170+ Radiant Names Meaning Sun, Sunrise & More

The sun is a source of inspiration for many people. It’s the subject of songs, poems, stories, artwork, and much more! So, it’s not surprising that so many different names also mean “sun”; after all, being named after the beautiful, fiery star at the center of our solar system is a pretty cool thing! To that end, we’ve compiled an extensive collection of girl, boy, and gender neutral names that mean “sun” or are related to the sun somehow. Keep reading if you’re looking for the perfect sun-themed name.

Names Meaning "Sun": Quick Suggestions

An illustration listing names that mean sun with Latin, Greek, Japanese, French, Spanish, and Sanskrit origins.

Baby name consultant Maddy Ferguson says there are names like Elio or Arpi that literally mean "sun," as well as names like Goldie, Claire, and Albert, which have meanings related to light or brightness. Check out some of our favorite names with sun-related meanings:

Latin and Greek names: Aelia, Anatole, Aurelia, Claire, Eliana, and Xanthus
Japanese names: Akino, Chinatsu, Haruki, Hinata, and Yōsuke
French and Spanish names: Dior, Eliane, Elio, Marisol, Robert, and Soleil
Hindi and Sanskrit names: Ishaan, Kalinda, Kiran, Mitra, and Roshan

Section 1 of 8:

Girl Names that Mean Sun

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There are so many gorgeous girls’ names that translate directly to “sun”—or are related somehow! In this collection, we have girls’ names that also mean “sunshine,” “rays of light,” and even “gold,” like the color of the sun. So, check out the bright, sunny, and powerful girls’ names below:^{[1]
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- Aelia (or Aeliana) - Latin and Roman name meaning “sun.”
- Áine - Irish name that means “brilliance, radiance, brightness.”
- Alina - Greek name meaning “light” and “truth.”
- Apricity - Old English name meaning “warmth of the sun in winter.”
- Arevik - Armenian name meaning “like the sun.”
- Arpi - Armenian name meaning “sun.”
- Aurelia - Latin name meaning “gold” (like the sun's light).
- Aygün - Turkish name meaning both “moon” (“ay”) and “sun” (“gün”).
- Chinatsu - Japanese name meaning “sun,” and also translating to “thousand summers” (which is a season often associated with sunny days).
- Claire (or Clara) - Both are names of Latin origin meaning “bright.”
- Cyra - Persian name translating to “sun” or “throne.”
- Dior - French name meaning “golden” (like the sun’s light).
- Elanor - A name from J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium; in the fictional language of Sindarin, it means “sun star.”
- Eliana - Greek name meaning “mercy” and “daughter of the sun.”
- Eliane - French name meaning “daughter of the sun.”
- Elidi - Greek name meaning “gift of the sun.”
- Enya - Scottish name meaning “blazing” or “jewel.”
- Goldie - Old English name meaning “to shine.”
- Grishma - Sanskrit name meaning “sunny.”
- Ha-Eun - Korean name meaning “summer” or “great,” in addition to “kindness” and “charity.”
- Ha-Yun - Korean name meaning “summer” or “sunlight.”
- Haruko - Japanese name meaning “sun” or “spring” in addition to “child.”
- Helia - Greek name meaning “sun” or “daughter of the sun.”
- Heulwen - Welsh name meaning “sunshine.”
- Hina - Japanese girl’s name meaning “sun” (and also “vegetables”).
- Hinata - Japanese name meaning “ray of sunshine.”
- Kalinda - Hindi name meaning “sun.”
- Kira (or Kyra) - Persian name meaning “sun” (as well as “sunlight” in Japanese and “light” in Latin).
- Kiran - Hindi name meaning “ray of light” or “sunbeam.”
- Laine - English name meaning “sun ray.”
- Marisol - Spanish name meaning “sea” and “sun” (or “Mary of Solitude”).
- Mehri - Arabic name meaning “sunny,” “lovable,” and “kind.”
- Mitra - Hindi name meaning “friend” or “the sun.”
- Mzia - Georgian name meaning “sun.”
- Narangerel - Mongolian name meaning “sunlight.”
- Natsuko - Japanese name meaning “summer child.”
- Nellie - Greek name meaning “the bright one.”
- Nou - Hmong name (an indigenous language in southeast Asia) meaning “sun.”
- Rashmi - Sanskrit and Indian name meaning “sun rays.”
- Saule - Kazakh name meaning “ray of sun.”
- Savitri - Hindu name in Sanskrit meaning “relating to the sun.” Savitri is also the name of a hymn in honor of the Hindu sun god.
- Shizuka - Japanese name meaning “quiet summer.”
- Siqiniq - Inuktitut name meaning “sun.”
- Solana - Spanish name meaning “sunshine.”
- Sole - Italian name meaning “sun.”
- Soleil - French name meaning “sun.”
- Sóley - Icelandic name meaning “sun island” or “buttercup.”
- Solfrid - Norwegian name meaning “beloved sun.”
- Solveig - Norwegian name meaning “strength of the sun.”
- Sonnhild - German name meaning “sun battle.”
- Summer - The English name for a season; the days are longer and warmer in summer, which is why summer and sun are closely associated.
- Sunčana - Croatian name meaning “sunny.”
- Sunna - Arabic name meaning “sun” or “sunshine.”
- Sunniva - Scandinavian name meaning “sun gift.”
- Sunny - English name meaning “bright disposition” (and also a word to describe bright weather when the sun is out).
- Sunshine - That’s right—the word “Sunshine” can also be a name (and even had some popularity in the 1970s).
- Suvi - Finnish name meaning “summer.”
- Synnove - Scandinavian name meaning “sun gift.”
- Theresa - Greek name meaning “summer” or “harvest.”
- Vera - Albanian name meaning “summer” (or “faith” in Russian).
- Yōko - Japanese name meaning “sun child” or “ocean child.”

Section 2 of 8:

Boy Names that Mean Sun

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Numerous boys’ names are also associated with the sun, sunlight, or even flames and the colors of the sun (gold, yellow, orange, and so on). In the list below, you’ll find brilliant boys’ names from all over the world, in languages from Latin to Japanese.^{[2]
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- Aarush - Indian and Sanskrit name meaning “first ray of sun.”
- Aelius - Roman name meaning “sun” (like the feminine name “Aelia” above).
- Albert - German name meaning “bright,” “noble,” and “intelligent.”
- Altan - Turkish name meaning “red dawn” and “golden.”
- Anatole (or Anatoly) - Greek name meaning “rising run” and “from the east.”
- Anshul - Hindu name meaning “sunbeam” or “first ray of sun.”
- Antiman - Mapuche name (an indigenous group from south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina) translating to “condor of the sun.”
- Antinanco - Mapuche name meaning “eagle of the sun.”
- Areg - Armenian name meaning “sun.”
- Arthit - Thai name meaning “sun.”
- Aurelius - Latin name meaning “golden one.”
- Berto - Spanish name meaning “bright flame.”
- Blaze - Latin name meaning “fire” or “sun.”
- Byeong-Ho - Korean name meaning “bright and grand” or “bright summer.”
- Cyrus (or Cy) - A name with Persian roots meaning “sun.”
- Dag - Scandinavian name meaning “daylight.”
- Dayton - Scandinavian name meaning “day” and Old English name meaning "bright town.”
- Eki - Basque name meaning “sun.”
- Elio - Spanish and Italian name meaning “the sun.” It’s also derived from Helios, the Greek sun god.
- Ha-Jun - Korean name meaning “summer” (Ha) and “talented” or “handsome” (Jun).
- Haruki - Japanese name meaning “shining sun” or “radiant with sunlight.”
- Haul - Welsh name meaning “sun.”
- Heliodoro - Greek name meaning “gift of the sun.”
- Ishaan - Hindi name meaning “the sun.”
- Ji-Ho - Korean name meaning “wisdom and brightness.”
- K’inich - Mayan name meaning “great sun.” It was also the name of the ancient Mayan king K’inich Janaab Pakal.
- Langa - African and Zulu name meaning “sun” and “sunshine.”
- Mehrab - Persian name meaning “sun” or “friendship” and “water.”
- Naranbaatar - Mongolian name meaning “sun hero.”
- Robert - Spanish name meaning “bright flame.”
- Roshan - Hindi and Indian name meaning “one who emanates light.”
- Sampson (or Samson, Sansone) - Hebrew name meaning “like the sun.”
- Shamash - Akkadian name meaning “sun.”
- Somerled - Scottish and Old Norse name meaning “summer traveler.”
- Somerset - English name meaning “dwellers at the summer settlement.”
- Sorin - Romanian name meaning “sun.”
- Sulien - Welsh name meaning “sun-born.”
- Suraj - Sanskrit name meaning “sun.”
- Xanthus - Greek name meaning “yellow.”
- Yōsuke - Japanese name meaning “bright help.”
- Yōta - Japanese name meaning “great sun” or “light.”

Section 3 of 8:

Gender Neutral Names that Mean Sun

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Don’t want an explicitly masculine or feminine name? There are many names (across a wide range of languages and cultures) that can be used for boys, girls, and non-binary folks alike. For example:
- Anwar - Muslim name meaning “rays of light.”
- Arki - Filipino, Sanskrit, Indian, and Norwegian name meaning “sun.”
- Aruna - Indian name meaning “reddish brown” and “dawn” in Sanskrit.
- Asahi - Japanese name meaning “morning sun,” and associated with new beginnings.
- Chang - Chinese name meaning “sunlight” as well as “smooth, free, uninhibited.”
- Diell - Albanian name meaning “sun.”
- Günay - Turkish name meaning “sun” (gün) and “moon” (ay).
- Haru - Japanese name meaning “sunlight” or “sun.”
- Hinata - Japanese name meaning “sunny place” or “toward the sun.”
- Keahi - Hawaiian name meaning “flames” or “fire” (which are associated with the sun).
- Kem - English name meaning “sun.”
- Khurshid - Persian name meaning “shining sun.”
- Kiran - Indian name meaning “sunbeam” in Sanskrit.
- Li - Chinese name meaning “powerful,” “beautiful,” and “dawn.”
- Mirri - Australian name meaning “the sun.”
- Rashmi - Indian name meaning “ray of sunlight” in Sanskrit.
- Shachar - Hebrew name meaning “dawn” or “morning twilight.”
- Shams - Arabic name meaning “sun.”
- Shandiin - A name meaning “sunlight” in the language of the indigenous Navajo people of the southwestern United States.
- Sol - Spanish and Portuguese name meaning “sun.”
- Solaris - Latin name meaning “sun.”
- Sun - Korean and Chinese name meaning “goodness” (and “sun”).
- Sunday - English name that means “day of the sun.”
- Tonalli - A name meaning “day” and “sunshine” in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztec people.
- Yang - Chinese name symbolizing the sun and light within the context of the yin-yang balance.

Section 4 of 8:

Sun God & Goddess Names

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There’s something extra grand and awe-inspiring about a name inspired by a sun god or goddess! And, luckily, there are sun deities from ancient mythologies around the world—so you have plenty of gorgeous sun-related names to choose from. For example:^{[3]
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- Abellona - A Norse goddess of the sun.
- Aditya - Indian name that refers to Hindu mythology, in which the sun gods are collectively called “the Adityas.”
- Alectrona - A Greek goddess of the sun.
- Apollo - A Greek god associated with the sun, prophecy, light, poetry, healing, music, and dance.
- Freyr - The Old Norse god of peace, prosperity, and sunshine.
- Grian - The Celtic goddess of the sun.
- Helios - The personification of the sun in Greek mythology and brother to Selene, the goddess of the moon.
- Horus - The sky god in ancient Egyptian mythology, traditionally depicted with a sun and moon as his eyes.
- Inti - The god of the sun in Inca mythology. Inti also means “sun” in Quechua, the traditional language of the Andean people.
- Lugh - Another Celtic name and god of the sun and light.
- Malina - The Inuit goddess of the sun.
- Meri - The Brazilian sun god. Meri also means “protector by the sea” in Old Welsh.
- Naolin - The Aztec god of the sun.
- Ra - The sun god in ancient Egyptian mythology (and the king of all Egyptian gods).
- Ravi - The Hindi solar deity, as well as an Indian name meaning “sun.”
- Saulė - A Lithuanian sun goddess; beyond that, the name itself translates to “sun.”
- Semine - The Danish goddess of the sun, moon, and stars.
- Surya - A Hindu sun god. “Surya” also translates to “sun” in Sanskrit.
- Utu - The Sumerian god of the sun and justice.
- Xbalanque - In Mayan mythology, Xbalanque is one of the Hero Twins representing the sun and moon.

Section 5 of 8:

Names that Mean "Sunrise"

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Looking for something a little more specific than just “sun”? Well, there’s a subcategory of names designed to capture the beauty of that special time of morning when the sun rises over the horizon! These names translate to “sunrise” (or the dawn or daybreak, instead). Take a look:^{[4]
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- Girl names meaning sunrise:
  - Afërdita - Albanian name meaning “daybreak” or “morning.”
  - Akino - Japanese name meaning “rising sun.”
  - Alba - Latin name meaning “dawn.”
  - Aurora - Latin name meaning “dawn.”
  - Ausma - Latvian name meaning “dawn.”
  - Aya - name meaning “dawn” and referring to the goddess of the dawn in Akkadian mythology.
  - Dawn - English name referring to the sunrise (and its beauty).
  - Eos - Greek name that means “dawn” and refers to the Greek goddess of the dawn.
  - Fajr - Arabic name meaning “dawn” and “beginning.”
  - Fioralba - Italian name meaning “flower of the dawn.”
  - Gwawr - Welsh name meaning “dawn.”
  - Oriana - Latin name meaning “dawn.”
  - Ôstara - German name meaning “dawn’s first light.”
  - Roxana - Persian and Iranian name meaning “dawn” and “shining” or “brilliant one.”
  - Sahar - Arabic name meaning “dawn.”
  - Ushas - Hindu name referring to the goddess of dawn and meaning “dawn” in Sanskrit.
  - Zora (or Zorina) - Slavic name meaning “dawn.”
  - Zoraida - Spanish name meaning “enchanting dawn.”
  - Zoryana - Ukrainian name meaning “dawn, star.”
- Boy names meaning sunrise:
  - Agim - Masculine Albanian name meaning “dawn.”
  - Agron - A masculine name from the ancient kingdom of Illyria, meaning “dawn.”
  - Nishant - Indian name meaning “end of night” or “dawn.”
  - Ochieng - African name from Luo, an ethnic group in Kenya. This name means “born when the sun shines” and is usually given to boys born at sunrise.
- Gender neutral names meaning sunrise:
  - Aurum - Latin name meaning “glowing dawn.”
  - Ergun - Turkish name meaning “rising of the sun.”
  - Gry - Norwegian name meaning “dawn.”
  - Vihaan - Indian name meaning “sunrise” or “beginning of a new era.”
  - Xia - Chinese name meaning “glow of the sunrise.”

Section 6 of 8:

Names that Mean "Sunset"

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There aren’t as many names meaning “sunset,” but we still have a few to peruse! So, if you’re looking for a name representing the sun’s gradual evening descent, check out the names below:
- Girl names meaning sunset:
  - Dysis - Greek name meaning “sunset.”
  - Sandhya - Indian name meaning “twilight” in Sanskrit.
  - Sienna - Feminine name meaning “orange-red,” which is often the color of the sun at sunset.
- Boy names meaning sunset:
  - Arrats - Basque name meaning “twilight.”
  - Dismas - Hebrew and Greek name meaning “sunset.”

Section 7 of 8:

Choosing a Baby Name

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Having trouble picking a name you really love from all the different options? There are a few factors you can consider to narrow down your selection:^{[5]
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- Think about your heritage and cultural roots. Do you want to choose a name from a specific culture or language?
- Consider how other people may perceive the name you choose. Rare or unconventionally-spelled names may be more of a challenge for people to say and write—although ultimately, the final decision is still yours!
- Practice saying each name you like. You might discover that one sounds more natural or that you just like one name better after hearing it.
- Brainstorm possible nicknames. If you like nicknames, you may want the name you choose to come with nickname options. Think about what nicknames you can use with the names you like best.
- Test the name against any last or middle names. Does it still sound good as a complete name, and does it fit with the last name in question? Try saying the complete name out loud and see what you think of it.

Section 8 of 8:

Why is the sun a popular name choice?

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The sun is an important symbol in many cultures. It’s celebrated worldwide because the sun warms planet Earth, allowing plants to grow and people to thrive—so it’s no wonder people worshipped the sun in ancient times. There are numerous life-giving sun deities, from the ancient Egyptian god Ra to Helios in Greece and Amaterasu in Japan. As people began to worship the sun, names related to it were quick to follow.^{[6]
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- The sun also symbolizes energy, power, growth, positivity, clarity, and hope in many cultures—all wonderful things to be associated with.
- Sun names remain popular today because they reflect the sun, its importance, the qualities it symbolizes, and the reverence we still have for it!