Egypt, where each name carried a role in creation, kingship, love, wisdom, or the afterlife. Ra, the sun god, leads a family of gods and goddesses whose stories shaped temples, tombs, and daily life for more than 3,000 years.ancient Egypt, where each name carried a role in creation, kingship, love, wisdom, or the afterlife. Ra, the sun god, leads a family of gods and goddesses whose stories shaped temples, tombs, and daily life for more than 3,000 years.and meanings in this guide come from ancient Egypt, where each name carried a role in creation, kingship, love, wisdom, or the afterlife. Ra, the sun god, leads a family of gods and goddesses whose stories shaped temples, tombs, and daily life for more than 3,000 years.
You will meet falcon headed Horus, cat headed Bastet, jackal headed Anubis, and nine more real deities, with their original forms, symbols, and modern uses. Use this guide to choose a name with history, or simply to enjoy stories that still feel bright and alive today.
Ra Leads Twelve Gods You Can Name with Confidence
| God | Core Role | Animal or Symbol |
|---|---|---|
| Ra | Sun god and creator who brings light each day | Falcon with a sun disk |
| Osiris | God of the afterlife, death, and rebirth | Crook and flail with green skin |
| Isis | of magic, motherhood, and healingGoddess of magic, motherhood, and healing | Throne crown, wings, and ankh |
| Horus | Sky god and sign of divine kingship | Falcon and the Eye of Horus |
| Anubis | God of embalming, funerals, and the dead | Jackal head and black coloring |
| Thoth | God of wisdom, writing, and the moon | Ibis head and a scribe palette |
| Hathor | Goddess of love, music, joy, and motherhood | Cow horns holding a sun disk |
| Bastet | Goddess of home protection, pleasure, and dance | Gentle domestic cat |
| Sekhmet | Goddess of war, plague, and healing | Lioness head with fierce power |
| Set | God of storms, the desert, and chaos | Set animal with a curved snout |
| Amun | God of hidden power, air, and creation | Tall crown with two plumes |
| Ptah | Creator god of craft, skill, and making | Craftsman staff and close cap |
Aset, Asar, and Heru Reveal the Original Egyptian Forms
| God | Original Form in Plain English | What the Name Carries |
|---|---|---|
| Ra | Re | Sun, and the daily journey of light across the sky |
| Osiris | Asar | Mighty one, and lord of rebirth after death |
| Isis | Aset | Throne, and the seat of royal power |
| Horus | Heru | Distant one, and he who is above |
| Anubis | Anpu | Meaning uncertain, and guardian of the dead |
| Thoth | Djehuti | He who is like the ibis, scribe of the gods |
| Hathor | Het Heru | House of Horus, and home of the falcon god |
| Bastet | Bast | She of Bast, protector of home and family |
| Sekhmet | Sekhmet | Powerful one, from sekhem meaning power |
From Pyramid Texts to Philae, the Gods Rose Across Three Thousand Years
| Era | What Changed in Worship | Gods at the Center |
|---|---|---|
| Early Dynastic and Old Kingdom, about 3100 to 2181 BCE | Local gods joined into shared stories in pyramid texts | Ra, Ptah, and Horus |
| Old Kingdom at Heliopolis | Priests grouped nine gods around creation | Atum, Shu, Tefnut, Geb, Nut, Osiris, Isis, Set, and Nephthys |
| Middle Kingdom, about 2055 to 1650 BCE | Osiris and the afterlife grew central for ordinary people | Osiris, Isis, and Anubis |
| New Kingdom, about 1550 to 1070 BCE | Amun Ra became national god at Karnak | Amun, Ra, and Mut |
| New Kingdom, Amarna period | Akhenaten lifted the sun disk Aten for one reign | Aten and Ra |
| Late Period | Older gods returned and animal forms grew visible | Bastet and Sobek |
| Greek and Roman Egypt | Greek spellings spread and Isis worship traveled far | Isis and Horus |
| Roman period to the sixth century CE | The temple of Isis at Philae stayed open longest | Isis |
| Modern rediscovery | Deciphered hieroglyphs brought the old names back to books | Ra, Anubis, and Thoth |
Gods of Egypt, Moon Knight, and the Kane Chronicles Carry the Old Names Forward
| Work or Bearer | Field | Egyptian Link |
|---|---|---|
| Gods of Egypt, 2016 film | Film | Horus battles Set to reclaim the throne |
| Stargate SG-1 | Television | Anubis and Ra appear as powerful rulers |
| The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan | Books | Horus, Isis, Thoth, Bastet, and Set guide young heroes |
| Moon Knight in Marvel comics and television | Comics and television | Khonsu, the moon god, gives power to Moon Knight |
| House of Anubis | Television | A teen mystery built around the name of Anubis |
| The Mummy films | Film | Afterlife themes draw on Osiris, tombs, and rebirth |
| Assassins Creed Origins | Video game | Players meet gods, temples, and tombs across Egypt |
| Overwatch, Temple of Anubis map | Video game | A map named for Anubis beneath the Giza plateau |
| The Lion King, often compared by viewers | Film | A father king, a jealous rival, and a returning son echo the Osiris story |
Isis at 1082 Shows How Rare and Striking These Names Feel Today
| Name in Modern Use | How It Is Used Today | Feel for a Baby Today |
|---|---|---|
| Isis | Given name, ranked 1082 in one recent United States list | Soft and strong, yet some parents pause over modern news use |
| Osiris | Given name, ranked 6317 in one recent United States list | Bold, rare, and clearly mythic in sound |
| Anubis | Given name, ranked 4881 in one recent United States list | Dark, loyal, and unforgettable in stories |
| Ra | Short name and middle name in modern use | Bright, short, and easy to say aloud |
| Horus | Rare given name, often used as Heru | Noble, falcon bright, and uncommon |
| Thoth | Rare name, often found in stories and games | Wise, writerly, and unusual for a child |
| Bastet | Rare name, often shortened to Bast | Gentle, feline, and protective in feel |
| Sekhmet | Very rare name, found in story and art | Fierce, powerful, and dramatic in tone |
| Amun | Rare name, also seen as Amon | Hidden, calm, and kingly in meaning |
Re, Sutekh, and Djehuti Give You Softer Ways to Say the Same Gods
| God | Variants Across Cultures | Everyday Short Form |
|---|---|---|
| Ra | Re and Ra Horakhty | Ra, bright and complete on its own |
| Osiris | Asar, Ausar, and Usir | Oz, a warm short form for daily use |
| Isis | Aset, Auset, and Isis | Izzy, a friendly short form for a child |
| Horus | Heru, Hor, and Horus | Heru, the older Egyptian form |
| Anubis | Anpu and Anubis | Anpu, short and true to the original |
| Thoth | Djehuti, Tehuti, and Tahuti | Tehuti, smooth and easy to shorten |
| Hathor | Het Heru, Hetheru, and Athyr | Hattie, a soft short form for daily use |
| Bastet | Bast and Bastet | Bast, the short and well known form |
| Sekhmet | Sekhmet and Sakhmet | Sekh, a brief form for family use |
Pairings That Let a God Name Breathe Beside a Softer Middle Name
- Isis Maeve, where a throne name meets a soft Irish name
- Osiris James, where a bold name is steadied by a classic middle name
- Horus Elias, where sky meets a gentle name with a calm rhythm
- Anubis Cole, where a dark guardian name meets a short modern middle name
- Thoth Adrian, where wisdom meets a smooth name that softens it
- Bastet Rose, where a cat goddess name meets a flower name
- Hathor June, where love and music meet a bright month name
- Sekhmet Wren, where fierce power meets a small bird name
- Amun Theo, where hidden power meets a friendly short name
Say Re, Heru, and Djehuti without Stumbling
| Name | Say It Simply | Where It Fits Best |
|---|---|---|
| Ra | rah, one clear beat | Boys and girls, as a first or middle name |
| Osiris | oh SY ris, three clear beats | Boys, as a bold first name |
| Isis | EYE sis, two clear beats | Girls, as a graceful first name |
| Horus | HOR us, two clear beats | Boys, as a strong first name |
| Anubis | uh NEW bis, three clear beats | Boys, as a striking first name |
| Thoth | thoth, rhymes with moth | Boys, as a rare story name |
| Hathor | HATH or, two clear beats | Girls, as a warm first name |
| Bastet | BAS tet, two clear beats | Girls, as a gentle first name |
| Sekhmet | SEK met, two clear beats | Girls, as a fierce story name |
Why 12 Egyptian Gods Names and Meanings Still Speak to Modern Parents
You may love these names because they carry a whole world in a few letters. A child named for Ra carries the sun, a child named for Isis carries magic and motherhood, and a child named for Thoth carries wisdom and writing. That depth helps a name grow with a person.
These names travel well because their stories are familiar through museums, books, films, and games. You do not need to explain a falcon or a cat or the sun. When you choose one, you give your child a name that invites curiosity rather than confusion.
How Greek Spellings Turned Aset into Isis and Asar into Osiris
Many Egyptian names reached English through Greek writers, who reshaped Egyptian sounds into Greek forms. Aset became Isis, Asar became Osiris, Heru became Horus, Anpu became Anubis, and Djehuti became Thoth. The Greek forms feel smoother to English speaking readers.
The older forms still matter, and they give your choice a closer link to ancient Egypt. Aset keeps the throne meaning close, Asar keeps the mighty meaning close, and Heru keeps the falcon image close. You can use the Greek form daily and keep the original form as the deeper root.
Ra and the Sun Disk Gave Egypt Its Brightest Image of Power
Ra sailed across the sky each day in a solar boat in ancient belief, bringing light and warmth. At night he journeyed through the underworld and battled chaos, then rose again at dawn. That daily return made Ra a sign of life and hope, and kings claimed to be his sons.
The sun disk became a leading sign in Egyptian art, worn as a crown, held between cow horns, and set above falcon heads. When you see Hathor with a sun disk or Amun Ra joined as one god, you see Ra at the center. A name linked to Ra feels warm and central, like light itself.
Choosing a God Name That Honors the Story Behind It
Start with the quality you most want to honor, and let it lead you to the right god. Choose Hathor or Bastet for love and protection, Thoth or Maat for wisdom and balance, and Sekhmet or Set only if you welcome fierce power. A name should feel true to the story.
Then say the full name aloud with your family name, and test it in a greeting, a roll call, and a nickname. A rare name like Sekhmet may need a short form, while Ra or Isis may need no help at all. When sound, meaning, and story feel kind together, you have found a name worth keeping.
Questions Parents Ask About Egyptian God Names
Is Isis still a good baby name today, given modern news use of the same letters?
Yes, many parents still use Isis for its throne and motherhood meaning, though some people will think first of news stories.
What does Ra mean in plain English?
Ra means sun, and in ancient belief Ra was the sun god and creator who brought light, warmth, and order to the world each day.
How do you say Djehuti, the original form of Thoth?
Say Djehuti as jeh HOO tee, with the middle beat strongest, while Thoth itself is said as thoth to rhyme with moth.
Is Horus a boy name only, or can girls use it too?
Horus is used most often for boys, though some parents use Heru more freely as a bold unisex choice.
Which Egyptian god name pairs best with a short middle name like James or Rose?
Osiris James and Bastet Rose work well because a long mythic name gains balance from a short classic middle name.