134 Best Sumerian Names
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Sumerians are the ones who first invented writing.
Sumerians are also known for many other innovations which include board games, the number system, monarchy, copper, the wheel etc.. Of course, this ancient civilization comes with a host of special names too.
Sumer is the name given to the people of Sumerians. Sumer civilization was one of the first civilizations, located in the southernmost part of Mesopotamia. They are even older than Egyptians.
Sumerians referred to themselves as 'black-headed people'. The Sumerian king described himself as 'the king of the four quarters, the pastor of the black-headed people'.
It is believed that Sumers originated as a civilization in the earliest Mesopotamia age. Sumerian mythology was also very rich and the little information we have of them have helped us gather many names. Here we have created a list of popular Sumerian names that we still use.
For more baby names, take a look at Babylonian Names and Mayan Names.
Popular Sumerian Names
Sumer may have been an ancient civilization, even earlier than Egypt, but their exotic names are still loved by people across the world. Here we have collected the most popular names used by the people of Sumer:
1.Adamen – (Latin origin), meaning "argument, fight".
2.Agarin – meaning "a flat area; father, mother, womb".
3.Amah – (Arabic origin), meaning "flood, bursting of a dam".
4.Anki – (Sumerian origin), meaning "universe".
5.Biluda – meaning "worship".
6.Dagrim –meaning " fields, precinct".
7.Didila – meaning "very small, young".
8.Erish –meaning "queen, lady.
9.Eshkar – meaning "daily task".
10.Garash – meaning "decision, oracle, military camp, catastrophe, straw, supply-master".
11.Garza – (Spanish Origin), meaning "customs, rights, duties". This Sumerian name is linked with Ángel Humberto Garza Solano, who is a Mexican professional wrestler.
12.Gashan –meaning " lady".
13.Gazimbi – meaning "pole, stake".
14.Gishimmar – meaning "date palm".
15.Gishkim – meaning "omen, sign".
16.Gitlam – meaning "lover, husband, spouse".
17.Gizzal – meaning "intelligence".
18.Harran – meaning "road". Harran, ancient Carrhae, was a major city in Upper Mesopotamia whose site is in the modern city Harran, Turkey, 44 kilometers southeast of Şanlıurfa.
19.Hashur – meaning "cypress".
20.Hazi – meaning "axe".
21.Henbur – meaning "reed shoots, stalks".
22.Hirin – meaning "spikenard shoots".
23.Hulla — meaning "very happy’, ‘joyful".
24.Kirashi – (Japanese origin), meaning "emmer wheat used for making beer".
25.Kishar – meaning "horizon". In the Akkadian epic called the Enuma Elish, Kishar was considered the daughter of Lahamu and Lahmu.
26.Kisher – meaning "enclosure".
27.Malah – meaning "sailor, captain".
28.Mendalla – meaning "beaming crown".
29.Minesh – (Indian origin), meaning "a calendar month".
30.Minussa – meaning "bride".
31.Musarra – (Arabic origin), meaning "inscription of the king".
32.Mushen – meaning "bird."
33.Namkuzu – meaning " wisdom, cleverness".
34.Namluh – meaning "purification".
35.Namshita – (Sanskrit Origin), meaning "prayer". This name is associated with Namshita, who was a Mulani warrior and the leader of the rebel Untherans.
36.Namtilla – meaning "life".
37.Narua – meaning "dedicatory stone".
38.Nigba – meaning "present, gift".
39.Niggina – meaning "truth, justice".
40.Nirgal – meaning "noble". The name Nirgal can mean Nergal, the Babylonian gods of war.
41.Penzer – (English origin), meaning "hearth-tender/leather-worker".
42.Sagar – meaning "advisor, counselor". Sagar is a city in the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India.
43.Saghaza – meaning "to attach securely".
44.Sagma – meaning "bow of a boat".
45.Sagmi – (Sanskrit Origin), meaning "slave-girl".
46.Shabra, Shapra – (Sanskrit Origin), meaning "temple administrator".
47.Shanesha – meaning "supplications".
48.Shemush – meaning "bitter grain".
49.Shimsusa – meaning "perfume".
50.Shuhalla – meaning "open hand".
51.Shusi – meaning "finger".
52.Simush – meaning "shining horns".
53.Tabira – meaning "metal-worker".
54.Temen – meaning "foundation".
55.Uanna – meaning "light of the heavens". This Sumerian name is linked with William Lewis "Bud" Uanna, who was an American security expert.
56.Urash – meaning "earth, secret". Uraš or Urash, is the Sumerian goddess of earth, and one of the consorts of the sky god Anu.
57.Urbarra – meaning "wolf".
58.Urda – meaning "to be mindful, to care".
59.Urmah – meaning " lion".
60.Urtur – meaning "pet dog, puppy".
61.Ushar – meaning " companion".
62.Uten, Utena –, meaning "morning, daylight".
63.Zidmilla – meaning "coarse flour".
64.Zigan – meaning "rudder, oar".
65.Zimah –(Sanskrit Origin), meaning "legitimate, lofty".
66.Zua – (Arabic origin), meaning "acquaintance".
Sumerian Mythology Names
According to Mesopotamian mythology, Sumerians believed in many goddesses and gods. Below we have compiled very popular mythological names in the Sumerian language:
67.An - meaning "heaven, sky". An, the supreme Sumerian god of the heavens and the father of Enlil and Enki.
68.Dumuzi - Dumu, meaning "child" and zid, meaning "loyal". Name of a Sumerian god of shepherds.
69.Dumuzid - variant of Dumuzi.
70.Enki - meaning "underworld, mountain". Enki was the Sumerian god of water and wisdom and the keeper of the Me, the divine laws.
71.Enli l- where En, meaning "lord" and lil means "world". The Sumerian God of Storms and the son of An and Ki.
72.Ereshkigal - meaning "lady of the great earth". She was Sumerian Goddess of death and the underworld.
73.Gilgamesh - meaning "the ancestor is a hero". The name of a famous Sumerian hero found in the Epic of Gilgamesh.
74.Inanna - meaning "lady of the heavens". The Sumerian goddess of love and war.
75.Ikhur - This was the name of a Sumerian storm god.
76.Ki - meaning "earth". This was the name of the Sumerian earth goddess.
77.Lugalbanda - meaning "young and fierce king". The name of the legendary king of Uruk.
78.Nanaya - This was the name of a goddess worshipped by people of Ancient Sumer and Mesopotamia.
79.Nanna - This was the name of the Sumerian moon God.
80.Ningal - meaning "great lady". The goddess of reeds as per Sumerian legends.
81.Ninhursag - meaning "lady of the mountain". The Sumerian fertility goddess and the primary consort of Enki.
82.Ninlil - This was the name of a Sumerian goddess, the consort of Enlil.
83.Ninsumun - Variant of Ninsun.
84.Ninsun - meaning "lady of the wild cow". Ninsun was the divine mother of Gilgamesh.
85.Ninurta - Nin means "lord" and urta means "ear of barley". Ninurta was a god of agriculture and hunting.
86.Utu - meaning "sun". This was the name of the Sun God.
Unisex Sumerian Names
The grammar of Sumeria had nouns that were gender-neutral. These nouns could sit well with any parent who wishes to give a gender-neutral name to their child. Here are some of the gender-neutral names that were found in Sumeria:
87. Amah – meaning "flooding of the river".
88.Anki – meaning "the universe".
89.Dagrim – meaning "pastures".
90.Garadin, Karadin – meaning "pile of sheaves, shock".
91.Garash – meaning " decision, oracle".
92. Gishimmar –meaning "date palm".
93. Henbur –meaning "reed shoots, stalks".
94.Hirin –meaning "shoots of spike plants".
95.Hurin –meaning "hawk".
96. Kirashi –meaning "golden wheat corn from which beer is made".
97. Kishar –meaning "line of the horizon".
98. Maur –meaning "riverine gorge".
99. Munzur –meaning "bitter herbs".
100. Mushen –meaning "hummingbird".
101.Nurma – meaning "pomegranate plant".
102.Shemush – meaning "grain".
103.Shenbar –meaning "jungle boar".
104.Shesa – meaning "roasting barley corns".
105.Shezilzilla –meaning "dehusking barley corns".
106.Tilhar –meaning "dark clouds".
107.Uli – meaning "herbal plants".
108.Ulushin – meaning "golden beer".
109.Urash –meaning "world".
110.Urbarra – meaning "pack of wolves".
111.Urmah –meaning "king of the jungle".
112.Urtur – meaning "house dog".
113.Usun – meaning "holy cow".
114.Uten, Utena – meaning "sunlight".
115.Utur, Uturra – meaning "morning".
116.Zidmilla –meaning "grounded flour".
Sumerian Names Related To Nature
The people of Sumeria were quite close to nature. As a result, there are many names originating from Sumeria which reflected the inclination towards nature that Sumerians had. Here is a list of Sumerian that is related to the natural world:
117. Aria — meaning "desert". It is an ancient name of a Sumerian queen.
118. Edin — meaning "Garden of eternity". It is the name of the Sumerian heaven on earth.
119. Lil — meaning "breath of wind". Many Mesopotamian gods are referred to as this name.
120. Lilla — meaning " the spirit of an area". A very powerful Mesopotamian Goddess goes by this name.
121. Lillan — meaning "stalk with a ripe ear of grain".
122. Madala — meaning "a thick bundle of reeds used to build a raft". This is the name of one of the Mesopotamian Goddesses.
123. Miu — meaning "baby lamb".
124. Nissa, Nisi — meaning "green vegetables". It refers to the Sumerian goddess of fertility.
125. Sal — meaning "reproduction". It is the name of the most revered Sumerian Goddess.
126. Samana — meaning " a grain disease, such as rust".
127. Santana — meaning "herbalist, horticulturist, orchard". Variants of this name are Shandana and Shandan - the queen of Mesopotamia was known by this name.
128. Sharan, Sharin — meaning "tick, bedbug". It is another name for the remover of diseases.
129. Sharra, Shara — meaning "dry river". The largest river when dried up is called by this name.
130. Sheba — meaning " ripe wheat ready for distribution ".
131. Sheli — meaning "pine/juniper seeds". A beautiful Mesopotamian female name.
132. Shem — meaning " aromatic spice".
133. Uri, Urin — meaning "bald eagle". An ancient god was named after this and Ur was a famous Sumerian city.
134. Zana — meaning '‘butterfly’'. A female nymph is known by this name.
Kidadl has lots of great baby names articles to inspire you. If you liked our suggestions for Sumerian Names then why not take a look at Egyptian Girls Names, or for something different take a look at Names Meaning Water.
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in English, Master of Arts specializing in English
Rajnandini RoychoudhuryBachelor of Arts specializing in English, Master of Arts specializing in English
With a Master of Arts in English, Rajnandini has pursued her passion for the arts and has become an experienced content writer. She has worked with companies such as Writer's Zone and has had her writing skills recognized by publications such as The Telegraph. Rajnandini is also trilingual and enjoys various hobbies such as music, movies, travel, philanthropy, writing her blog, and reading classic British literature.
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