A new baby is certainly a bright ray of sunshine in your life, and a name that evokes that brilliance makes for a charming moniker.
Names that mean sunshine, sunrise, and sunset bring about a sense of warmth and beauty, while a name that means sun brings to mind power and providence; many ancient cultures assigned a spiritual role to the sun due to the significant role it played in their economic and agricultural circumstances, affording the celestial body great respect and worship.
These sunny name ideas are so bright, you might need your shades! Let’s check them out.
Female Names
- Sunshine – Little explanation is needed for this celestial name. It brings to mind the Beatles’ hit song, “Good Day Sunshine.”
- Ha – This Vietnamese name translates to “sunshine” and “warmth.”
- Della – This short but sweet one-syllable name means “bright” in German. It’s a sunny variation of the ever-popular ella suffix.
- Soleil – The French word for sun may not be a popular first name with the Parisians, but the English have certainly taken a liking to it. This name was made famous by actress Soleil Moon Frye, or the leading actress in “Punky Brewster.”
- Solange – You might know this as the moniker from Beyonce’s musically inclined little sister. Solange is a bohemian-sounding name that translates to “angel of the sun” in French.
- Sunniva – The Norwegian translation for this name is “sun gift.” It is also the name of the patron saint of West Norway. Saint Sunniva and her brother are said to have fled Ireland in search of religious freedom.
- Nada – This affectionate-sounding name is said to mean “the dew at sunrise.”
- Mirri – This charming Finnish name means “the sun.”
- Sunna – In German mythology, Sunna is the sun personified.
- Haruko – This common Japanese name means “child of the light” or “spring child.”
- Apolline – This incredible French variation of the Greek name Apollonia is making waves throughout France. The name translates to “she who belongs to Apollo.” There’s nothing more celestial than the Greek god of the sun’s lady decibel.
- Ellen – This simple English name means “sun ray” in Greek. While Ellen was once a popular name in the United States, it has dropped down in the ranks of baby names. Perhaps, now is a good time to let it shine again.
- Liane – The English definition of Liane is “daughter of the sun.” However, in French, the name means “bond.”
- Celestia – Celestia is a feminine variation of the name Caelestis. It means “heavenly” or “of the sky.” Celeste is a fairly common French variation of the name.
- Suree – The name Suree comes from the Toda people of Indian. It means “the sun.” It is pronounced the same Suri. This version of the name means “the sun” in Sanskrit.
- Kalindi -The name Kalindi is common in Hindu mythology. It means “the sun.”
- Thea -Why not endow your newest bundle of joy with the name for the Greek goddess of light? In ancient mythology, Thea was the mother of the sun and several other celestial bodies and phenomenons.
- Arpina – In Armenia, this name is known to mean “the rising of the sun.”
- Eliane – Eliane is an uncommon variation of Helen. Both names mean “sunray” or “shining light.”
- Aelia – Don’t let the spelling of this name confuse you. Aelia is, in fact, pronounced ee-l-ee-ah. It means “sun” in Latin.
- Theia – She is the goddess of the sun according to ancient Greek mythology. This ancient Greek name is sometimes spelled Thea.
- Rìluò – This feminine Chinese first name means “the sun goes down.”
- Rieta -You’ve probably heard the name Rita before, but have you heard the linguistically similar Latvinian name that means “sunset?”
- Hinoiri – We can thank the Japanese for this lovely name. It means “sunset.”
- Dysis – According to Greek mythology, Dysis is one of twelve goddesses that guarded over the sunset. Your new-to-this-eath darling will surely shine with such a divine moniker.
- Daysha – Daysha is a fairly rare African American name that is said to mean “the radiance or light of the sun.”
- Alaula – This flowery Hawwaian name evokes thoughts of dawn and sunset. It is said to mean the “sunset glow” in the native Hawaiian dialect.
- Sabitha – This cheery name means “sunshine” in Indian.
- Napsugar – Bestow this sweet Hungarian name upon your buddle of joy. Iy means “sunbeam” or “sunshine.”
- Naphatson – The name Naphatson is derived from the Thai word for sunlight.
- Heulwen -This stoic Welsh girl’s name comes with a bold meaning. It translates to “sun-blessed,”
- Solvita – It’s a wonder that this lovely Lithuanian name remains rare to this day. It is the feminine form of Solveig, which means “sun.”
Male Names
- Aftab – The Persians brought us this masculine name. It means “sunshine.”
- Autolykos – Autolykos was the name given to a renowned Greek astronomer. His findings of the sun are still relevant today.
- Langa – Let your little one shine bright with this African name which means “sunshine.”
- Leukos – There is no shortage of sun-related names in Greek mythology. This adorable L name means “morning sunshine.”
- Anatolius – Anatolius of Alexandria was a philosopher that helped ancient people to better understand the brightest star in the sky. His name means “sunrise.”
- Egbert – In Dutchland, Ebgert means “to shine bright.”
- Diell – This bright Albanian name means “sun.”
- Castor – This distinctive Greek name means “to shine.” Nothing shines brighter than the universe’s greatest star.
- Cyrus – The name Cyrus has been in vogue since the dawn of the Old Testimate. The spirited moniker means “sun.”
- Finlo – Finlo is a charming name that comes to us from the tale of Tristian and Isolde. It is inspired by the Celtic sun god, Lugh.
- Solaris – The Greeks shared in our obsession for sun-related denominations. Solaris is Greek for “of the sun.”
- Horus – The Egyptian god of the sun is often depicted as a man with a hawk’s head. Horus just happens to be an excellent name for a luminous boy.
- Aiden – This name is derived from the name of the Celtic god of the sun and fire. It means “little fire” or “fiery little one.”
- Aelius – Aelius is a Latin name that means “sun.”
- Cymbeline – This epic hound is known as the sun lord.
- Blaze – The name Blaze is Latin in origin. It means “fire.”
- Dismas – This name, which means “sunset,” first appeared in the Hebrew Gospel of Nicodemus.
- Elio – Elio is a charming Hebrew name that means “the sun.” It is most likely a shortened version of the Greek moniker Helios.
- Helio – Helio is a shortened version of the Greek name Helios. Helios was the god of the sun in Greek mythology.
- Ra – Keep things short and sweet with this two-letter name. Ra means “sun” in Egyptian.
- Samson – In the Hebrew Bible, Samson is said to have bore the name of God. This casual and easily shortened name is also said to mean “sun child.”
- Sol – This short and easy-to-pronounce name translates to “sun” in Spanish.
- Ravi – In Sanskrit, this name means “sun.”
- Gisli – This playful Scandanvavian name means “he who is a ray of sunshine.”
- Baskara – Let your little one shine bright with this Indonesian name. It means “the sun.”
- Dimas – The Portuguese translation for this name is “sunset.”
- Epilykos – This stately ancient Greek name means, “The sun is upon us.”
- Sharik – Sharik is Arabic for “one for whom the sun shines.”
Unisex names
- Sháńdíín – In the Navajo language, this unisex name means “sunshine.”
- Sunny – Sunny is a popular name for boys and girls. It means “one who is full of sunshine or cheer.”
- Asahi – Asahi is Japanese for “morning sun.”
- Dzuwa – The Zambian translation for this name is “one who is as bright as the sun.”
- Shizuki – This unisex Japanese given name means “hope for the sun.”
- Celestine -Derived from the name Caelestinus, this unisex title means “the heavens.”
- Xiwen – Xiwen is a moniker composed of several Chinese characters, including ones that mean “sunshine” and “hope.”
- Ahura – In Tahiti, this word means “the royal red robe of the sunset.”
- Noeul – The Korean word for sunset has a poetic ring to it.
- Arpiar – The Armenian word for “sunny” serves a sweet unisex name.
- Sun – We cannot think of a more fitting name to close out our list of all things sun! If you’re looking for a more poetic alternative, try Sol. Both of these English words are used to refer to that which is the greatest star in the solar system.
