Sanskrit & North Indian names
296 names from the Sanskrit & North Indian naming tradition, each with its meaning, origin, pronunciation and how it is seen around the world.
- AbhimanyuBoyFrom Sanskrit अभिमन्यु (Abhimanyu), joining अभि (abhi), "towards" or "against", with मन्यु (manyu), "spirit, passion or…
- AditiGirlFrom Sanskrit अदिति (Aditi), the negative prefix अ (a), "not", joined to दिति (diti), "bound" or "given", so read as…
- AdityaBoyFrom Sanskrit आदित्य (Aditya), "son of Aditi", the patronymic given to the group of Vedic solar gods born of the…
- Agni (Sanskrit & North Indian)BoyFrom Sanskrit अग्नि (Agni), "fire".
- AjitaBoyFrom Sanskrit अजित (Ajita), the negative prefix अ (a), "not", joined to जित (jita), "conquered", so "unconquered" or…
- AkankshaGirlFrom Sanskrit ākaṅkṣā: "desire, longing".
- AkashBoyFrom Sanskrit ākāśa: "sky, open space".
- AkhilBoyFrom Sanskrit akhila: "whole, entire, complete".
- AkshayBoyFrom Sanskrit akṣaya: "undecaying, indestructible, eternal".
- AmandeepUnisexCombines the Punjabi element aman, signifying peace (derived ultimately from Arabic), with dīpa, the Sanskrit term for…
- AmarBoyDerived from Sanskrit meaning "immortal" or "deathless", symbolising eternal life and timelessness.
- AmardeepUnisexCombines Sanskrit amara, meaning deathless or everlasting, with dīpa, the word for lamp or light.
- AmarjeetUnisexJoins Sanskrit amara, meaning eternal or deathless, with jit, the word for victory or conquest.
- Amit (Sanskrit & North Indian)BoyFrom Sanskrit amita: "limitless, immeasurable, infinite".
- AmitaGirlFrom Sanskrit amita: "limitless, immeasurable"; feminine form of Amit.
- AmitabhBoyFrom Sanskrit amitābha: "boundless splendour, immeasurable light".
- AmritBoyFrom Sanskrit: "undying, immortal"; refers to amrita, the nectar of immortality.
- AmritaGirlFrom Sanskrit amrita: "undying, immortal"; the feminine form of Amrit, also the name of the celestial nectar.
- AnandaBoySanskrit for "joy" or "bliss", from the root nand, "to rejoice", with the prefix ā.
- AnangaBoyFrom Sanskrit अनङ्ग (ananga), "having no body", built from the negative prefix a- and anga, "body, limb".
- AnantaBoyFrom Sanskrit अनन्त (ananta), "endless, without end", built from the negative prefix a- and anta, "end, limit".
- Anila (Sanskrit & North Indian)GirlThe feminine counterpart of the Hindi name Anil, ultimately from Sanskrit for "wind, breeze".
- Anila (Sanskrit & North Indian)BoySanskrit word for "wind", used as a scriptural byname of the wind god Vayu.
- AniruddhaBoyFrom Sanskrit अनिरुद्ध (aniruddha), "unobstructed, unrestrained", built from the negative prefix a- and the verb rudh…
- AnjanBoyFrom Sanskrit: "anointing, ointment, collyrium".
- AnjanaUnisexFrom Sanskrit for "kohl", the black cosmetic powder used as eyeliner; in the Ramayana also the name of Hanuman's mother.
- AnkitBoyFrom Sanskrit: "marked, branded, inscribed".
- AnkitaGirlFrom Sanskrit: "marked, branded, inscribed"; the feminine form of Ankit.
- AnkurBoyFrom Sanskrit: "sapling, sprout, shoot, bud".
- AnujBoyFrom Sanskrit: "born later, younger".
- AnujaGirlFrom Sanskrit: "born later, younger"; the feminine form of Anuj.
- AnupBoyFrom Sanskrit: "watery, place near water, lagoon".
- AnupamBoyFrom Sanskrit: "incomparable, matchless, without peer".
- AnupamaGirlFrom Sanskrit: "incomparable, matchless, without peer"; the feminine form of Anupam.
- AnuradhaGirlFrom Sanskrit: "causing success, bringing prosperity"; composed of अनु (anu) "after" and राधा (rādhā) "success".
- AnuragBoyFrom Sanskrit anurag: "love, affection, devotion".
- AnushkaGirlThe meaning of Anushka is uncertain; some sources suggest it may draw inspiration from the Russian diminutive form…
- AparnaGirlFrom Sanskrit अपर्णा (aparna), "leafless", built from the negative prefix a- and parna, "leaf".
- ApurvaUnisexFrom Sanskrit apūrva: "unpreceded, new, original".
- AradhanaGirlFrom Sanskrit aradhana: "worship, reverence, ritual devotion".
- AravindBoyFrom Sanskrit aravinda: "lotus".
- ArchanaGirlFrom Sanskrit archana: "honouring, praising, worshipping". The term also denotes a specific Hindu ritual.
- ArjunaBoyFrom Sanskrit अर्जुन (arjuna), "white, clear, bright", the name of the Mahabharata hero.
- ArunBoyArun represents the masculine form, derived from Sanskrit Aruna, which traditionally refers to the sunrise or the god…
- ArunaUnisexFrom Sanskrit अरुण (aruna), "reddish-brown", used of the glow of dawn; also the name of the charioteer of the sun god…
- ArundhatiGirlFrom Sanskrit अरुन्धती (arundhatī), "not held back": originally a twining plant, later the faint star known in the West…
- ArushiGirlFrom Sanskrit अरुष (aruṣa), "reddish, glowing like dawn": a word the Rigveda uses for the flame-coloured horses of the…
- AryabhataBoyFrom Sanskrit roots: "Aryan, noble" and "master"; the name carries implications of noble authority and dignity.
- Asha (Sanskrit & North Indian)GirlFrom Sanskrit asha: "wish, desire, hope".
- AshishBoyFrom Sanskrit aśiṣa: "prayer, blessing, benediction".
- AshokaBoyMeans "without sorrow" in Sanskrit, formed from a prefix meaning "not" combined with a root meaning "sorrow" or "grief".
- AvalokiteshvaraBoyFrom Sanskrit avalokita, "looked upon" or "perceived", and īśvara, "lord": traditionally read as the lord who looks…
- Ayaan (Sanskrit & North Indian)BoyFrom Sanskrit meaning "not moving" or "natural disposition", or alternatively "path, progress".
- Ayan (Sanskrit & North Indian)BoyFrom Sanskrit meaning "path, way, solar path", conveying concepts of progress and direction.
- BaladevaBoyFrom Sanskrit बल (bala), "strength", and देव (deva), "god": mighty god.
- BalaramaBoyFrom Sanskrit बल (bala), "strength", joined to the name Rama: mighty Rama.
- BalwinderUnisexMerges Sanskrit bala, signifying strength or might, with Indra, the name of a principal Hindu god.
- BharataBoyFrom Sanskrit भरत (bharata), "cherished, upheld", built on the verb bhṛ, "to bear, to carry".
- BharatiGirlSanskrit भारती (bhāratī), "descendant of Bharata", used as an epithet of the goddess Saraswati.
- BuddhaBoyFrom Sanskrit buddha, "awakened, enlightened", from the verb root budh, "to wake, to understand".
- ChandanaUnisexFrom Sanskrit candana, "sandalwood," the fragrant wood burned and made into paste for worship across South Asia.
- DineshaBoyFrom Sanskrit dina, "day", and īśa, "lord": together, "lord of the day".
- DipakaBoyFrom Sanskrit dīpaka, "that which kindles or inflames".
- DiyaGirlFrom Hindi: "lamp, light".
- DraupadiGirlSanskrit for "daughter of Drupada", a feminine patronymic built from her father's name.
- DrishtiGirlFrom Sanskrit: "vision, sight, view".
- DrupadaBoyA Sanskrit compound read either as "wooden pillar" or as "firm-footed".
- DurgaUnisexFrom Sanskrit durgā, "unassailable" or "hard to reach".
- DuryodhanaBoyFrom Sanskrit dus-, "hard, bad", and yodhana, "fighting": "hard to defeat".
- EshaGirlFrom Sanskrit: "desire, longing, wish".
- FathimaGirlFrom Arabic Fatima: "one who abstains", from a root meaning to wean or refrain.
- GauravBoyFrom Sanskrit: "splendour, dignity, importance".
- GautamaBoyA Sanskrit patronymic meaning "descendant of Gotama", the name of a Vedic sage whose own name is usually explained as…
- Gita (Sanskrit & North Indian)GirlFrom Sanskrit: "song, music".
- GobindBoyDerived from Sanskrit, signifying the keeper or giver of cows; also understood as relating to Krishna, a deity often…
- GotamaBoyFrom Sanskrit go, "cow" or "ox", and the superlative suffix tama, "most": together, roughly "finest of the herd".
- GovindaBoyFrom Sanskrit go, "cow", and vinda, "one who finds": an epithet of Krishna recalling his boyhood as a cowherd.
- GulshanBoyFrom Persian: "rose garden, flower place".
- GurdeepUnisexCombines Sanskrit guru, signifying a teacher or spiritual master, with dīpa, the word for lamp or light.
- GurmeetUnisexJoins Sanskrit guru, meaning a spiritual teacher, with mitra, signifying a friend or companion.
- GurpreetUnisexCombines Sanskrit guru, meaning a teacher or spiritual master, with prīti, signifying love, joy or affection.
- HanumanBoyLikely from Sanskrit hanu, "jaw", the name of the monkey god of the Ramayana.
- HardeepUnisexJoins Hari, a name of the Hindu deity Vishnu, with dīpa, the Sanskrit word for lamp or light.
- HarendraBoyFrom Sanskrit: "lord Hari and Indra", combining names of Hindu deities.
- HariBoyFrom Sanskrit hari, "tawny, yellowish-brown", an epithet of the god Vishnu.
- HarishBoyFrom Sanskrit: "lord Hari", combining Hari (Vishnu) with īśa (lord).
- HarpreetUnisexCombines Hari, a name for the Hindu deity Vishnu, with prīti, the Sanskrit word for love, joy or affection.
- HarshBoyFrom Sanskrit: "joy, happiness, delight".
- HarshaBoyMeans "happiness" or "joy" in Sanskrit, representing emotional delight and celebration.
- HarshadBoyFrom Sanskrit: "one who gives joy", combining harṣa (happiness) with the giver suffix.
- Hina (Sanskrit & North Indian)GirlFrom Arabic ḥinnāʾ, the name of the henna plant and the reddish dye made from its leaves.
- InderpalUnisexThe name combines Indra, a significant deity in Hindu traditions, with a Sanskrit word meaning guardian or protector.
- IndiraGirlSanskrit for "beauty" or "splendour", an epithet of the goddess Lakshmi.
- IndraBoyName of the Vedic god of sky, storms and rain; a traditional gloss reads it as "possessing raindrops".
- IndrajitBoyFrom Sanskrit इन्द्र (Indra), the Vedic god of storms and the sky, and जित् (jit) "one who conquers": together…
- IndraniGirlFrom Sanskrit इन्द्राणी (Indrāṇī), formed from the god Indra's name with a feminine ending: "Indra's wife".
- IshaUnisexFrom Sanskrit for "lord, ruler"; also an epithet of Shiva and the title of one of the Upanishads.
- JagadishaBoyFrom Sanskrit जगत् (jagat) "world" and ईश (īśa) "ruler, lord": together, "ruler of the world", an epithet of Vishnu and…
- JagannathaBoyFrom Sanskrit जगत् (jagat) "world" and नाथ (nātha) "master, protector": together, "master of the world", a title of…
- JagjitUnisexCombining Sanskrit terms meaning the world or universe with another denoting triumph or mastery.
- JanakaBoySanskrit for "father", from जनक (janaka), the same root that gives जनन (janana) "birth".
- JaswinderUnisexA name joining Sanskrit elements for glory and acclaim with the name Indra, the principal deity in Hindu cosmology.
- Jay (Sanskrit & North Indian)BoyFrom Sanskrit जय (jaya) meaning "victory, triumph, conquest".
- JayaUnisexFrom Sanskrit जय/जया (jaya/jayā), "victory": the everyday word for triumph used as a given name.
- JayadevaBoyComposed of Sanskrit elements: "victory" and "deity" or "god"; combines martial and divine principles.
- JayendraBoyA compound name pairing Sanskrit जय (jaya) meaning "victory" with Indra, the king of gods, to convey "one who rules…
- JayeshBoyCombines Sanskrit जय (jaya) meaning "victory, conquest" with ईश (īśa) meaning "lord, ruler", together conveying "master…
- JitendraBoyCombining the Sanskrit term for winning and triumph with Indra's name, the Vedic god-king, to convey "victorious…
- JyotiUnisexDrawn from the Sanskrit word ज्योतिस् (jyotis), conveying brightness, glow, and radiant energy.
- JyotsnaGirlRooted in the Sanskrit ज्योत्स्ना (jyotsnā), expressing the lunar glow and soft brilliance of moonlit nights.
- KailashBoyNamed after Mount Kailash in the Himalayas, believed to be the divine home of Shiva, the god of transformation. A…
- KajalUnisexDerived from the Sanskrit कज्जल (kajjala), referring to the darkened eye cosmetic used across South Asian cultures for…
- Kala (Sanskrit & North Indian)GirlFrom Sanskrit: "artistic accomplishment, moral virtue".
- KalidasaBoyMeans "servant of Kali", combining the name of the Hindu goddess Kali with a Sanskrit word meaning "servant" or…
- KalpanaGirlFrom Sanskrit कल्पना (kalpanā): "imagination, creative thought".
- KalyanBoyFrom Sanskrit कल्याण (kalyāṇa): "auspicious, beautiful, lovely, welfare".
- KamakshiGirlA Sanskrit compound of kāma, "desire", and akṣi, "eye", used as a name of the Hindu goddess.
- Kamal (Sanskrit & North Indian)BoyThe masculine form derived from Kamala, which means "lotus" in Sanskrit.
- KamalaUnisexSanskrit for the lotus flower, कमल.
- KaminiGirlFrom Sanskrit कामिनी (kāminī): "desirable, attractive woman".
- KanchanUnisexA variant of Kanchana, likely derived from Sanskrit roots associated with gold or brightness.
- KantaUnisexFrom Sanskrit कान्त (kānta): "desired, beautiful, beloved".
- KantiUnisexFrom Sanskrit for "beauty, radiance"; also a byname of the goddess Lakshmi.
- KapilaBoySanskrit for a tawny, reddish-brown colour, built on the word for "monkey".
- KaranBoyFrom Sanskrit करण (karaṇa): "clever, skillful".
- KarishmaGirlFrom Hindi करिश्मा (karishma): "miracle, magic, charm".
- KarnaBoyFrom Sanskrit कर्ण (karṇa), "ear".
- KartikBoyDerived from Sanskrit कृत्तिका (Kṛttikā), referring to the cluster of stars known as the Pleiades; also the name of a…
- KartikeyaBoyFrom Sanskrit Kṛttikā, the star cluster the Pleiades; a name of the war god Skanda, whom myth says the Krittikas raised.
- KarunaUnisexFrom Sanskrit करुणा (karuṇā): "compassion" or "mercy".
- KashiGirlFrom Sanskrit काशि (kāśi): "shining" or "luminous", also the name of the sacred city.
- KashyapaBoySanskrit for "tortoise" or "turtle", the name of one of Hinduism's seven great sages.
- KaurGirlFrom Sanskrit roots signifying a young woman or princess, bestowing status and dignity.
- KaveriGirlFrom the name of the Kaveri River, a major river system in southern India.
- KaviBoyFrom Sanskrit कवि (kavi): a title for a poet, or one who is wise and sage.
- KavitaGirlFrom Sanskrit कविता (kavitā): "poem" or "poetry".
- KhushiGirlMeans "happiness" or "joy" in Hindi, borrowed from Persian خوشی (khūshī).
- KiranUnisexFrom Sanskrit किरण (kiraṇa): "ray of light" or "sunbeam", sometimes understood as "dust" or "thread".
- KirtidaGirlFrom Sanskrit: "one who bestows fame" or "giver of glory", combining कीर्ति (kīrti) "fame" and दा (dā) "giver".
- KishanBoyPossibly a variant or shortened form of Krishna, the deity of love and wisdom in Hindu tradition.
- KishorBoyFrom Sanskrit किशोर (kiśora): "colt" or "young horse", metaphorically used for a young or youthful person.
- KuldeepBoyJoining Sanskrit words for family lineage with another denoting illumination or a burning flame.
- KunalaBoyMeans "lotus" in Sanskrit, referring to the sacred water lily that represents purity and spiritual growth in Indian…
- KurmaBoySanskrit for "tortoise, turtle".
- LakshmanaBoyFrom Sanskrit लक्ष्मण (lakṣmaṇa), "bearing (auspicious) marks", built on लक्ष्मन् (lakṣman), "mark, token".
- LakshmiUnisexFrom Sanskrit लक्ष्मी (lakṣmī), "mark, sign", the name of the goddess who marks out good fortune.
- LalitaGirlFrom Sanskrit ललित (lalita), "playful, charming, desired".
- Lila (Sanskrit & North Indian)GirlDivine play or sport.
- LilavatiGirlMeans "amusing, charming, or graceful" in Sanskrit, describing qualities of delightfulness and elegant movement.
- Lina (Sanskrit & North Indian)GirlGraceful and delicate; a name given in Hindi-speaking regions.
- MadanaBoyFrom Sanskrit मदन (madana), "intoxicating, maddening", a byname of Kama, the god of desire.
- MadhavaBoyFrom Sanskrit माधव (mādhava), "of Madhu": read as an epithet of Krishna's Yadava ancestor Madhu, or as "sweet, of the…
- MadhaviGirlThe feminine of Madhava, an epithet of the god Vishnu read as "descendant of Madhu" or, in a popular gloss, "husband of…
- MahadevaBoyMeans "great god", from Sanskrit महा (mahā) "great" and देव (deva) "god"; a title of the Hindu god Shiva.
- MahadeviGirlMeans "great goddess", from Sanskrit महा (mahā) "great" and देवी (devī) "goddess"; a title of the supreme Hindu goddess…
- MahaviraBoyMeans "great hero" in Sanskrit, composed of "great" and "hero", expressing strength and valour.
- MahendraBoyCombining two Sanskrit elements: the adjective for "great" paired with the name of Indra, a principal Hindu god.
- MaheshaBoyMeans "great lord", from Sanskrit महा (mahā) "great" and ईश (īśa) "lord"; an epithet of the Hindu god Shiva.
- MalaGirlFrom Sanskrit: "a string of beads; a necklace or garland".
- MalatiGirlFrom Sanskrit: "the jasmine flower".
- MaliniGirlFrom Sanskrit: "fragrant; one who wears or adorns with flowers".
- MamtaGirlFrom Sanskrit ममता (mamtā): "affection; mother love; tenderness".
- MandeepUnisexCombining Sanskrit roots for the mind or consciousness with another signifying light, radiance or illumination.
- MangalBoyFrom Sanskrit मंगल (mangala): "auspicious; favorable; the planet Mars".
- MangalaUnisexMeans "auspicious, lucky" in Sanskrit; the masculine form also names the planet Mars and its Hindu deity, and the…
- ManinderUnisexJoining Sanskrit terms for the mind or consciousness with Indra, a principal deity in Hindu tradition.
- ManishBoyFrom Sanskrit मनीष (manīṣ): "wisdom; intelligent mind; intellectual acumen".
- ManishaGirlFrom Sanskrit मनीषा (manīṣā): "wisdom; intellectual capacity; contemplative thinking".
- ManjeetUnisexCombining Sanskrit elements for the mind or consciousness with another denoting victory or triumph.
- ManjuGirlFrom Sanskrit मञ्जु (mañju): "lovely; charming; delightful".
- ManjulaGirlFrom Sanskrit मञ्जुल (mañjula): "pleasing; charming; attractive".
- ManjushriBoyFrom Sanskrit mañju, "lovely, gentle", and śrī, "splendour, glory": gentle glory, or lovely radiance.
- ManojaBoyAn epithet of Kama, the Hindu god of desire, formed from Sanskrit मनस् (manas) "mind" and ज (ja) "born": literally "the…
- ManpreetUnisexDrawing from Sanskrit roots meaning the mind or consciousness together with another denoting affection, contentment or…
- Manu (Sanskrit & North Indian)BoyFrom Sanskrit मनु, "thinking, wise," and, in Hindu tradition, the title of the first man and primeval lawgiver.
- MatsyaBoySanskrit for "fish".
- Maya (Sanskrit & North Indian)GirlSanskrit māyā, "illusion, magic": in Hindu and Buddhist thought, the power that shapes the appearance of the world.
- MeghanadaBoySanskrit for "cloud roar", from megha "cloud" and nada "sound, roar": the boom of thunder.
- Mina (Sanskrit & North Indian)GirlA fish, representing grace and fluidity in water.
- MinakshiGirlSanskrit for "fish-eyed", from mina "fish" and akshi "eye": long, fish-shaped eyes, praised as a mark of beauty.
- MuraliBoySanskrit muralī, "flute", used as one of the names of the god Krishna, who is always pictured playing one.
- NalaBoySanskrit for "reed" or "stem": the name of a righteous king in the Hindu epic the Mahabharata.
- NandBoyFrom Sanskrit नन्द (nanda) meaning "joy".
- NandaUnisexSanskrit for "joy": नन्द (Nanda) for boys and नन्दा (Nandā), with a lengthened final vowel, for girls.
- NanditaGirlFrom Sanskrit नन्द (nanda) meaning "joy" with the feminine suffix -ita, making "joyful" or "full of delight".
- NarayanBoyFrom Sanskrit नारायण (Nārāyaṇa), a name for the Hindu deity Vishnu meaning "one who rests on the waters" or "primordial…
- NarendraBoyFrom Sanskrit नर (nara) meaning "man" and the name Indra, conveying "lord of men".
- NareshBoyFrom Sanskrit नर (nara) for "man" combined with ईश (īśa) denoting "ruler", resulting in "master of people".
- NavdeepUnisexCombining Sanskrit terms signifying newness, freshness, or novelty with another meaning light, radiance or illumination.
- NavinBoyFrom Sanskrit नव (nava) meaning "new, fresh".
- NehaGirlPossibly from Sanskrit स्नेह (sneha) conveying warmth, affection and closeness.
- NikhilBoyFrom Sanskrit निखिल (nikhila) signifying "complete" and "all-encompassing".
- NilaGirlFrom Sanskrit नील (nīla): "dark blue".
- NilamUnisexFrom Sanskrit नील (nīla) denoting the colour sapphire blue.
- NirajBoyFrom Sanskrit नीरज (nīraja), a poetic term for the lotus flower that emerges from water.
- ParminderUnisexFrom Sanskrit parama meaning "supreme, ultimate" and Indra, the principal deity of Vedic tradition, yielding "supreme…
- PrabhakaraBoyMeans "light maker" or "bearer of light" in Sanskrit, formed from roots meaning "light" and "maker" or "one who…
- PrithviUnisexSanskrit for "earth", built on a root meaning "broad, spread out".
- PunitBoyFrom Sanskrit punīta: "cleaned, purified".
- PunitaGirlFrom Sanskrit punīta: "cleaned, purified", with a feminine ending.