Unique Space Related Names For Boys (Origin & Meaning)
Last Updated: Friday 18, 2022
There are many things to think about when it comes to choosing a baby boy name. For some parents-to-be, this process can be really difficult because there’s a lot of pressure to find something that will be a good fit for your child. As a lifelong lover of space and astronomy, I have naturally been drawn to choose space-related names for my two children.
To help future parents who are passionate about space, we have put together a list of great space-related names for boys that you can use as inspiration when you’re trying to figure out what to call your incoming little star.
Table of Content
Star related names for boys
The movement of stars has been studied for thousands of years. They were used as a primitive method of telling time, and they also helped sailors navigate their ships across the oceans. Stars hold a special place in human history, and what better way to pay tribute to these celestial bodies than by selecting one of their names for your little boy. Here’s a list of star-related names for boys:
Arcturus
- Origin: Ancient Greek
- Meaning: Guardian of the Bear
- Pronunciation: aark·tur·uhs
- Astronomy: Arcturus is a 7.1 billion-year-old star located on the Böötes constellation. It is the fourth brightest star in the night sky!
Castor
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Castor
- Pronunciation: ka·str
- Astronomy: Castor is a 6-star system located 51 light-years away from Earth. You may find Castor has a bright point of light in the Gemini constellation.
Deneb
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Tail
- Pronunciation: deh·nuhb
- Astronomy: Deneb is a blue supergiant star located in the Cygnus constellation. Its name means “tail” which is rather fitting since the star is located in the tail of the Cygnus constellation.
Hadar
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meanings: Splendor/Glory
- Pronunciation: HAH-dahr
- Astronomy: Hadar is a star located in the southern constellation Centaurus. Scientists also refer to Hadar as “Beta Centauri, and it is the 10th brightest star in the entire night sky.
Rigel
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: The left leg of the giant
- Pronunciation: rai·jl
- Astronomy: Rigel is the bright white supergiant that forms one corner of Orion’s asterism. At a distance of about 864.3 light-years away from Earth, Rigel is estimated to be 79 times larger than the Sun.
Galaxy related names for boys
The Milky Way galaxy is the home of our solar system. According to astronomers, it is composed of about 100 billion stars and its center is home to a supermassive black hole. It is estimated that the universe contains more than 2 trillion galaxies! However, scientists have not yet managed to name many of them. So the list of galaxy-inspired names is pretty short, but you never know… it might just be enough to find a good name for your little boy.
Circinus
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Compass
- Pronunciation: sur-suh-nuh s
- Astronomy: The Circinus galaxy is located 13 million light-years from Earth in a constellation of the same name. The Circinus galaxy has an incredibly high rate of star formation, with over 4 million new stars being born every year.
Bode
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Messenger
- Pronunciation: boh-duh
- Astronomy: The Bode galaxy, also known as ‘Messier 81’, is located in the Ursa Major constellation. This galaxy is travelling through space around 12 million light-years away from earth.
Sauron
- Origin: Quenya (constructed language by J. R. R. Tolkien)
- Meaning: The Abhorred
- Pronunciation: sour-ow
- Astronomy: NGC 4151 is an active galaxy discovered by William Hershel in 1787. The galaxy has been nicknamed “the Eye of Sauron” because its shape and color resemble those of the all watching orange eye that sits at the top of the Barad-dûr tower in the Lord of the Rings books.
Mayall
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: He who is like God
- Pronunciation: MAY-awl
- Astronomy: Mayall’s object was named after the astronomer Nicholas U. Mayall who discovered it in 1940. Mayall’s object is located in the constellation of Ursa Majo and it is made of two galaxies that are in the process of colliding and merging together.
Hoag
- Origin: Viking
- Meaning: A careful and prudent person
- Pronunciation: howg
- Astronomy: Hoag’s Object is an unusual ring galaxy found to be at a distance of about 612.8 million light-years. At first glance, it appears to be just one galaxy, but Hoag’s Object itself contains two distinct ring-like structures.
Constellation related names for boys
Constellations are groups of stars that form a recognizable pattern in the night sky. Most constellations are part of stories and myths from the ancient Greek civilization. Constellations are usually named after animals or characters from these stories. Having a unique name has become quite popular in recent years, so if that’s something you’d want for your baby boy, why not take inspiration from the constellations?
Draco
- Origin: Ancient Greek
- Meaning: Dragon / Serpent
- Pronunciation: DRAY-koh
- Astronomy: The Draco constellation is one of the most easily recognized constellations. It is a northern circumpolar constellation, which means that it be seen year-round in much of the northern hemisphere.
Leo
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Lion
- Pronunciation: lai·uhn
- Astronomy: Leo is a zodiac constellation that can be seen in the northern hemisphere. It represents a lion who was placed among the stars by Hera after Heracles killed the Nemean Lion as part of the 12 labours.
Orion
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: It was the name of a legendary hunter in greek mythology.
- Pronunciation: O‧ri‧on
- Astronomy: The Orion constellation is one of the most well-known in the night sky. It’s easy to find because it contains three stars that are almost equally bright. It’s also the home of one of the most popular space objects to observe with binoculars: the Orion Nebula!
Virgo
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Virgin
- Pronunciation: vur·gow
- Astronomy: The constellation of Virgo can be observed by stargazers from both hemispheres. The constellation has a long and rich history and features prominently in myth and legend. In Greek Mythology, Virgo is often associated with the Goddess of Innocence and Purity, Astraea.
Hercules
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Hera’s glory
- Pronunciation: HERK-yoo-lees
- Astronomy: The Hercules constellation is one of the 48 constellations catalogued by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy. In mythology, Hercules is a Greek demigod hero who was the son of Zeus, king of the Olympian gods, and Alcmene, a mortal
Astronomer related names for boys
For centuries, astronomers have studied the stars and other celestial bodies. It is thanks to the research conducted by these men and women that we know so much about the universe in which we live. Some astronomers, like Isaac Newton, made groundbreaking discoveries that are still talked about many centuries later. Should you want to pay homage to these amazing astronomers by naming your son after them, we have the list for you!
Galileo
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Galilaeus
- Pronunciation: ga·luh·lay·ow
- Astronomy: Galileo Galilei was an Italian physicist and astronomer who is closely associated with the scientific revolution. He made his observations with a telescope – a new invention at the time, which enabled him to discover many things, including the four largest moons of Jupiter.
Kepler
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Hat maker
- Pronunciation: kep–luh
- Astronomy: Johannes Kepler was a German mathematician and astronomer. He used observations of planets to create his laws of planetary motion, which were published in his famous work Astronomia Nova.
Newton
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: New town
- Pronunciation: noo·tn
- Astronomy: Isaac Newton, was an English physicist and mathematician who revolutionized science, especially physics. He focused on the study of motion, gravity, and light. He is recognized as one of the most influential scientists in history.
Tycho
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Hitting the mark
- Pronunciation: TY-koh
- Astronomy: Tycho Brahe was a Danish astronomer. He is remembered for his accurate and comprehensive astronomical and planetary observations. He was the last of the major naked eye astronomers, working without telescopes for his observations.
Cassini
- Origin: Italy
- Meaning: A small dwelling place
- Pronunciation: kuh-see-nee
- Astronomy: Giovanni Domenico Cassini was an Italian astronomer who made various important discoveries in the fields of astronomy and engineering. His discoveries include the Cassini Division in the rings of Saturn, as well as four satellites of Saturn: Iapetus, Rhea, Tethys, and Dione.
Names from space movies & TV shows for boys
Space is a fascinating place for science fiction stories to take place because of its infinite expanse. There are so many possibilities for storylines, especially considering the vastness of where humans have not yet gone. There are a lot of science fiction-related names for boys that you can use to give your baby boy a unique but edgy name. Some of these names originate from space movies, while others come from TV series. In any case, they are all unique and have a strong spatial connotation.
Lando
- Origin: Italy
- Meaning: Long hill
- Pronunciation: lahn-doh
- Who he is: Lando Calrissian is a character from the Star Wars franchise. He was introduced in the “Empire Strikes Back” as a smuggler. Lando is an extremely likeable character, who is known for his charm and quick thinking.
Han
- Origin: Scandinavia
- Meaning: God is gracious.
- Pronunciation: Hahn
- Who he is: Han Solo is a famous character from the Star Wars movie franchise. He was born into the galactic underworld, where he became an accomplished smuggler and pilot.
Jean-Luc
- Origin: Hebrew, Greek, and French origin
- Meaning: God is gracious.
- Pronunciation: John-Luke
- Who he is: Jean-Luc Picard is a character in the science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994). He serves as the captain of the starship USS Enterprise and is portrayed by British actor Patrick Stewart.
Gaius
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: To rejoice
- Pronunciation: Gy-uhs
- Who he is: Gaius Baltar is a fictional character and one of the primary antagonists (and sometimes an anti-hero) in the science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica.
Thanos
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Immortal
- Pronunciation: Thá-nos
- Who he is: Thanos has been a first-class cosmic villain in Marvel Comics for over forty years and is best known for his obsession with death.
Planet & Moon related names for boys
Many parents, especially those who are astronomy fans, want their son’s first name to be a planet or a moon. So what are the possibilities? Well, the best-known planets and moons of our Solar System are named after Greek or Roman gods, goddesses, and other characters from ancient mythology. There is a myriad of names to choose from!
Mars
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: God of war
- Pronunciation: Mahrz
- Astronomy: Mars is the fourth planet of our solar system. It was named after the Roman god of war. Mars is red in color because it is covered with iron oxide, better known as rust!
Jupiter
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: The supreme god
- Pronunciation: joo-pih-terr
- Astronomy: Jupiter is one of the largest planets in our solar system. It is classified as a gas giant and it takes twelve years for Jupiter to rotate around the sun, while it only takes ten hours to spin on its axis.
Pluto
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Rich
- Pronunciation: Ploo-toh
- Astronomy: Pluto is a dwarf planet that orbits the Sun and is the largest object in the Kuiper belt, which contains numerous small bodies of rock and ice.
Deimos
- Origin: Ancient Greek
- Meaning: Terror
- Pronunciation: Day-mos
- Astronomy: Deimos is a small, irregularly shaped moon of Mars. It is tidally locked with Mars, meaning that the same face always points towards the red planet.
Callisto
- Origin: Ancient Greek
- Meaning: Most beautiful
- Pronunciation: Kah-LIHS-Tow
- Astronomy: Callisto is Jupiter’s second-largest moon and it was discovered by the very famous astronomer Galileo Galilei.
Conclusion
As many parents will attest, choosing a name for their newborn son is no small decision. Names have many different meanings and connotations, and for this reason, choosing the right name can be difficult. You want to find a name that they will like and be proud of. Hopefully, our comprehensive list of space-related names for boys will provide some inspiration, as you embark on this big decision.
We are planning on updating this list regularly, so be sure to check back at a future date If you are still deciding on a moniker for your baby boy.
I’ve been fascinated by space and astronomy from a very young age. When I’m not watching space-themed documentaries, movies or TV series, I spend most of my free time in my backyard admiring the planets and galaxies with my telescope.
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