Names That Mean Light

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.")

Esclarmonde de Foix was an Occitan countess and an important figure in Catharism, a medieval Christian movement, which allowed women and men to both hold church offices. Her tale inspired an opera by the same name by Jules Massenet; the name is also featured in Kate Mosse's bestselling novel Labyrinth.

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

Variant of Hannelore

The feminine form of Loan — which is derived from the saintly name Elouan — gained attention in France thanks to Loana Petrucciani. She was a contestant on the reality TV show Loft Story, the French version of Big Brother.

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

Lace-hankie name with Shakespearean pedigree.

The origins of Lucentio are a bit hazy — it's possible Shakespeare invented the name for his play The Taming of the Shrew, where Lucentio ends up marrying Bianca. However, it may have been an obscure Italian variation of Lucentius, existing before Shakespeare's time.

Spiritual author Deepak Chopra made this familiar, if not particularly accessible, outside the Indian community.

This name may mean light but is likely to be heavy to wear outside of Spain.

Too close to yenta.

A gentle old-fashioned compound name that has never been epidemically popular, but is now almost unused.

A Turkish compound of the Arabic names Hira and Nur, more common than either of the names individually.

Nickname for Alena, a Helen variation that can be heard in Eastern Europe.

A Turkish compound of Esma — the Turkish form of Asma — and Nur, an Arabic name meaning "light."

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 soft and sweet unisex Arabic name with an international sound.