” or “filled with light.”
  - Ilona - A Hungarian, Finnish, and Greek name. Its Hungarian iteration means “light” and “brightness,” though in Finnish, it means “as a joy.”
  - Lesedi - A South African (Tswana) name that means “light.”
  - Lucasta - A name used by the poet Richard Lovelace as the name of his muse. It combines “Lu” (from lux, which mean “light”) and “casta” (meaning “pure”), so the name means “pure light.”
  - Luminita - A Romanian name meaning “little light.”
  - Luminosa (or Lumiere) - French names that both mean “light.”
  - Mahina - A Hawaiian name that means “moonlight” or “moon glow.”
  - Säde - A Finnish name meaning “ray of light.”
- Boy Names:
  - Argi (or Argider) - A Basque name meaning “light.”
  - Argus - A Greek name meaning “shining light” and “glistening.”
  - Berhanu - An East African (Amharic) name meaning “his light.”
  - Bhaskara - A Hindu name meaning “shining light” in Sanskrit.
  - Erlantz - A Basque name meaning “glowing.”
  - Faro - The Italian word for “lighthouse.”
  - Haruto - A Japanese name meaning “soaring light.”
  - Kuldeep - An Indian name that means “light of the family.”
  - Lasha - A Georgian name meaning “light.”
  - Oran - A Hebrew, Irish, and Scottish name that means “light,” as well as “song” and “little green one.”
  - Siraj - An Arabic name meaning “light” or “lamp.”
- Unisex Names:
  - Alpenglow - A unique German name that translates to “the rosy light of the setting or rising sun on the mountains.”
  - Berhane - An East African (Amharic) name that means “my light.”
  - Hikari (or Hikaru) - Japanese names meaning “light.”
  - Huang - A Chinese name. The masculine version of it means “bright,” whereas the feminine version means “phoenix.”
  - Jyoti - A Hindi name meaning “light.”
  - Lux - A Latin name that means “light.”
  - Merri - An English name meaning “lighthearted” and “joyful.”
  - Valo - A Finnish and Malagasy name that means “light.”
  - Yang - A Chinese name meaning “light, ocean.”

Section 5 of 8:

Religious Names that Mean Light

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If you’re religious, you might prefer a name with religious connections (as well as a reference to “light”). You’re in luck: there are several names meaning “God is my light,” “light of God,” or something similar. Check out the following options:
- Girl Names:
  - Eliora - A Hebrew name meaning “God is my light.”
  - Oriya - A Hebrew name meaning “God’s light.”
  - Ziva - A Hebrew name meaning “light of God.”
- Boy Names:
  - Elior - A Hebrew name meaning “God is my light.”
  - Hardeep - A Hindi name meaning “God’s light.”
  - Lucifer - A Latin name that means “bringer of light.” Lucifer is also the name of the angel that became Satan in Christianity, as well as the original name for the planet Venus.
  - Neriah - A Hebrew name meaning “light of God.”
  - Orion - A Greek name meaning “heaven’s light.” It’s also the name of a constellation in the sky.
  - Melchior - A Persian name meaning “king of light.” It’s also the name of one of the wise men who visited Jesus in the Christian tradition.
  - Uriel (or Uri) - “Uriel” is an angelic Hebrew name meaning “God is my light.” The shortened name “Uri” simply means “my light.”
  - Zain - A Hindu name meaning “good light” or “godly light.”
- Unisex Names:
  - Lior - A Hebrew name meaning “God’s gift of light.”
  - Ziv - A Hebrew name meaning “light of God.”

Section 6 of 8:

Names that Mean Bright or Radiant

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There are also names that don’t mean “light” exactly, but still follow the overall theme with meanings like “bright,” “radiant,” or “shining.” So, if you don’t mind picking from unisex, girls’ and boys’ names with a little more variation in their meanings, take a look at the following:
- Girl Names:
  - Akemi - A Japanese name meaning “bright, beautiful.”
  - Aureole - A name derived from the Latin word for golden, which is “aureoles.” It means “radiant halo.”
  - Avira - A Hindu name that means “bright” as well as “strong” or “brave.”
  - Bertha - A Germanic name meaning “bright one.”
  - Cassandra - A Greek name that means “to shine.”
  - Clara - A Latin name meaning “bright, clear.”
  - Dipti - A Sanskrit name meaning “brightness, light.”
  - Galadriel - A name from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. In the fictional Sindarin language, it means “maiden crowned with a radiant garland.”
  - Huệ - A Vietnamese name meaning “bright” and “intelligent.”
  - Hye-Jin - A Korean name meaning “bright” and “precious.”
  - Indu - A Hindi name meaning “bright drop” or “moon.”
  - Kōnane - A Hawaiian name meaning “bright.”
  - Lamia - An Arabic name hat means “radiant, shining light.”
  - Leocadia - A Latin name meaning both “bright” and “clear.” The name “Leo” is its gender-neutral diminutive.
  - Mirdza - A Latvian name meaning “to shine” or “to glitter.”
  - Natela - A Georgian name that means “bright.”
  - Nell - A diminutive of the name “Eleanor” that means “bright, shining one.”
  - Niamh - An Irish name that means “bright.”
  - Nurgül - A Turkish name meaning “radiant rose.”
  - Phaedra - A Greek name that means “bright.”
  - Sorcha - An Irish name meaning “radiant” and “bright.”
- Boy Names:
  - Akihiko - A Japanese name meaning “bright prince.”
  - Akio - Another Japanese name meaning “bright man.”
  - Albert - A German name that means “noble” and “bright.”
  - Albus - An ancient Roman name that means “bright.”
  - Areg - An Armenian name meaning “bright sun.”
  - Azhar - An Arabic name that means “bright” as well as “brilliant, shining.”
  - Beorhtric - An Old English name that means “bright king.”
  - Bjarte - An Old Norse name meaning “bright.”
  - Charalampos - A Greek name meaning “to shine from happiness.”
  - Dagobert - A Germanic name that means “bright day.”
  - Filibert - Yet another Germanic name; this one means “much brightness.”
  - Glædwine - Another Old English name that means “bright friend.”
  - Hubert - A Germanic name that means “bright or shining intellect.”
  - Robert - A well-known Germanic name that means “bright fame.”
  - Seong-Ho - A Korean name meaning “brightness” or “flourishing daybreak.”
  - Sherwood - “Sherwood Forest” is the name of the forest in the Robin Hood legends, but the name also means “bright forest.”
  - Taliesin - A Welsh name meaning “radiant/shining brow.”
  - Zaahir - An Arabic name meaning “radiant, brilliant.”
- Unisex Names:
  - Aki (or Akira) - Another Japanese name that means “bright, clear, autumn.”
  - Eirian - A Welsh name meaning “bright” and “beautiful.”
  - Flash - An English (American) name that refers to a flash of light.
  - Gerelt - A Mongolian name that means “radiant” and “shining.”
  - Win - A Burmese name meaning “radiant” and “bright.”

Section 7 of 8:

Names that Mean “Dawn” or “Sunshine”

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Terms like “dawn,” “sunshine,” and “daylight” also convey the idea of light; dawn is the time of day when the sun lights up the sky, sunshine is the light that warms the Earth each day, and daylight describes the light that’s outside during the daytime. Not to mention, the dawn of a new day can also be symbolic of things like hope and new beginnings! Take a look at the following names:^{[1]
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- Girl Names:
  - Arpi - An Armenian name meaning “sun, ether.”
  - Aurora - A Latin and Roman name meaning “dawn.” It's also the name of the Roman goddess of the morning.
  - Aya - An Akkadian name meaning “dawn.”
  - Cyra - A Persian and Greek name that means “sun” or “throne.”
  - Dawn - The English word for sunrise.
  - Goizargi - A Basque name meaning “morning light.”
  - Hajnal - A Hungarian name meaning “dawn.”
  - Kalinda - A Hindu name meaning “sun.”
  - Marisol - A Spanish name meaning “sea” and “sun.”
  - Mehri - A Persian name meaning “sunny, kind, lovable.”
  - Mzia - A Georgian name meaning “sun.”
  - Natsuko - A Japanese name meaning “summer child.”
  - Solana - A Spanish name that means “sunshine.”
  - Soleil - A French name translating to “sun.”
  - Sunniva - A Scandinavian name meaning “sun gift.”
  - Suree - A Thai name meaning “sun.”
  - Tesni - A Welsh name meaning “warmth from the sun.”
  - Ushas - A Sanskrit name meaning “dawn.”
  - Zoraida - A Arabic name meaning “enchanting dawn.”
  - Zoryana - A Ukrainian name meaning “dawn” and “star.”
- Boy Names:
  - Agim - An Albanian name meaning “dawn.”
  - Areg - An Armenian name that means “sun.”
  - Arthit - A Thai name meaning “sun.”
  - Cyrus - A Persian name meaning “sun.”
  - Dowan - An English name that means “daybreak.”
  - Elio - An Italian and Spanish name meaning “sun.”
  - Haul - A Welsh name meaning “sun.”
  - Haruki - A Japanese name meaning “shining sun.”
  - Ishaan - A Hindi name meaning “the sun.”
  - Koit - An Estonian name meaning “dawn.”
  - Ravi - A Hindu name meaning “sun.”
  - Samson - A Hebrew name that means “sun.”
  - Sorin - A Romanian name that translates to “sun.”
  - Sulien - A Welsh name meaning “sun born.”
  - Suraj - A Sanskrit name meaning “sun.”
  - Taner - A Turkish name meaning “born at dawn.”
  - Vihaan - A Hindu name meaning “dawn, morning.”
- Gender-Neutral Names:
  - Aruna - A Sanskrit name meaning “dawn.”
  - Sachar - A Hebrew name meaning “dawn.”
  - Zora - A Slavic name meaning “dawn.”

Section 8 of 8:

God & Goddess Names Associated with Light

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There are too many deities from mythologies around the world to count, and a fair few of them are associated with light, the dawn, and the daylight in some form. If you’re looking for a name with some extra power and majesty behind it, peruse these light deity names:
- Aether - The primordial Greek god of light and the heavens.^{[2]
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- Afërdita - The Albanian version of Aphrodite (the Greek goddess of love), whose name translates to “daybreak.”
- Amaterasu - The name of the Japanese sun goddess. Her name translates to “shining over heaven.”
- Apollo - The name of the Greek god of light (as well as the sun, music, poetry, and prophecy).^{[3]
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- Deva - A Hindu moon goddess whose name means “divine” or “shining one.”^{[4]
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- Eos - The Greek goddess of dawn; her name also translates to “dawn.”
- Heimdall - The god that guards the bridge from Asgard in Norse mythology. The name also means “glowing/shining home” in Old Norse.
- Phoebe - Another Greek name that means “bright” and “pure.” Phoebe is the name of a Titan in Greek mythology—the grandmother of Artemis, goddess of the moon.
- Svarog - This is the name of the Slavic god of the sun and sky.
- Theia - A Greek goddess of light. As the mother of the Greek sun god, Helios, Theia represented “all that glimmers.”^{[5]
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- Zhulong - A solar deity in Chinese mythology, also called the “Torch Dragon.” Zhulong was said to have created daylight by opening his eyes (and subsequently darkness by closing them).