Space Baby Names

Star in Orion that might make a fine name, except people will always assume it's Melissa, with a typo.

Karin was a fairly popular spelling variation of Karen in the US but fell off the Top 1000 in the late 80s, as Karen's popularity wained. Today, the Karen meme interferes with the otherwise appealing sound of this name.

Appropriate for a girl born between late September and late October, Libra suggests both balance and freedom.

Fanciful image distinguishes this Native-American name.

Adventurous parents are venturing deeper into the garden in search of fresh names, but remember that this also makes for an alcoholic brunch.

Sabik, a star in Ophiuchus, makes for a rather harsh-sounding name. If you're looking skyward for a baby name, you'd do better with Orion or Jupiter. But if you are searching for names that mean new beginnings, this is one unusual choice.

His nickname would inevitably be Bull.

Capella, the eleventh brightest star in the sky, carries much mythological and astrological significance. In Roman mythology, Capella represented the goat that suckled Jupiter, whose horn became the Cornucopia or horn of plenty. In Hindu mythology, Capella is called the heart of Brahma, while English legend calls it the shepherd's star. Australian Aboriginal myth calls it the kangaroo, while in Persian mythology it's a metaphor for both great distance and the color light red. Astrologically, Capella symbolizes wealth and military honor. As if that wasn't enough, CapPella (two p's) also has a musical reference to a cappella singing.

Possible middle name for devotees of detective Sherlock...or the actress Katie.

One name that encompasses several big baby name trends: Hawaiian names, word names and space-related names. Mahina ranks among Hawaii's top baby names for girls.

A pretty and almost unique word name to add to the galaxy of astral appellations. More distinctive than the better-known Celeste, it was given to only 20 girls last year. Celestial is also the title of several band albums, and is heard in the video game and comics worlds.

Of all the astrological names —think Leo, Aries, Gemini— Scorpio probably has the most dramatically potent presence, which could prove something of a burden to a young boy.

A title given to the elf Arwen in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, meaning "evening star" and usually rendered poetically as Evenstar. Like her revered ancestor Lúthien, Arwen chooses to become mortal in order to marry her human love, Aragorn.

Sasi can be a nickname for the fuller Sasithorn, or just a name on its own. In a Western context, the very cute Sasi is probably the way to go.

Astrological name retains a hippielike Age of Aquarius feel.

The dramatic-sounding name of a star in the constellation Leo that can be adapted as a unique Arabic name for boys. The similar-sounding Rasselas is the name of an allegorical fable by Samuel Johnson and its lead character.

Appealing in part because of its similarity to the likable Omar.

A tad spacy.

This name of a triple star system in Virgo has a New Agey astral feel.

A star in the constellation of Leo, perfect for a sci fi character but for a baby, not so much.