Why do most accepted star names in Western astronomy come from Arabic?

In Western astronomy, a significant majority of accepted star names are of Arabic origin, while others include Greek names and a few of unknown origin. Typically, these proper names are given only to bright stars. The International Astronomical Union regulates and approves these proper names through its Working Group on Star Names.

What we know

• In Western astronomy, most of the accepted star names are Arabic. [2]
• Typically, only bright stars have proper names. [2]
• The International Astronomical Union publishes a list of approved star names via its Working Group on Star Names. [3]
• As of October 2026, the IAU-approved list of proper names of stars included a total of 652 names. [3]

Where to go next

• how it workedHow does the International Astronomical Union approve star names?
• the bigger pictureWhat are the historical origins of Western astronomy?
• a case in pointWhat did Richard Hinckley Allen write about star names?
• compared withHow do Greek star names compare to Arabic star names?
• whenWhen did Babylonian astronomers begin recording the skies?
• an unexpected connectionHow do ancient star names connect to modern astronomical catalogs?Traditional historical names, many of Arabic origin, are formally curated by modern working groups alongside millions of digital coordinate-based designations.

Sources

• [1]list of Arabic star names (Wikidata Q1226611) · CC0 1.0
• [2]List of Arabic star names · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]List of proper names of stars · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]History of astronomy · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Star Names · CC BY-SA 4.0