The Most Enchanting Baby Names That Mean Night, Dark, Moon, or Stars

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Choose the perfect night-related name for your little one

Co-authored by Sonya Prior and Devin McSween

Last Updated: September 22, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Boy Names
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• Girl Names
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• Celestial Names
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• Gods & Goddesses

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The night has long been regarded as a magical time of day, where the world gets quiet and dark and the stars get their chance to shine. So, it’s no surprise that lots of beautiful names mean “night!” Whether you’re searching for an evening-inspired name for your child, a pet, or a character, we’ve compiled the ultimate list of boy and girl names that mean “night” or “dark.” We also spoke with baby name expert Chloe Hodgson to learn about names related to the night sky (like “moon” and “star”).

The Top Names That Mean “Night”

Baby name expert Chloe Hodgson says there are many names that mean “moon” or “star,” as well as names used to label stars, moons, and constellations. Examples include:

• Boys: Ciarán, Nishant, Nox, Orpheus, Samir, Tariq
• Girls: Amaya, Isra, Layla, Miyu, Twyla, Vespera
• Celestial: Astra, Chandra, Cosmo, Luna, Stirling, Tiên

Steps

Section 1 of 4:

Boy Names that Mean Night

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1. 
   Select a masculine name for a boy. There are several boy names that translate to “night,” as well as names that are associated with darkness. Check out these night-inspired names from different cultures around the world:

   • Blake: “Dark” or “Black,” British origin.
   • Ciarán: “Little dark one,” Irish/Gaelic origin.
   • Darcel: “Dark,” French/Irish origin.
   • Indigo: Refers to the blue-violet color, like the night sky.
   • Nishant: “End of the night,” Sanskrit origin.
   • Nox: “Night,” Latin origin.
   • Orpheus: “Darkness of night,” Greek origin.
   • Otieno: “Born at night,” Kenyan/Tanzanian origin.
   • Samir: “Companion in evening conversation,” Arabic origin.
   • Tariq: “Night visitor” or “morning star,” Arabic origin.
   • Tynan: “Dark” or “dusky,” Irish origin.

   Meet the wikiHow Expert

   Chloe Hodgson is a baby name expert.
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Section 2 of 4:

Girl Names that Mean Night

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1. 
   Choose a feminine name for a girl. There are also plenty of girl names that mean “night,” as well as names that refer to darkness, the evening, and twilight. Consider one of these names for your baby girl:

   • Ajambo: “Born in the evening,” Kenyan/Tanzanian origin.
   • Amaya: “Night rain,” Japanese origin.
   • Ciara: “Little dark one,” Irish/Gaelic origin.
   • Ilta: “Evening,” Scandinavian/Finnish origin.
   • Isra: “Journey of the night,” Arabic origin.
   • Koko: “Night” or “moon,” Native American (Blackfoot) origin.
   • Layla: “Night,” Arabic origin.
   • Lilith: “Belonging to the night,” Hebrew origin.
   • Jemisha: “Queen of the night,” Hindu/Sanskrit origin.
   • Miyu: “Beautiful evening,” Japanese origin.
   • Nisha: “Night,” Indian origin.
   • Rajani: “Dark one” or “darkness,” Sanskrit origin.
   • Samira: “Companion in evening conversation,” Arabic origin.
   • Twyla: “Twilight,” British origin.
   • Vakarė: “Of the evening,” Lithuanian origin.
   • Vespera: “Of the evening” or “evening star,” Latin origin.

Section 3 of 4:

Celestial-Inspired Names

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1. 
   Pick a name that’s related to the night sky. The darkness of night is when you can finally see the moon and stars shining in the sky. So, consider choosing a celestial-inspired name for your little one! Hodgson says there are lots of names that mean “moon” or “star,” as well as names used to label stars, moons, and constellations in space. For example:

   • Aibek: “Master of the moon,” Turkish/Kazakh origin (masculine).
   • Alara: A moon of Jupiter, says Hodgson (feminine).
   • Altair: A star in the Aquila constellation (gender-neutral).
   • Andromeda: The closest galaxy to the Milky Way (feminine).
   • Astra: “Star,” Latin origin (feminine).
   • Astrophel: “Star lover,” Greek origin (masculine).
   • Bellatrix: A star in the Orion constellation, says Hodgson (feminine).
   • Cassiopeia: A constellation (feminine).
   • Chandra: “Moon,” Sanskrit origin (gender-neutral).
   • Cosmo: “Universe” or “order,” Greek origin (masculine).
   • Cressida: A moon of Uranus, says Hodgson.
   • Estelle: “Star,” Latin origin (feminine).
   • Esther: “Star,” Hebrew origin (feminine).
   • Hoku: “Star,” Hawaiian origin (masculine).
   • Hoshiko: “Child of the star,” Japanese origin (feminine).
   • Jericho: “City of the moon,” Arabic origin (masculine).
   • Luan: “Moon,” Portuguese origin (masculine).
   • Luna: “Moon,” Latin origin (feminine).
   • Najm: “Star,” Arabic origin (masculine).
   • Oberon: A moon of Uranus (masculine).
   • Ophelia: A moon of Uranus, says Hodgson (feminine).
   • Orion: A constellation (masculine).
   • Phoebe: A moon of Saturn, says Hodgson.
   • Rosalind: A moon of Uranus, says Hodgson (feminine).
   • Seong-Jin: “Star” or “planet” + “town” or “marketplace,” Korean origin (masculine).
   • Stella: “Star,” Latin origin (feminine).
   • Stirling: “Little star,” British origin (masculine).
   • Tara: “Star,” Sanskrit origins (gender-neutral).
   • Tiên: “Celestial being,” Vietnamese origin (gender-neutral).
   • Vega: A star in the Lyra constellation (feminine).
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Section 4 of 4:

Night God and Goddess Names

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1. 
   Opt for a name inspired by night, moon, or star deities. Most cultures have a god or goddess that’s associated with the night, the moon, or the stars. So, if you’re looking for a name with a bit more of a majestic or regal air, consider one of these:

   • Artemis: Greek goddess of the hunt and wilderness who is associated with the moon.
   • Avatea: Polynesian god of the moon and light.
   • Chandra: Hindu god of the moon.
   • Changxi: Chinese moon goddess.
   • Hades: Greek god of the underworld who is associated with night and darkness.
   • Hëna: Albanian goddess of the moon.
   • Khonsu: Egyptian god of the moon.
   • Máni: Norse god of the moon.
   • Mētztli: Aztec goddess of the moon and night.
   • Nótt: Norse goddess of the night.
   • Nut: Egyptian goddess of the sky, stars, and cosmos.
   • Nyx: Greek goddess of the night.
   • Ratri: Hindu goddess of the night.
   • Selene: Greek goddess of the moon.
   • Tezcatlipoca: Aztec god of the night sky.

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