In Egyptian belief , names express the fundamental nature of the things to which they refer . In keeping with this belief , the names of deities often relate to their roles or origins . The name of the predatory goddess Sekhmet mean " powerful one " , the name of the mysterious god Amun mean " hidden one " , and the name of the goddess Nekhbet , who was worshipped in the city of Nekheb , mean " she of Nekheb " . But many other names have no certain meaning , even when the gods who bear them are closely tied to a single role . The names of the sky goddess Nut and the earth god Geb do not resemble the Egyptian terms for sky and earth .