Bennu

BEHN-OO

Egyptian mythology

"to rise in brilliance, to shine"

Bennu Origin and Meaning

The name Bennu is a boy's name meaning "to rise in brilliance, to shine".

Gentle sounding but with a bright and powerful meaning, Bennu is a name associated with both mythology and astronomy.

Originally an ancient Egyptian deity, Bennu is associated with the sun, creation, and rebirth. He is said to have played a part in the creation of the world, having come into being by himself, and let out a call that shaped the path of creation. Also associated with Osiris and rebirth and depicted as a large, human-sized heron (a species which did in fact exist), Bennu is possibly the inspiration behind the legend of the Phoenix.

Bennu is also the name of a carbonaceous asteroid, listed as a potentially hazardous object, that was the subject of a space mission in which artefacts of the asteroid were brought back to earth.

Bennu is also a Turkish feminine name, deriving from different roots, and a Welsh word meaning "decide" or "determine".