Boötes, pronounced "boh-OH-teez", is one of the original 48 constellations laid down by Greek astronomy Ptolemy in the 2nd century. Its name comes from the Greek word Βοώτης meaning "herdsman."

This association with a herdsman or farmer goes as far back as the Babylonians, who depicted it as the god Enlil. He was the leader of the Babylonian pantheon as well as the patron of framers. However, who he is in Greek mythology is less clear.

Some versions see him as Philomenus, a son of Demeter, a plowman who drove the oxen represented by Ursa Major. Another myth says that Boötes is Icarius, a wine-maker trained by Dionysus, who was placed into the sky alongside his dog (Canis Major) and daughter (Virgo). Yet another myth saw Boötes as Arcas, son of Zeus and Callisto.

The named stars in Boötes are, in order of brightness:

Arcturus (α Boötis), the brightest star in the constellation, the fourth-brightest in the entire night sky, and the brightest star in the northern celestial hemisphere. Arcturus is an orange giant star about 37 light years away. Its name comes from the Greek word Ἀρκτοῦρος meaning "guardian of the bear."

Izar (ε Boötis) is a binary star system about 236 light years away. It consists of a beautifully contrasting pair of an orange giant and a blue-white giant star. Its name comes from the Arabic word Mi'zar meaning "kilt-like undergarment."

Muphrid (η Boötis) is a potential binary star system about 37 light years away. It definitely consists of a yellow Sun-like star. Its name comes from the Arabic phrase mufrid ar-rāmiħ meaning "the one of the lancer."

Seginus (γ Boötis) is a binary star consisting of two blue-white giant stars about 86 light years away. Its name comes from an apparent mistranscription of the Arabic rendering of the Greek Boötes.

Nekkar (β Boötis) is a solitary yellow giant star about 235 light years away. Its name comes from the Arabic name for the constellation, Al Baḳḳār.

Xuange (λ Boötis) is a solitary blue-white giant star about 100 light years from Earth. Its name comes from the Chinese word 玄戈 (Xuángē) meaning "sombre dance."