Galaxy Names
A galaxy name should feel as infinite as the space it contains — vast, ancient, and impossible to fully know.
Famous Galaxy Names That Nailed It
Real-world names that became iconic. Here's what makes them work.
Proves that the most familiar name doesn't have to be the most grand — 'milky' is almost laughably humble for a galaxy of 400 billion stars, yet the name has become so embedded in human consciousness that it carries its own kind of cosmic weight.
A perfect galaxy name: it carries both beauty and doom (Andromeda is on a collision course with the Milky Way), it belongs to classical tradition, and it sounds appropriately grand without being self-importantly invented.
Not technically a galaxy name but a galaxy-region name that demonstrates the power of directional/positional naming — 'Outer Rim' immediately communicates frontier, danger, and distance from civilization in two words.
Naming a fictional galaxy is one of the grandest acts of worldbuilding. A galaxy isn't just a setting — it's a frame for an entire universe of stories, civilizations, and histories. The name you give a galaxy shapes how readers and players experience the scale of what exists within it: a name like 'the Milky Way' feels oddly domestic for something containing 400 billion stars, while 'Andromeda' carries a mythological weight that suggests both beauty and collision.
Fictional galaxy names tend to draw from one of several traditions: classical mythology (names of gods, heroes, and mythological places that suggest ancient vastness), invented phonetic combinations that feel appropriately alien and grand, descriptive astronomical vocabulary (spiral, void, nebula, corona), or cultural names from the civilizations that inhabit them. The best fictional galaxy names do what good proper nouns always do — they feel inevitable, as if the thing could never have been named anything else.
Browse 30+ fictional galaxy names below.
Tips for Choosing Galaxy Names
Real galaxy names often use classical references (Andromeda, Perseus, Sculptor) or neutral astronomical descriptors — draw from both traditions and you'll find names that feel grounded in legitimate astronomical culture.
Consider what the galaxy's dominant civilization calls it vs. what outsiders call it — the contrast between an internal name and an external name can be rich worldbuilding detail.
Galaxy names that reference what the galaxy looks like from outside (Spiral Veil, The Coil, Ringed Void) give immediate visual information that helps readers orient themselves spatially.
Avoid names that are too obviously composed of sci-fi clichés (X-47 Nebula Galaxy, etc.) — real astronomical naming is more elegant and draws from mythology, classical languages, and descriptive astronomy.
If your story involves multiple galaxies, establish a naming convention early — all names from one mythological tradition, all names following a particular phonetic pattern — so the universe feels internally consistent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Real galaxies are named in several ways: catalogue designations (NGC 1300, M31), mythological names (Andromeda, Sculptor, Fornax), descriptive names based on appearance (Sombrero Galaxy, Whirlpool Galaxy, Black Eye Galaxy), or the names of the constellations they appear in. All of these provide rich inspiration for fictional galaxy naming.
Authentic fictional galaxy names feel like they emerged from the culture of the people who named them, not from a naming generator. They usually draw from mythology, classical languages, astronomical observation, or the civilizations that inhabit them — and they have a sound that suggests the appropriate scale and character of the space they name.
In rich worldbuilding, major galaxies often have multiple names: one used by each major civilization, one used in scientific/astronomical contexts, and sometimes an older mythological name. This multiplicity adds depth and raises interesting questions about which civilizations had contact and when.
Yes, and real astronomers do this constantly. Andromeda, Perseus, Sculptor, Fornax, and dozens of other mythological names are already used for real galaxies. For fiction, you can borrow from mythologies that haven't been as heavily used in astronomy — Hindu, Norse, Yoruba, Aztec — and find names that feel fresh while carrying cultural weight.
Real galaxy names are usually short: Andromeda, Triangulum, Sculptor. Fictional galaxy names work best at 1-3 words — long enough to carry weight, short enough to be used comfortably in prose. In-universe slang names are often shorter; formal astronomical names can be slightly longer.
The Complete Guide to Naming Fictional Galaxies
Naming Traditions in Real Astronomy
Real astronomical naming conventions are a goldmine for fictional galaxy names. Understanding how astronomers actually name things helps you create names that feel legitimate.
- Mythological names: drawn from Greek, Roman, and other mythologies (Andromeda, Perseus, Sculptor, Fornax, Hydra)
- Descriptive visual names: based on what the galaxy looks like through a telescope (Sombrero, Whirlpool, Pinwheel, Black Eye, Cartwheel)
- Catalogue designations: NGC numbers, Messier numbers — these feel technical and can suggest a civilization that values scientific precision over romance
- Constellation-based names: galaxies named after the constellations they appear in (Virgo Cluster, Coma Cluster)
- Discoverer names: real-world precedent for naming after the person who found or studied the object
Creating Mythologically-Grounded Galaxy Names
Mythology provides the deepest well of galaxy naming inspiration because it already operates at cosmic scale.
- Greek/Roman: Elysium, Tartarus, Olympus, Erebus, Aether — all carry appropriate scale and the weight of ancient belief
- Norse: Yggdrasil, Asgard, Niflheim, Helheim, Vanaheim — suggests a universe organized by mythological cosmology
- Hindu: Brahmaloka, Svarga, Patala — vast, layered cosmologies that translate beautifully to galactic scale
- Mesoamerican: Xibalba, Omeyocan, Tlalocan — less used in fiction and therefore fresher
- Egyptian: Duat, Aaru, Nun — the Egyptian cosmology of sky and underworld maps naturally onto galactic space
Inventing Phonetically Convincing Galaxy Names
When you need a name that feels alien or from a non-Earth culture, phonetic invention is the approach — but it requires discipline.
- Use vowel combinations that feel vast: 'ae,' 'io,' 'ua' — open sounds suggest open space
- Avoid clusters of hard consonants — they feel too percussive for something as large as a galaxy
- End names on open vowels or soft consonants: -ara, -ion, -eus, -al — these endings feel suitably grand
- Keep invented names to 3-4 syllables maximum — shorter names feel more like proper nouns, longer ones start to sound like descriptions
- Test phonetic names for accidental meaning in major languages before committing
Building a Multi-Galaxy Naming System
If your story spans multiple galaxies, consistency in naming creates worldbuilding coherence.
- Choose a dominant naming tradition and apply it consistently — all galaxies named from one mythological tradition, or all following a phonetic template
- Create a hierarchy: core galaxies get grand mythological names; peripheral ones get more functional or descriptive designations
- Allow different in-universe cultures to use different names for the same galaxy — this is realistic and creates rich diplomatic and historical subtext
- Reserve the most beautiful names for the galaxies that play the most important narrative roles — naming creates expectation
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