Names From Out of this World
by Casey Anderson
When we look up at the stars we often realize how small we are in compared to the rest of the world. We’re awed by the grandiose of the galaxy and intrigued by all we can imagine there. Though it may seem strange, I think looking into the face of your baby for the first time feels pretty similar. You feel small because suddenly this face and these eyes are your entire world. You’re blown away by everything this little bundle of joy will be capable of one day.
I was inspired to find a way to capture those feelings with the names of a baby. It feels celestial to have a new baby, so why not look for names that represent that? That had me looking up into space. There are ample great inspirations there; stars, planets, moons, constellations, and more.
So maybe you’re a science nerd, an astronomer or just someone who kind of thinks all that space stuff is cool. You want your baby to have a name that feels larger than life, epic but not burdensome. Well, let’s look up and get inspiration from out of this world.
Girls Names
Andromeda This is a constellation, named after a Greek mythological princess. Heavy shoes to fill, but I bet your little girl could do it. She could always use a nickname version like Andi or Meda if she felt like it was too much.
Cassiopeia Another constellation, said to be the mother of Andromeda in mythology. This one has such a beautiful and otherworldly sound. It’s been used occasionally, often shortened to Cassi for many girls, but to have this as the given name is quite special.
Nova I must admit, I did not like this name when I first heard it. But I have a little cousin Nova and now I think it’s just precious. A Nova is a star that dramatically increases in brightness, isn’t that exactly what a baby does to your life? I’ve come around to Nova as a great name for little girls.
Vesper The Latin meaning for this name is “evening star.” It’s also used to refer to evening prayers for some. It sounds like a gentle whisper. A beautiful girls name.
Callisto Callisto is the third largest moon in the known universe. It’s named from a nymph in Greek mythology. It’s a pretty and a bit of a trilling sound. It can be shortened to Calli as well.
Dia Dia is one of the smallest moons of Jupiter. Also from Greek mythology she is considered the divine daughter of the seashore. This is a short but sweet name. Many may not recognize it as a space name, and it will be up to your daughter to tell them!
Cordelia The closest moon to Uranus. Cordelia was named for the character in Shakespeare’s King Lear. So, if you like space and literature this name is a win/win! It’s got a vintage sound but still manages to feel very “now.”
Luna Luna is Latin for moon. It’s enjoyed some popularity due to the Harry Potter character of the same name but has always been a beautiful and poetic choice of girls name.
Boys Names
Jupiter This planet name has been used in the past to represent the Roman deity. But we like it based of the planet. It’s still quite rare but with space names coming on to the scene, it may find favor soon. We also like the idea for a girl’s name as well.
Orion This one has become popular recently. It’s a constellation named after a mythological hunter. Your son will probably be the only Orion in his class, but everyone will recognize his cool spacy name.
Mercury This is the small planet closest to the sun. It’s a pretty strong name, so might seem too intense for some parents. You could nick name the boy Merc for something a little less heavy.
Archer This is the Sagittarius group of stars, a half-man, half-horse with a bow. Obviously the word is used in many other things, it’s a very strong name with a sense of power.
Rigel This is a blue super-giant star in Orion and is considered one of the most important oceanic navigational stars. The name can be a guiding light for your son.
Corvus Corvus is a small constellation, the name means “raven” in Latin. It’s a distinctive version of some popular names like Corbin. It sounds sophisticated and upper class. Kind of like a guy that would run for president.
Pavo Pavo is a constellation in the southern sky. The name means “peacock.” It’s a proud sounding, like its namesake. It’s like the kind of name that gets yelled across the room whenever he walks in. Everyone is happy to see Pavo.
