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The name is of Sanskrit origin, though not Sanskrit, and is used in Northern India, the Hindi belt. The Sanskrit lajjA, shame, modesty, bashfulness, embarrassment, and by extension, similar sensitivity (as of touch-me-not), from the root lajj, to be ashamed and/or blush, gave rise to lAj in modern north Indian dialects. The Sanskrit suffix vat (which becomes tI or ntI in various dialects etc. with the feminine marker -I) forms a participle, so, lAjvantI is a modest woman (or an embarrashed woman or a shy woman, etc.). Bashful or shy is the best translation.