Baby girl names meaning "light"
Aila
Aila (pronounced eye-luh) is thought to mean "light bearer" in Finnish, or "moonlight" in Turkish. A spelling variation of the increasingly popular Scottish-derived Isla or Ayla, this lovely girl's name is right in step with the trend of names ending with an ah sound. It's currently ranked at #937.
Chiara
Chiara (pronounced key-ar-ah) means "light" or "clear." Of Italian origin, this name flows off the tongue like a song. Thought to be the Italian form of Clare, there is a St. Chiara, also known as Clare of Assisi, who was said to be the first woman to write a set of monastic guidelines. Andrea Bocelli sings a song called "Chiara." Not totally obscure but not too popular, this name is currently ranked #1,198.
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Elin
Elin means "bright," "shining light," or "moon." Of Welsh and Swedish origin, it's a variation of the names Ellen and Helen. American novelist Elin Hildebrand and Elin Nordegren, the former wife of Tiger Woods, are among the more well-known people with this classy name – some say it just like "Ellen," while others prefer the more European eh-leen pronounciation. Elin currently ranks #1,663.
Leora
Leora means "my light" or "I have light" in Hebrew and Greek. This beautiful name could be called vintage, it peaked in popularity in 1880. Once again, Leora is on the rise – ranked #1,663, up 902 spots from the previous year. Lovely Leora will be the light of your life.
Margot
Margot means "child of light." Of Greek and Persian origin, it's thought to be a form of Margaret. Aussie actress Margot Robbie is Hollywood's "it girl," earning an Academy Award nomination for her role as Tonya Harding in I Tonya and also playing a supporting role in the movie Bombshell. This cool and classy name is currently ranked #305, up 64 spots from last year.
Nell
Nell, often considered a diminutive of Eleanor, means "bright, shining one." This short and sweet vintage name is said to have been the nickname for Eleanor Roosevelt, as famous for her worldly advocacy as for being the wife to American president Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Classic but not trendy, Nell ranks #2,746 for girls' names.
Theia
Theia was one of the Titans, a Greek goddess of light and the mother of sun god Helios. Goddess Theia is said to be associated with "all that glimmers." This name is both gentle and unique, perfectly fitting for your shining new baby girl. Its current rank is #1,936.
Lucy
Lucy is another name derived from the Latin lux, meaning light. Short for Lucinda or Lucille, it's a name that's hard not to like. Lucy was the youngest child in the Pevensie family who first discovered the magical country of Narnia in C. S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Ranked #157, this name is down 100 spots from last year.
Baby boy names meaning "light"
Bodhi
Bodhi is Sanskrit for "enlightenment" or "awakening." In Buddhism, it's said to be synonymous with the state of nirvana. It's also the name of the tree under which Buddha himself is supposed to have found enlightenment. Either way, Bodhi is an adorable and strong name perfect for a bright new baby.
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Lucas
Lucas, of Latin origin, is a form of Luke or Lucius, meaning "light-giving" or "illumination." Luke is the author of the third gospel of the New Testament. Star Wars fans will appreciate the shout-out to American film director George Lucas. This might explain why this wildly popular name is currently ranked #5.
Luciano
Luciano means "light." Derived from both Italian and Spanish, this boy name has a romantic, poetic ring to it. It doesn't hurt that it ends in the soothing oh sound. A lot of well-known Lucianos are coincidentally musicians, singers, rappers, or DJs. This name currently ranks #475, having climbed up 105 spots from last year. The female version of this name is the lovely Lucia (sometimes pronounced loo-chia).
Zain
Zain means "good light" or "godly light" in Hindi. Also spelled Zane or Zayn, anyone looking for a hip-sounding one-syllable name should grab this one before someone else does.
Unisex baby names that mean "light"
Roshan
Pronounced row-shawn, Roshan means "splendid light" or "bright." Roshan is of Persian origin, possibly the male version of Roxanne. Roshan Prince is a Punjabi singer and actor. More commonly a boy's name, it also lends itself well to gender-neutral names. It's currently ranked #3,130 on the boys' names list.
Kenzie
Kenzie is a Scottish name meaning "light one" or "fair one." Most commonly considered a girl's name, it's thought to be a shortened form of Mackenzie, a typical Scottish last name that's recently been embraced as a first name in America. This fresh and fun name is currently ranked #248 for girl's names. For boy's names, it's ranked #4,364.
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Kiran
If this name sounds Celtic, that's because Kiran is sometimes used as a variation of the Irish name Ciaran. But Kiran also means "ray of light" or "sunbeam" in Sanskrit. Thought to be a form of Kirana, an ancient Indian name, this strong name is considered gender neutral. As testament to this, at #7,634, Kiran has risen over 2,000 spots in a year on the girl's names list and ranks #1,833 on the boy's names list.
Noor
Noor means "light," or "brightness" in Arabic, Urdu, and Bengali. Also spelled Nur, or Nour,this radiant name lends itself perfectly to gender-neutral use. Famous bearers of this name include Queen Noor and Princess Noor, both members of the Jordanian Royal Family, and Noor Sabri, who was an Iraqi Premier League soccer player.
Looking for more baby name inspiration? You can also search by your favorite letter of the alphabet or browse our list of special monikers fit for a king or queen!
