On Earth: Names & Call Signs

[Luz]

Use this thread to discuss the names Celestials adopt when they are sent to Earth in pursuit of the Grail.



I was very pleased to hear that the official mythology for Celestial name basis has been changed to reflect realism within the brand.

Jennifer wrote in the Official Writer section that Celestials are born with Homidin names and then, if they become soldiers on Earth, they take or are given call sign or soldier names based on Earth's celestial bodies and celestial wonders. To that end, I found some wonderful names I thought I would share.

African

Cherika "The moon (Amharic/Ethiopian)"
Dunia Earth (Swahili"
Duniya "Earth (Hausa)"
Hullanta "The universe; everything (Amharic/Ethiopian)"
Jata "Celestial star (Kikuyu)"
Maleda "Dawn (Amharic/Ethiopian)"
Maret "The earth (Amharic/Ethiopian)"
Marinda "The evening star (Shona)"
Nyika "The earth"
Nyota "Star (Swahili)"
Onile "Spirit of the earth (Yoruba)"
Osumare "Rainbow (Yoruba)"
Sama "Heaven, sky (Hausa)"
Shanira "Warmed by the sun (Shona)"
Zuvan "The sun (Shona)"

Anglo Saxon

Sunn "Gift of the sun"
Sunniva "Gift of the sun"
Synne "Gift of the sun"
Synnove "Gift of the sun"

Arabic

Akmar "Lit by the moon"
Alawi "Heavenly, celestial"
Alhena "A ring: star in the constellation Gemini"
Alzubra "A star in the constellation Leo"
Aqmar "Lit by the moon"
Asia "Lively; The rising sun"
Asianne "The rising sun"
Bab-El-Sama "Door of Heaven"
Badra "Full moon"
Badriyyah "Resembling the full moon"
Dunya "Earth"
Falak "Star"
Firdaus "Paradise"
Firdaws "Paradise"
Firdous "Paradise"
Hala "The ring around the moon"
Hilal "New moon"
Iamar "Moon"
Janna "Paradise, garden"
Jinan "Paradise, garden"
Kamar "Moon"
Kamra "Moonlit"
Kawkab "Star"
Kawthar "River in Paradise"
Najm "Star"
Najma "Star"
Qamar "Moon"
Qamra "Moonlit"
Sama "Heaven"
Shams "Sun"
Souhaila "Name of a star in the constellation "Carnia"
Suha "Name of a planet in either Ursa Major or Ursa Minor"
Suhaila "Name of a star in the constellation "Carina"
Suraya "A star in the Taurus constellation"
Thuraya "A star in the Taurus constellation"
Thwayya "Star"

Armenian

Ziazan "Rainbow"

Basque

Aizea "Wind"
Amalur "Mother earth"
Amalurra "Mother earth"
Eguskina "Sunshine"
Eguskine "Sunshine"
Izar "Star"
Izarra "Star"
Lurra "The earth"

Chinese

Lian "Daughter of the sun"

Dutch

Aiti "Earth"
Aitimaa "Mother Earth"
Zonje "Little sun"
Zonnetje "Little sun"

Egyptian

Bast "Personification of the heat of the sun"
Khepri "Morning sun"

English

Liane "Daughter of the sun. Diminutive of Eliana"
Lianna "Daughter of the sun. Diminutive of Eliana"
Mona "Moon (Old English)"
Star "A star"
Starlis "Star"
Starr "Star"
Taurina "An astrological name; feminine of Taurus "the bull"

Finnish

Paiva "Sun"
Paivatar "Sun"

French

Celesse "Heavenly"
Celeste "Heavenly"
Celestia "Heavenly"
Celestiel "Heavenly"
Celestine "Heavenly"
Celestyna "Heavenly"
Eliane "Daughter of the sun"
Estee "Star"
Estelle "Star"

Gaelic

Luan "The moon"
Lunasa "August, the month of the moon
Realta "Star"

Greek

Aitheria "The wind"
Allita "Earth mother goddess"
Apolline "Sunlight"
Apollonia "From Apollo, sunlight"
Asta "Star"
Asterodea "Star-goddess"
Astra "Star"
Astrea "Star"
Damia "Earth goddess"
Eleadora "Gift of the sun"
Eleana "Daughter of the sun"
Electra "Sparkling. The fiery sun. Mythological daughter of Agamemnon."
Elektra "The fiery sun. Mythological daughter of Agamemnon"
Eliana "Daughter of the sun"
Elianna "Daughter of the sun"
Elianne "Daughter of the sun"
Eustella "Fair star"
Helia "Of the sun"
Hester "Evening star"
Idalia "Behold the sun"
Iris "Rainbow"
Irisa "Rainbow"
Maia "Star goddess of the Pleiades"
Pleione "Mother star-goddess"
Selena "Moon goddess"
Selene "Moon goddess"
Selenia "In the moonlight"
Urania "Heavenly"

Hawaiian

Hina "Goddess of the moon"
Honua "The earth"
Kalani "The heavenly girl"
Kealani "White heaven"
Lani "Sky, heaven"
Lanika "Heaven"
Leilani "Heavenly flower"
Leolani "Voice of heaven"
Loni "Sky"
Polani "Heavenly night"
Weilani "Heavenly water"

Hebrew

Chamania "Sun or sunflower"
Chamaniya "Sun, or sunflower"
Cochava "Star"
Ester "Star"
Esther "Star"
Estrela "Star"
Eszter "Star"
Levana "The moon"
Sheiramoth "From heaven"
Tal "Dew of heaven"
Talia "Dew of heaven"
Taliya "Heaven's dew"
Talora "Morning's dew"
Talori "Morning's dew"
Talya "Dew of heaven"

Hindi

Chandra "Moon"
Chandrani "Moon woman"
Chandrika "Little moon"
Medini "The earth"
Purnima "Full moon; completion"
Sitara "Star"
Tarika "Little star"

Hungarian

Eszti "Star"

Indian

Indu "Moon"
Indukala "Moonlight"
Indulala "Moonlight"
Indulekha "Moon"
Induma "Moon"
Indumati "Full moon"
Indumukhi "With a moonlike face"
Jyotsna "Moonlight"

Italian

Cira "Sun"
Lunetta "Little moon"

Japanese

Daichi "The earth"
Hoshi "Star"
Hoshiko "Star child"
Hoshiyo "Generation of the star"
Mikazuki "New moon"
Niji "Rainbow"
Nijina "Rainbow town"
Tenshi "Heaven's child; like an angel"
Teruko "Sunshine girl"
Tukiko "Child of the moon"
Tukiyo "Generation of the moon"

Latin

Acidalia "Named for Venus"
Apollonia "Belonging to Apollo"
Asteria "Star"
Astra "Star"
Caelestra "Heavenly"
Caeli "Sky"
Caelia "Sky"
Calva "A name referring to Venus"
Celaeno "One of the Pleiades"
Celesse "Heavenly"
Celesta "Of the heavens"
Celeste "Of the heavens; Heavenly"
Celestia "Heavenly"
Celestiel "Heavenly"
Celestina "Of the heavens"
Celestine "Of the heavens. Heavenly"
Celestyna "Heavenly"
Celia "Of the heavens"
Celine "Hammer or of the heavens"
Eleana "Daughter of the sun"
Eliana "Daughter of the sun"
Elianna "Daughter of the sun"
Elianne "Daughter of the sun"
Essie "Star"
Estella "Star"
Estelle "Star"
Luna "The moon"
Oriana "Rising sun"
Sidra "Star"
Stanislava "Star"
Star "A star"
Stella "Star"
Stelle "Star"
Tefia "Earth"
Tellus "Earth"
Teralyn "The planet earth"
Terra "Earth"
Terrecea "Earthy woman"
Terrena "Earth"
Terrene "Earth"
Terricia "Earthy woman"
Vanessa "Named for Venus"
Vega "Star"
Venessa "Named for Venus"
Vespera "Eveningstar"
Vesperia "Eveningstar"
Vespira "Eveningstar"

Native American

Almika "The sky (Ixil Maya)"
Chaska "Star, star goddess (Quechua/Inca)"
Chava "Earth (Ixil Maya)"
Chipara "Rainbow (Inca)"
Donoma "Sight of the sun (Omaha)"
Fochik "Celestial stars (Chickasaw)"
Hakidonmuya "Time of waiting moon (Hopi)"
Intina "Sun eye (Inca)"
Ixkin "She of the sun, pronounced eesh-keen (Yucateco Maya)"
Kiche "Sky spirit (Cree)"
Magena "Moon"
Mapiya "Sky (Sioux)"
Miakoda "Power of the moon"
Migina "Returning moon (Omaha)"
Mimiteh "New moon (Omaha)"
Misae "White sun (Osage)"
Namid "Star dancer (Cheyenne)"
Namid "Star dancer (Chippewa)"
Ooljee "Moon (Navajo)"
Oota Dabun "Day star (Algonquin)"
Pachama "Mother earth (Inca)"
Pachamama "Mother earth (Inca)"
Pamuya "Water moon (Hopi)"
Qoylurani "Star (Inca)"
Sanuye "Red cloud at sundown (Miwok)"
Shoteka "Sky (Chickasaw)"
Tadewi "Wind (Omaha)"
Taigi "Returning moon (Omaha)"
Taima "Thunder"
Taini "Returning moon (Omaha)"
Tuwa "Earth (Hopi)"
Wicapiwakan "Holy star (Dakota)"
Yaxeka "New star (Yucateco Maya)"
Yaxkin "New sun (Yucateco Maya)"

Norse

Gimle "New heaven"
Nymaane "New moon (pronounced nye-mohn-ah)"
Sola "The sun"
Solveig "The way of the sun"

Persian

Akhtar "Star; also the name of a flower"
Aydogdu "A moon is born"
Ayishik "Moonlight"
Aykut "Happy moon, fortunate moon"
Aymelek "Moon angel"
Ayperi "Moon fairy"
Aysel "Like the moon"
Ayten "Moon body"
Baddur "Little full moon"
Badri "Of the full moon"
Badrya "Of the full moon"
Budur "Full moon"
Esther "Star" also "Myrtle leaf"
Hester "Star; Myrtle leaf"
Hestia "Star"
Hetty "Star"
Jannat "Paradise"
Khorshed "Sun"
Khorsheed "Sun"
Khorshid "Sun"
Khurshid "Shining sun"
Khurshidbanu "Lady as radiant as the sun"
Kira "Sun"
Kokab "A star, celestial body"
Kowkab "A star, celestial body"
Mah "Moon"
Mahafrin "Blessing of the moon"
Mahafsin "Blessing of the moon"
Mahasti "The moon's being"
Mahbanu "Moon-like lady"
Mahchehr "Has features like the moon"
Mahdokht "Daughter of the moon"
Mahin "Like the moon"
Mahinbanu "Lady like the moon"
Mahkhurshid "Moon and sun"
Mahlegha "Face of the moon"
Mahnaz "The moon's glory"
Mahpaekar "Face like the moon"
Mahpari "Moon fairy"
Mahparvin "Moon Pleiades"
Mahpervis "Excellent like the moon"
Mahperviz "Excellent like the moon"
Mahrokh "Face like the moon"
Mahrokh "Whose face os like the moon; beautiful"
Mahru "Face like the moon"
Mahsheed "Moon, moonlight"
Mahshid "Moon, moonlight"
Mahta "Moon-like"
Mahtab "Moonlight"
Mahtab "Shining moon"
Mahvash "Moon-like, a beauty"
Mahzarin "Golden moon"
Malagha "Face of the moon"
Masha "Like the moon"
Meher "Sun, love, friendship, kindness, justice"
Meherafriz "Blessings of the sun"
Meherchehr "Has features like the sun"
Meherohk "Face like the sun"
Meherpaekar "Face like the sun"
Mehrnaz "The sun's glory"
Mehry "Sun; also affectionate, kind"
Minau "Heaven"
Minoo "Heaven"
Minu "Heaven"
Nahid "Venus"
Nekahktar "Of good stars"
Nekahtar "Of good stars"
Oldooz "Star (Azerbaijani)"
Olduz "Star (Azerbauijani)"
Oranous "The palnet Uranus"
Parveen "Name of a constellation"
Parvin "Pleiades, pearls"
Senay "Happy moon"
Setareh "Star"
Shams "Sun"
Talayeh "Golden rays of sun"
Tara "A star"
Touba "Name of a tree in Paradise; excellent, best"
Zohreh "The planet Venus"

Portuguese

Eliana "Of the sun"

Russian

Danica "Morning star"
Danifa "Morning star"
Danika "Morning star"
Dannica "Morning star"
Dannika "Morning star"
Irisa "Rainbow"
Raiya "Heaven"
Raiyana "Heaven"
Sonste "Sun"
Zemlia "Earth"

Sanskrit

Anila "The wind"
Bhanumati "Lustrous like sunshine"
Dhara "The earth"
Kalynda "The sun"
Kinnara "Celestial musician"
Mandara "Mystical celestial flower
Raveena "The sun"
Ravina "The sun"
Rodasi "Heaven and earth"
Suria "The sun"
Suriya "The sun"
Suvana "The sun; fire"
Udaya "Rising of the sun and moon"
Udayana "Celestial rise"

Scandinavian

Iris "Rainbow"
Martina "Mars"
Sunniva "A gift of the sun (soo-NEE-vah)"
Synnove "A gift of the sun"

Serbian

Nebesa "The heavens"
Sunce "Sun"
Suncey "Sun"
Zora "Dawn"

Spanish

Araceli "Altar of heaven"
Aracelia "Altar of heaven"
Aracely "Altar of heaven"
Arcelia "Treasure. Altar of heaven"
Arcilla "Altar of heaven"
Celesta "Heavenly"
Celestina "Heavenly"
Eleadora "Gift of the sun"
Estela "Star"
Estelita "Star"
Estella "Star"
Estrella "Star"
Estrellita "Star"
Izar "Star"
Izarra "Star"
Izarre "Star"
Saturnina "Gift of Saturn"
Solana "Sunshine"
Tierra "Earth"

Swedish

Stella "Star"

Teutonic

Sonnehilda "Sun battle maiden"
Sonnehilde "Sun battle maiden"
Sunhild "Sun battle maiden"
Sunhilda "Sun battle maiden"
Sunhilde "Sun battle maiden"

Tibetan

Khadroma "Celestial beings"
Khalama "Sky path"
Michewa "A name for one of the heavens"
Nima "The sun"
Nyima "The sun"
Sashi "The world"

Turkish

Ayishik "Moonlight"
Cennet "Paradise (pronounced JEH-net)"
Dolunay "Full moon"
Gul Jennet "Rose-paradise (Gul Cennet)"
Gulay "Rose moon"
Jennet "Paradise. (Turkish spelling: Cennet)"
Kevser "Name of a river in Paradise"
Sureyya "The Pleiades"
Tulay "Veil of the moon"

Welsh

Seren "Star"

[Jennifer]

Luz, this obviously took an enormous amount of work. Thank you for sharing... and welcome back, friend.

(I really like how the names are broken out by location/country. A neat idea there: That a Celestial might take or be given a call sign in association with the country in which they are originally stationed.)

Jennifer

[Launa]

Oh my goodness, Luz! This will be incredibly helpful! Usually, when I am looking for a name, I have to search through a handful of baby name sites or world mythology sites. Thank you so much for your time and effort in this.

[Admin]

Luz, this is so incredible. Thank you for thinking to do this. Seriously.

Whenever I've built Celestials (for instance, in Under the Influence), I use this site:
www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/celestial_bodies.html

Thank you again, Luz!

Brianne

[Sunshine]

Luz and Brianne, thank you. You may have noticed that my hunter Celestials in "Crusade" remained unnamed Now I can name their shining... um... heads.

So... should writers post here if they use a name? I mean, no savies or anything. Like, you can only claim a name if you have something posted with it in fan fiction or are under contract for it?

[Jennifer]

That's a good idea, Summer. Though yes, no reservations unless a project is posted a fanfiction or a writer is under contract for a piece. It simply isn't fair otherwise.

I also wanted to add this:

At first, Celestials did not take celestial body names. Because they had no reason to connect themselves to celestial bodies. This adopting of call signs (or being given a call-sign by your peers or commander) came after 1450 AD when Maria called out the Homidin and named them "Celeste" or Celestials.

This factoid was caught by both EJ and Luz.

Please make sure, everyone, that if your Celestials are very early on Earth (like the Celestials in "Blood Trade" -- Celestials before 1450 AD) that you do not give them call signs until after 1450 AD (after the night of the events in "Blood Trade.")

[Launa]

Oh, alright. I had thought that the Celestials took call-signs based on the stars because of their missionary travels and that was why Maria called them Celestials (as well as the way they looked). Though I suppose they would have picked their own names for the constellations and stars and not human ones if that were true. This makes more sense

I was wondering, however, why the Celestials adopted this new nickname so readily? They weren't really fond of Maria. Is there a reason they took to this name so quickly and even encorporated it into their society like this? I'm just interested

[Jennifer]

I think to each other and on Hom, they call themselves Homidin. For them, "Celestial" is like saying "Soldier" in some ways. It means the Homidin on Earth. I always assumed they adopted and claimed the name as their own to honor the four who fell that night (in "Blood Trade").

[EJ]

Oct 10, 2009 4:03:53 GMT -8 Jennifer said:

I think to each other and on Hom, they call themselves Homidin. For them, "Celestial" is like saying "Soldier" in some ways. It means the Homidin on Earth. I always assumed they adopted and claimed the name as their own to honor the four who fell that night (in "Blood Trade").

Correst on all counts

[Launa]

Alright, thank you! That's very good to know. I think it also says something about the oneness of Homidus society. Though... I would think certain Homidus would really abhor the word "Celestial," then.

[EJ]

In some ways, you know, it's just like the "n" word. Bobbi and I were literally just talking about that. How for her that word is used between urban soldiers in the trenches, on the frontlines, so to speak. Outside of that environment, in her opinion, the use of the word is unacceptable. It is either used to bolster and fire up or not at all.

(Folks, I am not stating here whether or not I agree with Bobbi but she has a right to her opinion and as a Black woman working in a *very* male-dominated, white industry, I don't think this should become open debate here. Let's stick to Celestials... despite my little side-track, okay? Cuz... Bobbi is a major lurker *waving* Hi, Bobbi!)

[Admin]

(*waving with EJ* Hi Bobbi!)

I think that for the word 'Celestial', that definately makes sense to me. They use it with each other to *own* it (meaning, the word). They use it to bolster each other. They make it their own. 'Celestial' coming from a Terrapyre would still burn. I don't think they'll ever truly forget that day with Maria.

Any one else? Thoughts?

[Jennifer]

I think that sounds realistic. In some ways, I almost think a Celestial would rather be called a Clown than a Celestial.

In terms of reserving names: I'd like to use Danika, Sonste, and Zemila in my story "The Taste of Sunlight." They will appear in Installment 3 which will post this coming weekend.

[EJ]

Jennifer? Story is delayed?

[Jennifer]

Yeah, EJ, I'm sorry it is delayed. I'm chained to another project right now that snuck up on me.