Semitic Mythology Names

These names occur in the mythologies of the Semitic-speaking peoples of the ancient Near East. See also Near Eastern mythology names for a broader list.
gender
usage
Adad 𒀭𒅎 m Semitic Mythology
Akkadian cognate of Hadad.
Anat 1 f Semitic Mythology
Possibly derived from a Semitic root meaning "water spring". Anat was a goddess of fertility, hunting and war worshipped by the Semitic peoples of the Levant. She was the sister and consort of the god Hadad.
Anu 2 𒀭𒀭 m Semitic Mythology
Akkadian, Assyrian and Babylonian form of An 2, also adopted by the Hurrians and Hittites.
Asherah f Semitic Mythology
Perhaps derived from Semitic roots meaning "she who walks in the sea". This was the name of a Semitic mother goddess. She was worshipped by the Israelites before the advent of monotheism.
'Ashtart 𐤏𐤔𐤕𐤓𐤕 f Semitic Mythology
Phoenician form of Ashtoreth.
'Ashtoret עַשְׁתֹרֶת f Biblical Hebrew, Semitic Mythology
Hebrew form of Ashtoreth.
Ashtoreth עַשְׁתֹרֶת, 𐤏𐤔𐤕𐤓𐤕 f Biblical, Semitic Mythology
From עַשְׁתֹרֶת (ʿAshṯoreṯ), the Hebrew form of the name of a Phoenician goddess of love, war and fertility. Her name is cognate to that of the East Semitic goddess Ishtar.
Ashur 𒀭𒀸𒋩 m Semitic Mythology
From the name of the city of Ashur, the capital of the Assyrian Empire, which is of unknown meaning. Ashur was the patron deity of the city and the chief god of Assyria.
Aya 3 f Semitic Mythology
Means "dawn" in Akkadian. In Akkadian mythology this was the name of the goddess of the dawn, associated with sexual appeal and beauty. She was the consort of the sun god Shamash. The Babylonians sometimes called her kallatum meaning "the bride".
Ba'al בַּעַל, 𐤁𐤏𐤋 m Semitic Mythology, Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Semitic root bʿl meaning "lord, master, possessor". This was the title of various deities, often associated with storms and fertility, who were worshipped by the Canaanites, Phoenicians, and other peoples of the ancient Near East. It was particularly applied to the god Hadad.
Baal m Semitic Mythology, Biblical Greek, Biblical Latin, Biblical
Variant spelling of Ba'al, and the form used in most translations of the Bible.
Ba'al Hammon 𐤁𐤏𐤋 𐤇𐤌𐤍 m Semitic Mythology
From Phoenician 𐤁𐤏𐤋 (baʿl) meaning "lord" prefixing another word of uncertain meaning. This was the name of the supreme god worshipped in the Phoenician city of Carthage, alongside his consort Tanith.
Bel 𒂗 m Semitic Mythology
Akkadian cognate of Ba'al. The Babylonians used it as a title of the god Marduk.
Dagan 𒀭𒁕𒃶 m Semitic Mythology
Variant of Dagon.
Dagon 𒀭𒁕𒃶 m Semitic Mythology
Perhaps related to Ugaritic dgn meaning "grain". This was the name of a Semitic god of agriculture, usually depicted with the body of a fish.
Ea 1 𒀭𒂗𒆠 m Semitic Mythology
Meaning unknown, perhaps from Sumerian meaning "house of water", or perhaps of Akkadian or Hurrian origin. This was the Akkadian, Assyrian, Hurrian and Babylonian name of the Sumerian water god Enki.
El m Semitic Mythology
From a Semitic root meaning "god". This was a title applied to several Semitic gods. The Canaanites used it as the name of their chief deity, the father of the gods and mankind. The Hebrews used it to refer to Yahweh.
Elagabalus m Semitic Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of an Arabic name, derived from إله (ʾilah) meaning "god" and جبل (jabal) meaning "mountain". This was the name of a sun god worshipped in Emesa, in the Roman province of Syria. A 3rd-century Roman emperor, who served as a priest of this god in his youth in Syria, is known to history by the name Elagabalus. After ruling for four years he was assassinated at the age of 18, in part because he promoted the god to the head of the Roman pantheon.
Elil 𒀭𒂗𒆤 m Semitic Mythology
Akkadian form of Enlil.
Ellil 𒀭𒂗𒆤 m Semitic Mythology
Akkadian form of Enlil.
Enkidu 𒂗𒆠𒄭 m Sumerian Mythology, Semitic Mythology
Probably means "lord of the good place", from Sumerian 𒂗 (en) meaning "lord", 𒆠 (ki) meaning "place" and 𒄭 (du) meaning "good". This was the name of a wild man who became a companion of the Sumerian hero Gilgamesh, notably appearing in the Akkadian poem the Epic of Gilgamesh.
Enlil m Sumerian Mythology, Semitic Mythology
From Sumerian 𒂗 (en) meaning "lord" and possibly 𒆤 (lil) meaning "wind". Enlil was the Sumerian god of the wind and storms, the son of An and Ki. He was later worshipped by the Akkadians, Assyrians, Babylonians, and other Mesopotamian peoples.
Gilgamesh 𒀭𒄑𒂆𒈦 m Sumerian Mythology, Semitic Mythology
Possibly means "the ancestor is a hero", from Sumerian 𒉋𒂵 (bilga) meaning "ancestor" and 𒈩 (mes) meaning "hero, young man". This was the name of a Sumerian hero, later appearing in the Akkadian poem the Epic of Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh, with his friend Enkidu, battled the giant Humbaba and stopped the rampage of the Bull of Heaven, besides other adventures. Gilgamesh was probably based on a real person: a king of Uruk who ruled around the 27th century BC.
Hadad m Semitic Mythology
Derived from a Semitic root meaning "thunder". Hadad was a Western Semitic (Levantine) god of thunder and storms, often called Ba'al. He was imported to Mesopotamia by the Amorites, where he was known as Adad to the Assyrians and Babylonians.
Ilu 𒀭 m Semitic Mythology
Akkadian cognate of El, often used to refer to Anu.
Iqbi-Damiq f Semitic Mythology
Means "she said: it is good", derived from Akkadian qabû "to say" and damqu "good, fine". This was the name of a goddess worshipped in Kish and Ashur.
Ishtar 𒀭𒈹 f Semitic Mythology
From the Semitic root ʿṯtr, which possibly relates to the Evening Star. Ishtar was an Akkadian, Assyrian and Babylonian goddess who presided over love, war and fertility. She was cognate with the Canaanite and Phoenician Ashtoreth, and she was also identified with the Sumerian goddess Inanna. Her name in Akkadian cuneiform 𒀭𒈹 was the same as the Sumerian cuneiform for Inanna.
Kittum f Semitic Mythology
From Akkadian kīttu meaning "truth", a derivative of kīnu "legitimate, true". This was the name of the Akkadian goddess of truth.
Lilith לילית f Semitic Mythology, Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Derived from Akkadian lilitu meaning "of the night". This was the name of a demon in ancient Assyrian myths. In Jewish tradition she was Adam's first wife, sent out of Eden and replaced by Eve because she would not submit to him. The offspring of Adam (or Samael) and Lilith were the evil spirits of the world.
Marduk 𒀭𒀫𒌓 m Semitic Mythology
Probably from Sumerian amar-Utuk meaning "calf of Utu", derived from amar "calf" combined with the name of the sun god Utu. This was the name of the chief Babylonian god, presiding over heaven, light, sky, battle, and fertility. After killing the dragon Tiamat, who was an old enemy of the gods, he created the world and sky from the pieces of her body.
Melqart 𐤌𐤋𐤒𐤓𐤕 m Semitic Mythology
Means "king of the city", from Phoenician 𐤌𐤋𐤊 (milk) meaning "king" and 𐤒𐤓𐤕 (qart) meaning "city". This was the name of a Phoenician god worshipped especially in the city of Tyre.
Mot m Semitic Mythology
Means "death" in Ugaritic. This was the name of the Ugaritic god of death and the lord of the netherworld. He was a son of the supreme god El.
Nabu 𒀭𒀝 m Semitic Mythology
Possibly from a Semitic root meaning "to announce". This was the name of a Babylonian and Assyrian god of wisdom, letters and writing.
Nanaea 𒀭𒈾𒈾𒀀 f Semitic Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Nanaya.
Nanaia 𒀭𒈾𒈾𒀀 f Semitic Mythology (Hellenized)
Greek form of Nanaya.
Nanaya 𒀭𒈾𒈾𒀀 f Sumerian Mythology, Semitic Mythology
Meaning unknown, possibly related to Inanna. This was the name of a goddess worshipped by the Sumerians and Akkadians. She was later conflated with the goddesses Anahita and Aphrodite.
Ninlil f Sumerian Mythology, Semitic Mythology
Derived from Sumerian 𒎏 (nin) meaning "lady" and possibly 𒆤 (lil) meaning "wind". This was the name of a Sumerian, Akkadian and Babylonian goddess, the consort of Enlil.
Ninurta 𒀭𒎏𒅁 m Sumerian Mythology, Semitic Mythology
Derived from Sumerian 𒎏 (nin) meaning "lord" and 𒅁 (urta) meaning "ear of barley". In Sumerian, Akkadian and Babylonian mythology Ninurta was a god of agriculture, hunting and healing, later associated with war. He was also called Ningirsu, though they may have originally been separate deities.
Nuha 2 f Semitic Mythology
Meaning unknown. This was the name of a pre-Islamic Arabian goddess of the sun, identified with Shams.
Pumay 𐤐𐤌𐤉 m Semitic Mythology
Meaning unknown. This was the name of a relatively obscure Phoenician deity, possibly of Cypriot origin.
Shalim m Semitic Mythology
From the Semitic root šlm meaning "peace". This was the name of an Ugaritic god associated with the evening.
Shamash 𒀭𒌓 m Semitic Mythology
Means "sun" in Akkadian. This was the Akkadian, Assyrian and Babylonian name of Utu.
Shams f & m Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Semitic Mythology
Means "sun" in Arabic. This was the name of a pre-Islamic Arabian goddess of the sun, identified with the Akkadian sun god Shamash (whose name is related) and the northern Arabian goddess Nuha.
Shulmanu m Semitic Mythology
Possibly cognate with the Western Semitic god Shalim. Shulmanu was an Eastern Semitic (Mesopotamian) god associated with battle.
Sin 𒀭𒂗𒍪 m Semitic Mythology
From earlier Akkadian Su'en, of unknown meaning. This was the name of the Akkadian, Assyrian and Babylonian god of the moon. He was closely identified with the Sumerian god Nanna.
Su'en 𒀭𒂗𒍪 m Semitic Mythology
Variant of Sin.
Tammuz תַּמּוּז m Biblical, Biblical Hebrew, Semitic Mythology
Hebrew form of Dumuzi. The name of the god appears in the Book of Ezekiel in the Old Testament.
Tanit 𐤕𐤍𐤕 f Semitic Mythology
Variant of Tanith.
Tanith 𐤕𐤍𐤕 f Semitic Mythology
Meaning unknown. This was the name of the Phoenician goddess of love, fertility, the moon and the stars. She was particularly associated with the city of Carthage, being the consort of Ba'al Hammon.
Tiamat 𒀭𒋾𒊩𒆳, 𒀭𒌓𒌈 f Semitic Mythology
From Akkadian tâmtu meaning "sea". In Babylonian myth Tiamat was the personification of the sea, appearing in the form of a huge dragon. By Apsu she gave birth to the first of the gods. Later, the god Marduk (her great-grandson) defeated her, cut her in half, and used the pieces of her body to make the earth and the sky.
Yam m Semitic Mythology
Means "sea" in Ugaritic. Yam was the Ugaritic god of the sea, also associated with chaos, storms and destruction. He was a son of the chief god El.