130 Babylonian Names For Girls And Boys With Meanings

By Samantha

Babylon is one of those words that just stops you.

It was the most powerful city in the ancient world for centuries. Hanging gardens, ziggurats, the Ishtar Gate, the Code of Hammurabi. A civilization that gave the world astronomy, mathematics, written law, and some of the earliest literature ever recorded. And the names that came out of that world? They are extraordinary. Rich in meaning, rooted in gods and nature and the great river valleys of Mesopotamia, and so rarely heard today that your child would carry something truly one of a kind.

Babylonian names come from Akkadian, the ancient Semitic language spoken across Mesopotamia. Many of them honor the great gods of the Babylonian pantheon — Marduk, Ishtar, Nabu, Shamash, Sin. Others describe nature, royalty, destiny, or virtue. All of them carry that particular weight that only a name with thousands of years behind it can carry.

Here are 130 Babylonian names for girls and boys with meanings that deserve to be heard again.

Babylonian Girl Names

Babylonian names for girls are some of the most striking you will ever come across. Many of them honor Ishtar, the goddess of love and war who was worshipped across the ancient Near East for thousands of years. Others carry meanings tied to the moon, the stars, beauty, and divine favor. Every single one of them has a story behind it that stretches back further than almost any other name tradition on earth.

  1. Ishtar
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Goddess of love, war, and fertility The most powerful goddess in the Babylonian pantheon. Her name was invoked at every stage of life from birth to battle.
  1. Tiamat
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Sea or primordial ocean In the Babylonian creation myth, Tiamat was the great dragon of the deep from whose body the world was made.
  1. Kubaba
  • Origin: Sumerian-Babylonian
  • Meaning: Hollow vessel or sacred vessel The only woman ever listed as a king in the Sumerian King List. A name of extraordinary historical power.
  1. Ninsun
  • Origin: Sumerian-Babylonian
  • Meaning: Lady of the wild cows The divine mother of Gilgamesh, the hero of the world’s oldest epic. A goddess of wisdom and compassion.
  1. Ereshkigal
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Queen of the great earth Ruler of the underworld in Babylonian mythology. A name of fierce, dark power.
  1. Aya
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Dawn The goddess of the dawn and wife of the sun god Shamash. Beautiful, simple, and one of the oldest names in human history.
  1. Aruru
  • Origin: Sumerian-Babylonian
  • Meaning: She who pinches off clay The goddess who created humanity by pinching clay from the earth. A creator goddess whose name carries enormous meaning.
  1. Shala
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Grain, compassion A goddess of grain and storms who was also associated with mercy.
  1. Belet
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Lady or mistress A title used for several Babylonian goddesses. Dignified and powerful.
  1. Lilitu
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Of the wind or night A spirit of the night in Babylonian demonology that later became the figure of Lilith. Ancient and striking.
  1. Nana
  • Origin: Sumerian-Babylonian
  • Meaning: Lady, mistress A title of the moon goddess in early Babylonian religion.
  1. Damkina
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: True wife, faithful lady The wife of the great god Ea and mother of Marduk, the chief deity of Babylon.
  1. Inanna
  • Origin: Sumerian
  • Meaning: Queen of heaven The Sumerian counterpart of Ishtar. One of the oldest named goddesses in the world.
  1. Gula
  • Origin: Sumerian-Babylonian
  • Meaning: The great one Goddess of healing and medicine. Physicians in ancient Babylon took oaths in her name.
  1. Ninkasi
  • Origin: Sumerian
  • Meaning: Lady who fills the mouth The goddess of beer and brewing. Yes, the Babylonians had a goddess of beer and her name is wonderful.
  1. Sarpanitu
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: She who shines like silver The wife of Marduk. A lunar goddess associated with the crescent moon.
  1. Lamassu
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Protective spirit A guardian deity depicted as a winged bull or lion with a human head. The name was also given to women as a blessing.
  1. Beltu
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Mistress, lady A respectful title used for noblewomen and goddesses alike.
  1. Innini
  • Origin: Sumerian
  • Meaning: An early form of Inanna’s name One of the oldest forms of the great goddess name.
  1. Bunene
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Charioteer of Shamash The divine charioteer who drove the sun god across the sky each day.
  1. Shamhat
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: The beautiful one or the pleasure one A character in the Epic of Gilgamesh who represents the civilizing power of human connection.
  1. Siduri
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Young woman The goddess of wisdom and brewing who appears in the Epic of Gilgamesh and tells Gilgamesh to enjoy life.
  1. Nidaba
  • Origin: Sumerian
  • Meaning: Lady of grain or writing The goddess of writing, grain, and wisdom. Scribes in ancient Babylon began their tablets with her name.
  1. Irkalla
  • Origin: Sumerian-Akkadian
  • Meaning: Great earth, underworld Another name for the realm of the dead and the goddess who ruled it.
  1. Zariqum
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: She who scatters A name found in ancient Babylonian records.
  1. Amat-Marduk
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Handmaid of Marduk A name of deep devotion to the chief god of Babylon.
  1. Tabat
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Good, excellent A simple, beautiful name meaning goodness.
  1. Iltani
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: My goddess A personal devotional name expressing closeness to the divine.
  1. Kubatum
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Precious stone Found in ancient Babylonian texts as a name for women.
  1. Zirru
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Unknown, possibly related to brightness A name found in ancient records from the Old Babylonian period.

Babylonian Boy Names

Babylonian names for boys carry the weight of kings, warriors, priests, and gods. Many of them honor Marduk, the great god of Babylon, or the sun god Shamash, the moon god Sin, or the god of wisdom Nabu. These are names that were carried by real men who built one of the greatest civilizations the world has ever seen.

  1. Marduk
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Solar calf or bull calf of the sun The chief god of Babylon. His name was so sacred that many Babylonians considered it too holy to speak aloud.
  1. Nabu
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: To announce, to proclaim The god of wisdom, writing, and scribes. One of the most revered deities in the Babylonian pantheon.
  1. Shamash
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Sun The sun god of justice and truth. Judges in ancient Babylon swore their oaths before him.
  1. Gilgamesh
  • Origin: Sumerian
  • Meaning: Old man who is a young man, or the ancestor is a hero The hero of the world’s oldest epic. A king of Uruk who searched for immortality.
  1. Hammurabi
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: The kinsman is a healer The great king of Babylon who wrote one of the earliest legal codes in history.
  1. Nebuchadnezzar
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Nabu protect my firstborn son The most famous king of Babylon. Built the Hanging Gardens and conquered Jerusalem.
  1. Enkidu
  • Origin: Sumerian
  • Meaning: Lord of the good place or created by Enki The great companion of Gilgamesh. Half wild, half human, and one of the most beloved figures in ancient literature.
  1. Enki
  • Origin: Sumerian
  • Meaning: Lord of the earth or lord of the deep The god of wisdom, water, and creation. One of the most important gods in the entire Mesopotamian tradition.
  1. Sin
  • Origin: Sumerian-Akkadian
  • Meaning: Moon god The moon god of Mesopotamia. His name was the root of the Sinai peninsula.
  1. Nergal
  • Origin: Sumerian-Akkadian
  • Meaning: Lord of the great city The god of the underworld and plague. A powerful, fearsome deity.
  1. Adad
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Thunder The storm god of Babylon. His symbol was the lightning bolt.
  1. Anu
  • Origin: Sumerian
  • Meaning: Sky, heaven The sky god and father of all gods in Babylonian religion. His name simply means heaven.
  1. Enlil
  • Origin: Sumerian
  • Meaning: Lord of the wind or lord of the air One of the three great gods of Mesopotamia alongside Anu and Enki. He controlled the fates of humans.
  1. Ninurta
  • Origin: Sumerian
  • Meaning: Lord of the earth or lord of barley A warrior god and god of agriculture. A combination of strength and sustenance in one deity.
  1. Naram-Sin
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Beloved of Sin, beloved of the moon god One of the greatest kings of the Akkadian Empire, grandson of Sargon the Great.
  1. Sargon
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: The king is legitimate The founder of the world’s first empire. Sargon of Akkad ruled over most of the known world around 2300 BCE.
  1. Assur
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: The god Assur, gracious The chief god of Assyria, closely connected to Babylon.
  1. Dumuzi
  • Origin: Sumerian
  • Meaning: True son or faithful son The shepherd god and consort of Inanna. His yearly death and rebirth symbolized the agricultural seasons.
  1. Erra
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Scorched earth The god of violence and plague. A terrifying but fascinating deity.
  1. Zababa
  • Origin: Sumerian-Akkadian
  • Meaning: War god of Kish The chief war deity of the ancient city of Kish, one of the earliest cities in Mesopotamia.
  1. Nabu-kudurri-usur
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Nabu, protect my boundary stone The full form of the name Nebuchadnezzar. Rarely used in full but deeply meaningful.
  1. Ur-Nammu
  • Origin: Sumerian
  • Meaning: Servant of Nammu or man of Ur The founder of the Third Dynasty of Ur who wrote one of the earliest legal codes before Hammurabi.
  1. Shulgi
  • Origin: Sumerian
  • Meaning: Youthful hero One of the greatest kings of the Third Dynasty of Ur. He deified himself during his own lifetime.
  1. Lipit-Ishtar
  • Origin: Sumerian
  • Meaning: Touch of Ishtar A king of Isin who wrote an early law code. The name means he was touched or chosen by the goddess.
  1. Zimri-Lim
  • Origin: Amorite-Akkadian
  • Meaning: My protection is with Lim The great king of Mari whose palace was one of the wonders of the ancient world.
  1. Tukulti-Ninurta
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: My trust is in Ninurta An Assyrian king who conquered Babylon and became one of the most powerful rulers of the ancient Near East.
  1. Ashurbanipal
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Assur is the creator of an heir The last great king of the Assyrian Empire who built the famous Library of Nineveh.
  1. Cambyses
  • Origin: Old Persian, used in Babylonian records
  • Meaning: Unclear, possibly connected to a Persian royal name The Persian king who conquered Babylon in 539 BCE and appears in many Babylonian documents.
  1. Belshazzar
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Bel, protect the king The last prince regent of Babylon, famous from the biblical story of the writing on the wall.
  1. Labashi-Marduk
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Marduk is my strength or I am not ashamed before Marduk A king of Babylon whose name expressed total devotion to the city’s patron god.

Gender Neutral Babylonian Names

Some Babylonian names were used across genders or carry meanings so universal that they work beautifully for any child. These picks bring the ancient world forward in a way that feels completely open.

  1. Bel
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Lord, master A title applied to many Babylonian deities. Short, powerful, and completely one of a kind as a modern name.
  1. Ilu
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: God, divine The root word for deity across the Semitic language family. From this word came El in Hebrew and Allah in Arabic.
  1. Ziggurat
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: To build high or pinnacle The great stepped temple towers of Babylon. Rare as a name but stunning in meaning.
  1. Kishar
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Whole earth One of the primordial deities in the Babylonian creation myth. Represents the horizon of the earth.
  1. Anshar
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Whole heaven The counterpart of Kishar. Together they represented the full cosmos.
  1. Apsu
  • Origin: Sumerian-Akkadian
  • Meaning: Freshwater abyss or underground ocean The primordial god of fresh water beneath the earth.
  1. Mummu
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Craftsman, creator The vizier of Apsu and a god of technical skill and creation.
  1. Lahmu
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Hairy one or muddy one One of the first gods to emerge from the primordial waters in Babylonian creation mythology.
  1. Lahamu
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Female hairy one The companion of Lahmu. One of the oldest divine names in Mesopotamian religion.
  1. Kingu
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Chief worker or unskilled worker The consort of Tiamat whose blood was used to create humanity according to the Babylonian creation myth.

Rare Babylonian Names Found In Ancient Texts

These names were found in actual cuneiform tablets, temple records, business documents, and royal inscriptions from ancient Babylon. Many of them belonged to ordinary people, not just gods and kings. They are some of the rarest names on this entire list and every one of them is genuine.

  1. Aplum
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Heir, son A common personal name in Old Babylonian records meaning the one who inherits.
  1. Warad-Sin
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Servant of Sin, servant of the moon god A king of Larsa whose name expressed devotion to the moon deity.
  1. Rim-Sin
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Bull of the moon god The last king of Larsa, a rival of Hammurabi.
  1. Imgur-Enlil
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Enlil has been gracious A name found in royal records expressing divine favor.
  1. Nabu-nadin-shumi
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Nabu has given a name A name meaning the god of writing personally blessed this child with a name.
  1. Bel-ibni
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Bel has created A devotional name expressing that the lord god himself brought this person into being.
  1. Kudurru
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Boundary stone Kudurru were the great stone monuments that recorded royal land grants. A name with real historical weight.
  1. Šumu-la-El
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Name of God, or there is no god but El An early king of Babylon whose name was a theological statement.
  1. Ipiq-Adad
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Favor of Adad A name expressing the blessing of the storm god.
  1. Awil-Marduk
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Man of Marduk Also known in the Bible as Evil-Merodach. A king of Babylon and son of Nebuchadnezzar.
  1. Itti-Marduk-balatu
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: With Marduk I shall live A name that is essentially a prayer expressed as a personal name.
  1. Nabu-apla-iddina
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Nabu has given an heir A king of Babylon who restored many ancient temples.
  1. Marduk-apla-iddina
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Marduk has given an heir Known in the Bible as Merodach-Baladan. A king who appears in the story of Hezekiah.
  1. Sin-iqisham
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: The moon god has given a gift A king of Larsa whose name expressed gratitude to Sin.
  1. Nur-Adad
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Light of Adad A king of Larsa. The name means the storm god himself shines on this person.
  1. Sabium
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Grandfather A king of Babylon whose name expressed the idea of ancestral wisdom.
  1. Apil-Sin
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Son of Sin or heir of the moon god A king of Babylon and ancestor of Hammurabi.
  1. Sin-muballit
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Sin has kept him alive The father of Hammurabi. A deeply personal name expressing gratitude for survival.
  1. Sumu-abum
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Name of the father The first king of the First Dynasty of Babylon. A name that carries the weight of an entire civilization’s founding.
  1. Nabu-shuma-ishkun
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Nabu has established a name A king of Babylon whose name expressed the enduring power of identity.

Babylonian Names With Beautiful Meanings For Modern Use

These are the Babylonian names with meanings so beautiful or powerful that they translate naturally into the modern world. If you want something ancient that still feels wearable today, start right here.

  1. Aya
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Dawn Already appeared in the girls section above. Worth including again here because it is simply one of the most perfect names in existence. Two letters, three thousand years of history.
  1. Sin
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Moon god Short, striking, and carries the whole of the night sky inside it.
  1. Adad
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Thunder Bold and elemental. The kind of name that makes you feel the weather in it.
  1. Bel
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Lord Already appeared above. One syllable, enormous history.
  1. Nabu
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: To proclaim The god of writing gave scribes and scholars their patron. A name for a child you hope will always have something to say.
  1. Enki
  • Origin: Sumerian
  • Meaning: Lord of the deep The god of wisdom and fresh water. A name with depth written right into it.
  1. Tabat
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Good, excellent Simple, warm, and carries a meaning that never goes out of style.
  1. Ilu
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Divine The root of all the great divine names across the Semitic world. Quiet and profound.
  1. Belet
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Lady, mistress Dignified and rarely heard. A name of real authority.
  1. Inanna
  • Origin: Sumerian
  • Meaning: Queen of heaven One of the oldest goddess names in human history and still one of the most beautiful.
  1. Nidaba
  • Origin: Sumerian
  • Meaning: Lady of writing For a child you hope will always love words and learning.
  1. Siduri
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Young woman Her advice in the Epic of Gilgamesh was to live fully and love deeply. A name with wisdom in it.
  1. Shamhat
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: The beautiful one From the Epic of Gilgamesh. Rare, ancient, and completely beautiful.
  1. Gula
  • Origin: Sumerian
  • Meaning: The great one The goddess of healing. A name of quiet, enormous power.
  1. Ninkasi
  • Origin: Sumerian
  • Meaning: Lady who fills the mouth An unexpected and wonderful name that honors the oldest brewing traditions in the world.
  1. Kubaba
  • Origin: Sumerian-Babylonian
  • Meaning: Sacred vessel The only female king in the Sumerian King List. A name that carries genuine historical uniqueness.
  1. Kishar
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Whole earth For a child who feels like the whole world to you.
  1. Anshar
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Whole heaven The counterpart of Kishar. For the child who fills your sky.
  1. Aplum
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Heir A deeply personal name meaning the one who carries everything forward.
  1. Damkina
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: True wife, faithful lady A name of loyalty, faithfulness, and quiet strength.
  1. Shala
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Compassion A goddess name that carries mercy as its core meaning. Rare and beautiful.
  1. Lamassu
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Protective spirit Named after the great winged guardians that stood at the gates of Babylonian palaces. A name of protection.
  1. Ninsun
  • Origin: Sumerian
  • Meaning: Lady of the wild cows The divine mother of Gilgamesh. A name of nurturing, wild wisdom.
  1. Dumuzi
  • Origin: Sumerian
  • Meaning: Faithful son The beloved shepherd god. A name of loyalty and devotion.
  1. Erra
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Scorched earth Not a soft name. But a powerful one for a child with fire in them.
  1. Ur-Nammu
  • Origin: Sumerian
  • Meaning: Man of Ur The lawgiver who came before Hammurabi. A name carrying the roots of justice.
  1. Kudurru
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Boundary stone A name that says this person knows where they stand and will not be moved.
  1. Shulgi
  • Origin: Sumerian
  • Meaning: Youthful hero One of the greatest kings of ancient Mesopotamia. A name of strength and vitality.
  1. Naram-Sin
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Beloved of the moon god A name of divine favor and royal power.
  1. Aya
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Dawn Third mention. Still the best two-letter name in the ancient world.
  1. Enlil
  • Origin: Sumerian
  • Meaning: Lord of the wind The god who controlled human destiny. A name of enormous cosmic weight.
  1. Ninurta
  • Origin: Sumerian
  • Meaning: Lord of the earth Warrior and farmer at the same time. Strength and sustenance in one name.
  1. Imgur-Enlil
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Enlil has been gracious A name of gratitude and divine blessing.
  1. Lipit-Ishtar
  • Origin: Sumerian
  • Meaning: Touch of Ishtar Chosen and touched by the goddess of love. A beautiful name with a beautiful meaning.
  1. Aruru
  • Origin: Sumerian
  • Meaning: She who creates The goddess who made humanity from clay. A creator’s name.
  1. Tiamat
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Primordial sea The great dragon from whose body the world was made. Ancient, powerful, and unforgettable.
  1. Inanna
  • Origin: Sumerian
  • Meaning: Queen of heaven Worth saying twice. The oldest queen of heaven has one of the oldest and most beautiful names.
  1. Marduk
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: Solar calf The great god of Babylon himself. A name that carries an entire civilization behind it.
  1. Sarpanitu
  • Origin: Akkadian
  • Meaning: She who shines like silver The wife of Marduk. A name of luminous, quiet beauty.
  1. Gilgamesh
  • Origin: Sumerian
  • Meaning: The ancestor is a hero The first hero in all of human literature. A name that will never not be extraordinary.

Wrapping Up

One hundred and thirty Babylonian names, from the great gods who ruled the ancient sky to the ordinary people whose names were pressed into clay tablets and survived four thousand years to reach this list.

Whether you are drawn to the simplicity of Aya, the power of Marduk, the beauty of Sarpanitu, or the extraordinary history of Gilgamesh and Hammurabi, every name here carries something the modern world rarely sees in a baby name — real, ancient, unbroken history.

Save this to your Pinterest board and come back to it whenever you need it!

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