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.")

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.

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

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

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.

Lace-hankie name with Shakespearean pedigree.

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

Variant of Hannelore

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.

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

Too close to yenta.

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

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

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

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

A soft and sweet unisex Arabic name with an international sound.

This unisex Hebrew name has held rather steady for boys while falling for girls in Israel.