The orthodox English name of Sirius comes from the Latin Sīrius, and from the ancient Greek Σε?0?7ριο?0?9 (Seirios means "hot" or "hot weather"), but this Ancient Greek words may also have developed from somewhere before the Archaic period of Greece. The earliest known use of this name dates back to Hesiod's poem "Works and Days" in the 7th century BC. Sirius has over 50 other numbers and names. In Arabic, Sirius is called ?1?9?1?8?1?2?1?7?1?9?1?3 (pinyin: al-?0?8i'rā or al-shira, Chinese : "leader"), from which another English title Aschere comes. In Sanskrit, Sirius is Mrgavyadha ("deer hunter") or Lubdhaka ("hunter"). When called Mrgavyadha, Sirius represents Rudra (Shiva); when called Scandinavia, Sirius is regarded as Lokabrenna ("the fire laid down by Loki" or "Loki's torch"), which is called the blue star in Japanese dialect (Aoboshi).
In medieval astrology, Sirius was a Behenian fixed star, associated with beryl and juniper. Its kabbalistic symbol Image:Agrippa1531 Canismaior.png was listed by Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa.