Greek Boy Names That Mean Sun

Greek boy names that mean sun split into two families: names built directly from Greek sun-god myth, and the ancient Persian king's name the Greeks recorded as Kyros.

Names28

OriginGreek

MeaningSun

GenderBoy

In Greek myth, the sun itself has a name: Apollo, god of light, music, and prophecy, so bright that writers avoided it as a baby name until recently. Elios echoes Helios, the Greek sun god, while the Italian and Spanish Elio carries the same 'sun' meaning in a softer, three-syllable lilt.

Half this list actually descends from one Persian king: Cyrus, whose name the Greeks wrote as Kyros and passed into English carrying the meaning 'sun' or 'lord.' That root resurfaces as Kyro, Cy, Cyrie, and Kyris — one meaning, five different lengths and sounds.

Why Greek boy names that mean sun keep circling back to one king

Greek naming tradition often builds a name directly out of a god's, a pattern called theophoric naming. Apollos, the eloquent evangelist in the New Testament, literally means 'belonging to Apollo.' Apolo is the same sun-god name in a leaner, more modern spelling, familiar to many parents through Olympic speed skater Apolo Ohno rather than mythology alone.

Beyond mythology: sun and light expressed in unexpected ways

Not every name on this page leans on Olympian myth. Halo is a Greek word name for the ring of light in religious art, not a god's name at all. Nikko is genuinely two names in one: a Greek short form of Nicholas, and separately the Japanese city whose name means sunlight — a reminder that 'sun' shows up across languages, not just Greek.

Names List

Cyrus#268 in the U.S.Sun; far-sighted; possibly throne or youngPronounced SY-rus▶Elio#388 in the U.S.Italian and Spanish form of Helios, from Greek helios meaning sun; also used as a short form of Eligio orPronounced EE-lee-oh▶Apollo#445 in the U.S.Name of the Greek god of the sun, music, poetry, and prophecy; exact meaning uncertain, possibly related Pronounced uh-POL-oh▶Kyro#611 in the U.S.Variant of Cyrus, from Greek Kyros which may derive from Persian Kūruš meaning 'sun' or 'like the sun,' oPronounced KY-roh▶Halo#931 in the U.S.Ring of light; from Greek halos (disk of the sun or moon, circular threshing floor), used in Christian arPronounced HAY-loh▶Nikko#1289 in the U.S.Victory of the people; sun and lightPronounced NIK-oh▶Cy#2339 in the U.S.Lordly; sun; a short form of Cyrus (from Old Persian Kurush: sun, or throne) or Cyril (from Greek KyrilloPronounced SY▶Psalms#4280 in the U.S.From the biblical Book of Psalms — Greek psalmoi, 'songs sung to a harp; sacred praises'Pronounced SAHMZ▶Apolo#4315 in the U.S.Spanish/modern spelling of Apollo — the Greek god of sun, music, and prophecy; etymology uncertainPronounced ə-POH-loh▶Elios#4590 in the U.S.From Greek Helios, 'the sun' — the sun god; also overlaps the Italian Elios; routes layeredPronounced EH-lee-os▶Apollos#4883 in the U.S.From Greek Apollos — 'belonging to Apollo' (the sun god); a learned, eloquent New Testament evangelistPronounced ə-POL-əs▶Cyrie#5690 in the U.S.A modern name echoing Cyrus ('the sun; the throne', Persian) and Kyrie ('Lord', Greek); no single fixed rPronounced SY-ree▶Kyris#6650 in the U.S.A modern name, variously echoing Cyrus (Persian, 'lord; sun; throne') and the Greek kyrios, 'lord' (as inPronounced KY-ris▶Ellio#7360 in the U.S.A modern name, variously a spelling of Elio (from Greek Helios, 'the sun') and a short form of Elliot ('tPronounced EL-ee-oh▶Helio#7393 in the U.S.From Greek Helios, 'the sun' (the Greek sun god); a Spanish/Portuguese namePronounced EH-lee-oh▶Asyah#7782 in the U.S.A spelling of Asia/Asiya — variously Greek/Assyrian 'the place of the rising sun; the East' and Arabic AsPronounced AH-see-ah▶Atlantis#8356 in the U.S.From the Greek Atlantis, 'the island of Atlas' — the legendary sunken island; a place/mythological name; Pronounced at-LAN-tis▶Anatoly#8998 in the U.S.A Russian form of Anatolius — from the Greek anatole, 'sunrise; the east'Pronounced ah-nah-TOH-lee▶Kyrii#9468 in the U.S.A modern name, echoing Kyrie ('O Lord', Greek kyrios) and Cyrus ('lord/sun', Persian); no single fixed roPronounced KY-ree▶Kyros#10445 in the U.S.A spelling of Cyrus, from the Persian Kurush (via the Greek Kyros), variously 'lord; the sun; young'; thePronounced KY-ros▶Anatole#10951 in the U.S.From the Greek anatole, 'sunrise; the East; dawn.' Borne by St Anatolius and by the character Anatole in Pronounced AN-uh-tohl▶Endymion#11231 in the U.S.From the Greek Endymion, variously 'to dive into; the diver' (linked to the setting sun/moon); the beautiPronounced en-DIM-ee-on▶Hyperion#11389 in the U.S.From the Greek Hyperion, 'the high one; he who watches/goes above' (hyper, 'above'); the Titan of heavenlPronounced hy-PEER-ee-on▶Kyriakos#11650 in the U.S.Kyriakos is a Greek name meaning 'of the Lord' - from Kyrios, 'Lord' - and is tied to Kyriaki, the Greek Pronounced kee-ree-AH-kos▶Anatoliy#12422 in the U.S.Anatoliy is the Russian/Ukrainian form of Anatole/Anatolios, from Greek anatole, 'sunrise; dawn; the eastPronounced ah-nah-TOH-lee▶Jaysun#13081 in the U.S.A phonetic respelling of Jason, from Greek Iason, tied to iasthai, 'to heal' — hence the usual gloss 'heaPronounced JAY-sun▶DismasThe traditional name of Saint Dismas, the penitent 'good thief' crucified beside Jesus, to whom Christ prPronounced DIZ-mus▶HayloA respelling of the English word 'halo,' from the Greek halos — the ring of light drawn around the head oPronounced HAY-loh▶

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Frequently Asked

Why do so many Greek boy names mean sun?

In Greek mythology the sun was a major, named god — Helios, later merged with Apollo — so Greek naming tradition produced direct, undisguised sun names rather than borrowed nature words. Elios and Apollo both trace straight back to that root.

Is Cyrus really a Greek name?

Not originally — Cyrus began as a Persian royal name, but it reached English through Greek historians who recorded it as Kyros. That's why the same 'sun/lord' root shows up in Kyro, Cy, and Kyris.

What's a good, less common option on this list?

Cyrie is worth a look — it echoes both Cyrus and Kyrie, is rising in use, and stays crisp and easy to say at just two syllables ('SY-ree') without losing the sun meaning.