Names That Mean Light

Phonetic anglicisation of the popular Scottish name Eilidh, a relative of Eleanor or Helen.

Many African tribes have a tradition of naming children for the day or time they were born -- Friday, Afternoon -- a practice finding new life in the Western world as word names become more popular.

Lleucu is often considered the Welsh equivalent of Lucy, as it shares the same meaning of "light", and a similar sound. (Lwsi and Liwsi are the phonetic Welsh spellings of Lucy.) It's a statement choice even within Wales, and the spelling/pronunciation would make it extremely bold in other countries.

The viv syllable adds vitality.

Light, bright unisex name. Hikari is more popular for girls in Japan these days.

Greek and French form of Apollo, son of Zeus and Leto and the twin of Artemis in Greek mythology. He was the god of prophecy, medicine, music, art, law, beauty, and wisdom, also associated with the sun and light.

A handsome Portuguese name derived from the old Germanic saint's name Audamar or Otmar. Especially common in Brazil.

Lucille and its alternate spelling Lucile are both popular in France, but in the US, Lucy rules with the more-antiquated sounding Lucille a distant second. Lucile fell off the Top 1000 more than 60 years ago and it's hard to imagine what might make this spelling preferable to the original. As with Jenifer, subtracting that letter doesn't add anything.

A pretty and lively Slavic diminutive of Helena or Magdalena, long used as a standalone. In Czechia, it was a Top 10 choice from 1960 to 1991, and it still ranks highly there today.

A little-known Hebrew name which ranks in the Top 100 in Israel.

Melker, a modern phonetic spelling of ancient Three Wise Men name Melchior, is in the Swedish Top 100 though not used in the US, where it would be heard as "milker." Nickname Mel is not exactly a fashionable choice at the moment either.

Not, as you may be inclined to think, a variation of Eleanor. Elanur is a modern Turkish compound of the names Ela (meaning "hazel") and Nur ("light.")

Blended name sometimes heard in the early decades of the twentieth century.

This gender-neutral Indonesian name feels familiar but unique. Damar is also used among African-American parents for boys.

A rare but historic English name bestowed upon girls in the 19th century. Fairlight seems to have been particularly popular among baby girls in the Appalachian region of the US. It appeared as a character name in Catherine Mashall's 1967 novel Christy, which was turned into a TV show in 1994.

Simple, delicate, and unusual.

The name of an angel in the Zohar, Nuriel is related to the Arabic name Nur.

Grimes and Elon Musk put this name on the map in 2022, when they revealed their daughter's name was Exa Dark Sideræl. Until that point, Dark had not been recorded as a given name, although it resembles more established names such as Mark and Lark.

A light and lovely Russian diminutive of Yelena (Helena), now used in its own right in Russia. Also spelt Alyona.

Lucero is a relative or nickname of Luz, meaning light. This intriguing name is swimming just beneath the Top 1000 for girls in the US, but is used for boys too. It is especially popular in Latin America.