Cat Names That Mean Light

In Nepal, India and Pakistan, Kiran is used for both boys and girls - as can be seen from internationally acclaimed (female) author Kiran Desai and (male) Nepali soccer player Kiran Chemjong. Nepali-American Fox news anchor Kiran Chetry is another famous, female bearer of this name. With its light-filled meaning, and similarity to names such as Kieran and Karen, this name works well outside Asia.

Lumen is a Latin word meaning "light", and the term used for the measurement of light output (making it an attractive choice for science-buffs).

An attractive Scandinavian take on Helga, or a potential Helen nickname.

Iyla, now a Top 1000 girls' name in the US, resembles many other popular names, from the Top 100 Isla to the Turkish Ayla, with which it shares a moonlit meaning.

Symbolic name given to girls born on TuB'Shevat, the New Year of the Trees.

A pretty international form of Helena used in many Slavic languages, also sometimes spelled Yelena.

Unisex name in Israel, ideal for a Hanukkah baby.

Has a nice fresh, early morning meaning, but not the most mellifluous of sounds. Also spelled Arpineh.

More commonly seen as a girl name, where it has roots in both Arabic and Dutch. The masculine variation of Noor is Arabic and used in Islamic communities.

Lucasta was invented by seventeenth century poet Richard Lovelace for a collection of poems dedicated to a lover named Lucy, and is familiar through the Eugene O'Neill play and film Anna Lucasta. Lucasta is a distinctive, rarely used choice and a logical extension of the Luke/Luc/Luca names.

Akari is a gender-neutral Japanese name used fairly evenly between the sexes in the US.

One way to spin grandma Helen or Ellen's name off the beaten track. The legendary Azenor was a tragic 6th century Breton princess who was mother to a saint. This personage also may be known as Senara.

Lior connects with several factors stylish for Israeli names: It's short, it's unisex, and it has an uplifting nature theme. Lior might make a more modern spin on Leah.

Though this name is used for both boys and girls in Israel, in the U.S. it sounds decidedly masculine, with Zohara the feminine form. Has a futuristic macho feel.

The name of the sweet human baby in the film Ice Age, Roshan is a handsome Persian name that is the origin of the female name Roxanne, via its feminine form Roshanak.

Related to the more common Solana, Salana has a pleasantly rhythmic pan-cultural feel.

This Roman family — whose most famous bearer was Emperor Hadrian, of wall fame — possibly derives from Greek helios, meaning sun.

Sunny Italian surname name for a little girl. Solari was the name of a character on Xena: Warrior Princess.

Clarimond is related to the Occitan name Esclarmonde, and is probably the more wearable of the two variations.