Beautiful and Unique Names Meaning Night

By Maria Wilcox •  Updated: 06/20/22 •  9 min read
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Whether you love the evening hours or your baby was born at night, there are many reasons a parent might be looking for names meaning night to name their baby. In this post, we will go over some of the best names meaning night and offer a little bit of background on each so that you can find the perfect nighttime baby name for you. Ready to go? Let’s dive in.

What Name Means Night?

If you’re looking for a name that means night, rejoice! There are plenty of options to choose from! Whether your baby was born at night or you simply have a fondness for the wonder that nighttime brings, rest assured that these night names for both boys and girls will have you over the moon! 

night as inspiration for baby name

Girl Names That Mean Night or Darkness

  • Twyla: Of American origin, this is a shortened variation of the word “twilight”.
  • Evening: The word “evening” is of American or English origins, and refers to nighttime hours. It can be shortened to “Eve” if you wish!
  • Hoku: This interesting Hawaiian name can be applied to both boys and girls and means “night of the full moon”.
  • Night: Simply translated, you can use the word “night” all by itself for a unique and beautiful spin on any first or middle name. Pair it with a name meaning moon or constellation (such as Luna or Stella) and you’ve got the perfect name combo! 
  • Rajani: This fun girl’s name means “dark” or “of the night”. It is of Sanskrit origin.
  • Miyabi: The Japanese name “Miyabi” can have several meanings but is often translated as “beautiful night fire”.
  • Koko: Can be translated as “stork” or “night” in Japanese, though it has several translations.
  • Ilta: Finnish name meaning born in the evening.
  • Blake: This unisex name is Celtic and can mean “black”, “dark”, or even “pale”!
  • Duff: This Irish name can be translated as “dark”. 
  • Layla: Arabic for “night” or “dark”. 
  • Vesper: Of Latin origin and means “evening star”.
  • Yoru: Of Japanese origin meaning “night”.
what names mean night

Names Meaning Night Boy

  • Ajambo: Of African origin meaning “born at night”.
  • Samir: the name Samir is growing in popularity and it means good and loyal companion or “friendly evening conversation”.
  • Otieno: A lyrical name that originates from Africa and means “born at night”.
  • Nuit: French for “night” or “darkness”. 
  • Onyx: Though it doesn’t technically translate to night, the name “Onyx” refers to a dark black semi-precious stone of many layers.

General Names Meaning or Relating to the Night Sky

Sometimes you aren’t looking for something specific, but rather, want general names that refer to the night stars, the moon, or other evening pleasures.

Check out the following names for your baby that give an ode to the evening hours in more ways than one:

  • Castor– A star having six-component stars in the sky
  • Astra– Latin for of the stars
  • Capella– Eleventh brightest star in the sky
  • Lyra– Harp-shaped constellation in the sky
  • Polaris– Bright star above the north pole
  • Aster– Star in Greek
  • Halley– Name for a comet
  • Aurora– Name for lights in the sky (or maybe you’re looking for a middle name for Aurora?)
  • Nova– Bright star that wanes in and out over a period of months
  • Orion– One of the best-known and brightest stars in the sky
  • Cosmo/Cosmos– Referring to the entire universe
  • Solar– Referring to the brightest star in the universe…the sun!
  • Carina– Star that contains Canopus, which is the second brightest star
  • Rhea– One of the moons of Saturn
  • Titania– One of the largest moons on Uranus
  • Deimos– One of the moons on Mars
  • Janus– One of the moons on Saturn
  • Oberon– Major moon on Uranus
  • Phoenix– Name of a constellation
  • Themis– A group of asteroids
  • Starr– A different spin on the name referring to stars in the sky (check out middle name ideas for “Stella”, too!)
  • Luna- Name meaning “moon” (we’ve got middle name ideas for Luna, too!)
names meaning night

What Are Good Night Names?

What Name Means Twilight?

  • Vikal: The name Vikal is of Hindu origin and means twilight or evening. This name is similar sounding to the name “Michael” making it a unique choice for those wishing to mix things up a bit. This name is most commonly given to boys, but like with any name, it can be given to a girl as well.
  • Sandhiyah: Another name reigning from Hindu origin, Sandhiyah means dusk or twilight.

What Name Means Midnight?

While there aren’t many names that specifically mean midnight, there are several names you could still use to convey the general sense of the meaning. These include:

  • Amaya: Amaya is a feminine name of Japanese origin and translated literally, it means “rain at night”.
  • Nox: This name means night and is of Latin origin. It is commonly applied to both boys and girls. 
  • Nisha: The name “Nisha” has Sanskrit roots, and also means night.
night name ideas

What Name Means Darkness?

If you’re looking for names that represent the dark skin, hair, or eyes of your baby, then a name that means “dark” might be the perfect fit. As with the rest of these names, it is also great for naming any baby that is born at night or in the dark. 

Check out the following fun names that mean “dark” for your little one: 

Names Meaning Night or Dark

  • Adrienne: The name “Adrienne” is a popular name of Italian descent that means “dark”.
  • Blake: This popular unisex name was derived from Old English and means “black”.
  • Ebony: This sweet little name specifically refers to a “dark wooded tree” and was derived from English origins. 
  • Kiora: A slight variation of the more popular “Kiara”, both Kiora and Kiara mean “little dark loved one” and are derived from an Irish and Celtic background.
  • Mei: “Mei” is a popular Japanese name that means “dark” and can be applied to both a boy and a girl.
  • Bruns: This name is of English origin and means one with dark skin. It is commonly used for boys. 

What Name Means Moonlight?

What Name Means Dark Moon?

  • Ayla: Though technically a Hebrew name, the name “Ayla” has evolved and is used often in Turkey as a name meaning “halo around the moon”. It is commonly used as a girl’s name, though this name could be used as a unisex if desired.
  • Lunar (or Luna): Lunar or Luna are both names that are representative of the moon or anything to do with the moon.

Names Meaning Night or Moon

Luan: The name Luan is similar to Lunar but is of Portuguese origins. 

What Names Mean Shadow?

  • Ombretta: Ombretta is of Italian origin and means “shadow”.
  • Zilla: Zilla is of Hebrew origin and means “shadow” or “shade”.
  • Kage: This name means ”Shadow” in Japanese. 
  • Molimo: Literally translated as “bear walking in the shade”. 
  • Melaina: Means “shadowy” and is of American origin.

What Name Means Goddess of Night?

Greek Girl Names Meaning Night

Nyx: In Greek mythology, Nyx is said to be the goddess of night.

Indian Names Meaning Night

There are many Indian names that mean night. Take your pick from any of the names below that mean “night” and come from Indian or Hindu origins:

  • Tama
  • Ajanni
  • Nakti
  • Sandhiyah
  • Niesha
  • Shirina
  • Naijani
  • Kalpini
  • Rajni
  • Ratvi
  • Tamasi
  • Yamya
name ideas meaning night

Still unsure? Here are a few other night-themed names to get your wheels turning, good for both boys and girls! 

  • Vega
  • Leia
  • Phoebe
  • Cordelia
  • Solveig
  • Starling
  • Stella
  • Starr
  • Faye
  • Sidra
  • Soleil
  • Astrid
  • Maia
  • Andromeda
  • Solstice
  • Vesta
  • Alya
  • Portia
  • Elara
  • Sunshine
  • Cressida
  • Astra
  • Columba
  • Halley
  • Gaia
  • Rhea
  • Larissa
  • Leda
  • Sitara
  • Celeste
  • Alula
  • Ceres
  • Pandora
  • Aurora
  • Estella
  • Luna
  • Juliet
  • Ophelia
  • Ariel
  • Libra
  • Europa
  • Miranda
  • Starla
  • Bianca
  • Venus
  • Nova
  • Nevaeh
  • Cassiopeia
  • Titania
  • Esther
  • Lyra
  • Sally
  • Comet
  • Astro
  • Taurus
  • Aldrin
  • Armstrong
  • Perseus
  • Atlas
  • Archer
  • Nash
  • Neil
  • Holmes
  • Phoenix
  • Buzz
  • Janus
  • Leo
  • Pollux
  • Neptune
  • Cosmo
  • Pallas
  • Castor
  • Sirius
  • Callisto
  • Rigel
  • Trek
  • Sol
  • Jett
  • Galileo
  • Planet
  • Saros
  • Tarique
  • Galilei
  • Vulcan
  • Orion
  • Glenn
  • Altair
  • Red
  • Hercules
  • Luke
  • Cygnus
  • Calypso
  • Meteor
  • Rocket
  • Pluto
  • Solar
  • Jupiter
  • Oberon
  • Spock
  • Apollo
  • Skylar
  • Saturn
  • Sunny
  • Sun
  • Galaxy
  • Sky
  • Skye
  • Aries
  • Juno
  • Eclipse
  • Moon
  • Mars
  • Mercury
  • Star
  • Shadow
  • Halo
  • Heaven
  • Marz

FAQ

Is it common to name a baby after a specific time of the day?

In certain parts of the world, and especially in ancient times, naming a baby in accordance with the time of day he or she was born is very common. While this practice isn’t as common in places like the United States, that isn’t to say that it is weird. There are many people who wait until the baby is born to observe characteristics about them that could help attribute to his or her name. This makes the name feel more special and is more likely to be unique to something interesting about your little one. 
When it comes to names meaning night, you have plenty of options, and therefore, if your baby is indeed born at night, you’ll have plenty of lovely and daring choices to choose from. For babies born at dawn or in the morning, names like “Dawn”, “Sunny”, and “Sol” are also fitting.
Have a baby that was born during the day? Don’t sweat it. You can totally name your baby something that relates to the night as long as you like the name and it holds significance to you! 

Is it okay to name a baby according to his or her own appearance?

Similar to naming a baby after the time of day they were born, there are many who name their babies after their physical characteristics. Names that mean dark or dark-skinned are perfect for those with darker skin or dark features (eyes and hair). The possibilities are endless when it comes to names; and sometimes, baby names can get very specific and personal! 

Looking For Names Meaning Night? We’ve Got You Covered!

As you can see, there are countless names for night and a slew of others that are closely related. Whether you are looking for a name to give your baby that refers to the darkness of night itself or are looking for names that are symbolic of the evening hours such as the moon, stars, and constellations, there are plenty of options to choose from and plenty of name combinations you can create by merging some of these names together. We hope this helped! Congratulations and good luck finding the perfect nighttime name for your little one! 

Maria Wilcox

Former instructor with an M.A. in Education turned grateful stay-at-home mama to one, I look to share helpful insights related to babies, toddlers, kids, and families for the benefit of real people just like you.

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