Aarti आरती f Hindi, MarathiFrom the name of a Hindu ritual in which offerings of lamps or candles are made to various gods, derived from Sanskrit
आरात्रिक (ārātrika).
Aditi अदिति f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, KannadaMeans
"boundless, entire" or
"freedom, security" in Sanskrit, derived from the negative prefix
अ (a) and
दिति (diti) meaning "giving". This is the name of a Hindu goddess of the cosmos, motherhood and fertility. According to the Vedas she is the mother of several of the gods.
Anima 1 अणिमा f HindiMeans
"minuteness" from Sanskrit
अणिमन (aṇiman). In yoga texts, this is the name of the ability to make oneself infinitely small so to be invisible.
Anisha अनिशा f HindiMeans
"nightless, sleepless" in Sanskrit.
Anjana अंजना f & m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Malayalam, Tamil, HinduismMeans
"kohl, collyrium" in Sanskrit, referring to a black powder traditionally used as an eyeliner. This is a transcription from Sanskrit of both the feminine form
अञ्जना (long final vowel) and the masculine form
अञ्जन (short final vowel). The feminine form appears in the Hindu epic the
Ramayana belonging to the mother of
Hanuman. The modern masculine form is
Anjan.
Aruna अरुणा m & f Hinduism, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, HindiMeans
"reddish brown, dawn" in Sanskrit. The Hindu god Aruna (
अरुण) is the charioteer who drives the sun god
Surya across the sky. The modern feminine form
अरुणा (spelled with a final long vowel) is also transcribed as
Aruna, however the modern masculine form is
Arun.
Arundhati अरुन्धती, अरुंधती f Hinduism, HindiThe name of a star (also called Alcor), which was named after a type of climbing plant, meaning "not restrained" in Sanskrit. In Hindu belief it is the name of the sage
Vasishtha's wife, who is identified with the star.
Arushi अरुषी, आरुषी, आरुषि f Hinduism, HindiFrom Sanskrit
अरुष (aruṣa) meaning
"reddish, dawn", a word used in the
Rigveda to describe the red horses of
Agni. According to some traditions this was the name of the wife of the legendary sage Chyavana.
Arya 1 आर्य, आर्या m & f Persian, Hindi, MalayalamFrom an old Indo-Iranian root meaning "Aryan, noble". In India, this is a transcription of both the masculine form
आर्य and the feminine form
आर्या. In Iran it is only a masculine name.
Avanti अवन्ती f HindiFrom the name of an ancient kingdom of central India that had its capital at Ujjain.
Chanda चण्डा f & m Hinduism, HindiMeans
"fierce, hot, passionate" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the feminine form
चण्डा (an epithet of the Hindu goddess
Durga) and the masculine form
चण्ड (the name of a demon).
Chandra चन्द्र, चन्द्रा m & f Hinduism, Bengali, Assamese, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, NepaliMeans
"moon" in Sanskrit, derived from
चन्द (cand) meaning "to shine". This is a transcription of both the masculine form
चण्ड (the god of the moon personified) as well as the feminine form
चण्डा (spelled with a long final vowel).
Devika देविका f HindiMeans
"little goddess" from Sanskrit
देवी (devī) meaning "goddess" and
क (ka) meaning "little".
Diksha दीक्षा f HindiMeans
"preparation for a religious ceremony" in Sanskrit.
Durga दुर्गा f & m Hinduism, Hindi, Nepali, TeluguMeans
"unattainable, unassailable" in Sanskrit. Durga is a Hindu warrior goddess, usually depicted with multiple arms and riding on the back of a lion or tiger. The Puranas relate that she came into being to combat the buffalo demon Mahishasura. She is sometimes considered a fierce aspect of
Parvati the wife of
Shiva. In Shaktism she is viewed as a principal aspect of the supreme goddess
Mahadevi.
Esha एषा f HindiMeans
"desire, wish" in Sanskrit.
Ganga गंगा f & m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali, TeluguFrom Sanskrit
गङ्गा (Gaṅgā), the name of the
Ganges River, derived from
गम् (gam) meaning "to go". In Hindu tradition this is a personification of the river, typically depicted as a fair-skinned goddess riding a sea creature. As a given name, it is used by males as well.
Gargi गार्गी f Hinduism, Hindi, BengaliMeaning unknown. This was the name of a 7th-century BC Indian philosopher who appears in the Upanishads, which are parts of Hindu scripture.
Gauri गौरी f Hinduism, Hindi, MarathiDerived from Sanskrit
गौर (gaura) meaning
"white, pale, yellow". This is a Hindu goddess, another name of
Parvati the wife of
Shiva, so named because of her fair complexion.
Gayatri गायत्री f Hinduism, Marathi, HindiFrom Sanskrit
गायत्र (gāyatra), which refers to a type of hymn or song with a particular meter, derived from
गै (gai) meaning "to sing". The original hymm, also called the
Savitri, is in the
Rigveda and is a dedication to the sun god
Savitr. As a goddess, Gayatri is a personification of this hymn. She is identified with
Saraswati.
Ila इला f HindiMeans
"earth" or
"speech" in Sanskrit.
Indrani इन्द्राणी, इंद्राणी f Hinduism, Bengali, HindiMeans
"wife of Indra" in Sanskrit. This is a Vedic Hindu goddess who is the wife of
Indra. She is associated with beauty and jealousy.
Indu इन्दु f HindiMeans
"bright drop" in Sanskrit. This is a name for the moon.
Isha ईशा f & m Hindi, Marathi, HinduismMeans
"master, lord, ruler" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the feminine form
ईशा and the masculine form
ईश (an epithet of the Hindu god
Shiva). It is also the name of one of the Upanishads, which are parts of Hindu scripture.
Ishani इशानी f HindiMeans
"ruling, possessing" in Sanskrit.
Jaya जया f & m Hinduism, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, MarathiDerived from Sanskrit
जय (jaya) meaning
"victory". In Sanskrit this is a transcription of both the feminine form
जया (long final vowel) and the masculine form
जय (short final vowel), both of which are used as names or epithets for several characters in Hindu texts. As a modern personal name, this transcription is both feminine and masculine in southern India, but typically only feminine in the north.
Kamala कमला f & m Hinduism, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Hindi, NepaliMeans
"lotus" or
"pale red" in Sanskrit. In Sanskrit this is a transcription of both the feminine form
कमला and the masculine form
कमल, though in modern languages it is only a feminine form. In Tantric Hinduism and Shaktism this is the name of a goddess, also identified with the goddess
Lakshmi.
Kanta कान्ता, कान्त f & m Hindi, BengaliFrom Sanskrit
कान्त (kānta) meaning
"desired, beautiful". The feminine form has a long final vowel, while in the masculine form it is short.
Kashi काशी f HindiFrom the name of a holy city in India, famous for its many temples dedicated to the Hindu god
Shiva. Its name is derived from Sanskrit
काशि (kāśi) meaning "shining".
Kaveri कावेरी f HindiFrom the name of the Kaveri River in southern India.
Khushi खुशी f HindiMeans
"happiness" in Hindi, ultimately from Persian
خوشی (khūshī).
Kirtida कीर्तिदा f HindiMeans
"one who bestows fame" in Sanskrit.
Lakshmi लक्ष्मी f & m Hinduism, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, Hindi, OdiaMeans
"sign, mark" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Hindu goddess of prosperity, good luck, and beauty. She is the wife of
Vishnu and her symbol is the lotus flower, with which she is often depicted.
Lalita ललिता f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, ThaiMeans
"playful, charming, desirable" in Sanskrit. According to the Puranas this was the name of one of the gopis, who were milkmaids devoted to the young
Krishna. Additionally, in Shaktism, this is the name of a goddess who is also called Tripura Sundari.
Lila 1 लीला f HindiMeans
"play, amusement" in Sanskrit.
Lina 3 लीना f HindiMeans
"absorbed, united" in Sanskrit.
Lucky लकी m & f English, HindiFrom a nickname given to a lucky person. It is also sometimes used as a diminutive of
Luke. A famous bearer was the Italian-American gangster "Lucky" Luciano (1897-1962).
Mala माला f HindiMeans
"necklace" in Sanskrit.
Mitra 1 मित्र, मित्रा m & f Hinduism, HindiMeans
"friend" in Sanskrit, a cognate of
Mithra. This is the name of a Vedic god (
मित्र) who is associated with friendship and contracts and is frequently paired with the god
Varuna. The feminine form
मित्रा (spelled with a final long vowel) is also transcribed as
Mitra.
Mohini मोहिनी f Hinduism, Hindi, MarathiMeans
"perplexing, enchanting" in Sanskrit. This was the name of a beautiful female avatar of the Hindu god
Vishnu, a form he took in order to trick the asuras (demons) into relinquishing the amrita (elixir of immortality).
Mridula मृदुला f HindiFrom Sanskrit
मृदु (mṛdu) meaning
"soft, delicate, gentle".
Nitya नित्या, नित्य f & m Hinduism, HindiMeans
"always, eternal" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the feminine form
नित्या (an epithet of the Hindu goddess
Durga) and the masculine form
नित्य.
Parvati पार्वती f Hinduism, HindiMeans
"of the mountains", derived from Sanskrit
पर्वत (parvata) meaning "mountain". Parvati is a Hindu goddess of love and power, the benign form of the wife of
Shiva. A daughter of the mountain god Himavat, she was a reincarnation of Shiva's first wife
Sati. She is the mother of
Ganesha and
Skanda.
Parvin परवीन f & m Persian, Urdu, HindiMeans
"the Pleiades" in Persian. The Pleiades are a group of stars in the constellation Taurus. This name is typically feminine in Iran, but unisex in India.
Pooja पूजा f Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Punjabi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, NepaliAlternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi/Nepali
पूजा, Gujarati
પૂજા, Bengali
পূজা, Gurmukhi
ਪੂਜਾ, Telugu
పూజా, Malayalam
പൂജ, Tamil
பூஜா or Kannada
ಪೂಜಾ (see
Puja).
Puja पूजा f Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Punjabi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, NepaliFrom Sanskrit
पूजा (pūjā) meaning
"honour, worship". This is the name of a Hindu ritual of reverence.
Rakhi राखी f HindiFrom a word for a type of ritual wristband, ultimately from Sanskrit
रक्ष् (rakṣ) meaning "to protect".
Rati रति f Hinduism, HindiMeans
"rest, repose, pleasure" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Hindu goddess of love and pleasure, the wife of
Kama.
Reshmi रेशमी f Hindi, BengaliMeans
"silky", from Hindi
रेशम (resham) meaning "silk", ultimately of Persian origin.
Reva रेवा f Hinduism, HindiMeans
"one that moves" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu goddess
Rati.
Ritika रीतिका f HindiMeans either
"movement, stream" or
"brass" in Sanskrit.
Roshni रोशनी, रोश्नी f Marathi, HindiFrom Hindi and Marathi
रौशनी (raushanī) meaning
"light, brightness", ultimately of Persian origin.
Saraswati सरस्वती f Hinduism, Hindi, MarathiMeans
"possessing water" from Sanskrit
सरस् (saras) meaning "fluid, water, lake" and
वती (vatī) meaning "having". This is the name of a Hindu river goddess, also associated with learning and the arts, who is the wife of
Brahma. She appears in the Vedas.
Sarika सारिका f Hindi, MarathiFrom a Sanskrit word referring to a type of thrush (species Turdus salica) or myna bird (species Gracula religiosa).
Satyavati सत्यवती f Hinduism, Hindi, TeluguMeans
"truthful", derived from Sanskrit
सत्य (satya) meaning "true, real" and the suffix
वती (vatī) meaning "having". In the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata she is a commoner who becomes the wife of
Shantanu, king of Hastinapura.
Savitri सावित्री f Hinduism, Hindi, MarathiMeans
"of the sun" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a hymn in the
Rigveda dedicated to
Savitr, a sun god. This is also the name of Savitr's daughter, a wife of
Brahma, considered an aspect of
Saraswati. In the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata it is borne by King Satyavan's wife, who successfully pleas with
Yama, the god of death, to restore her husband to life.
Shakti शक्ति f & m Hinduism, HindiMeans
"power" in Sanskrit. In Hinduism a shakti is the female counterpart of a god. The name Shakti is used in particular to refer to the female counterpart of
Shiva, also known as
Parvati among many other names.
Shakuntala शकुंतला f Hinduism, Hindi, MarathiDerived from Sanskrit
शकुन्त (śakunta) meaning
"bird". This is the name of a character in the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata, with the story adapted by Kalidasa for the 5th-century play
Abhijnanashakuntalam. It tells how Shakuntala, who was raised in the forest by birds, meets and marries the king
Dushyanta. After a curse is laid upon them Dushyanta loses his memory and they are separated, but eventually the curse is broken after the king sees the signet ring he gave her.
Shanta शांता f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, NepaliMeans
"pacified, calm" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu epic the
Ramayana this is the name of a princess of Anga who marries Rishyasringa.
Shashi शशि, शशी m & f Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Kannada, TeluguTraditional name for the moon, it literally means "having a hare" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form
शशि and the feminine form
शशी (spelled with a long final vowel).
Shyama श्याम, श्यामा m & f Hinduism, HindiDerived from Sanskrit
श्याम (śyāma) meaning
"dark, black, blue". This is a transcription of both the masculine form
श्याम (another name of the Hindu god
Krishna) and the feminine form
श्यामा (another name of the goddess
Kali).
Sita सीता f Hinduism, Hindi, NepaliMeans
"furrow" in Sanskrit. Sita is the name of the Hindu goddess of the harvest in the
Rigveda. This is also the name of the wife of
Rama (and an avatar of
Lakshmi) in the Hindu epic the
Ramayana. In this story Sita is abducted by the demon king
Ravana, with her husband and his allies attempting to rescue her.
Soma 2 सोमा m & f Hinduism, Bengali, HindiFrom Sanskrit
सोम (soma), the name of a ritual drink appearing in the Vedas. It is probably derived from an Indo-Iranian root meaning "to press out, to extract". As a Vedic god, Soma is a personification of this drink. He is sometimes equated with the moon god
Chandra.
... [more] Sujata सुजाता f Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Odia, BuddhismMeans
"well-born", derived from the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" and
जात (jāta) meaning "born, grown". According to Buddhist lore this was the name of the woman who gave Siddhartha Gautama (the
Buddha) a bowl of pudding, ending his period of severe asceticism.
Sumati सुमती f Hinduism, HindiMeans
"wise, good mind", derived from Sanskrit
सु (su) meaning "good" and
मति (mati) meaning "mind, thought". According to Hindu tradition this was the name of King Sagara's second wife, who bore him 60,000 children.
Sunita सुनीता f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, NepaliMeans
"well conducted, wise", derived from the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" combined with
नीत (nīta) meaning "conducted, led". In Hindu legend this is the name of the wife of King Anga of Bengal and the mother of
Vena.
Suniti सुनीती f HindiMeans
"good conduct" from the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" combined with
नीति (nīti) meaning "guidance, moral conduct".
Sushila सुशीला f & m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, NepaliMeans
"good-tempered, well-disposed", derived from the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" combined with
शील (śīla) meaning "conduct, disposition". This is a transcription of both the feminine form
सुशीला (long final vowel, borne by a consort of the Hindu god
Yama) and the masculine form
सुशील (short final vowel).
Swarna स्वर्ण, स्वर्णा m & f Telugu, HindiMeans
"good colour" or
"golden", a contraction of the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" and
वर्ण (varṇa) meaning "colour". This is a transcription of both the masculine form
स्वर्ण and the feminine form
स्वर्णा (spelled with a long final vowel).
Swati स्वाति, स्वाती f Hindi, MarathiFrom the Indian name of the fourth brightest star in the night sky, called
Arcturus in the western world.
Tara 2 तारा f Hinduism, Buddhism, Hindi, NepaliMeans
"star" in Sanskrit. Tara is the name of a Hindu astral goddess, the wife of Brhaspati. She was abducted by
Chandra, the god of the moon, leading to a great war that was only ended when
Brahma intervened and released her. This name also appears in the epic the
Ramayana belonging to the wife of Vali and, after his death, his younger brother Sugriva. In Buddhist belief this is the name of a bodhisattva associated with salvation and protection.
Uma उमा f Hinduism, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, HindiMeans
"flax" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu goddess
Parvati. In Hindu texts it is said to derive from the Sanskrit exclamation
उ मा (u mā) meaning "O do not (practice austerities)!", which was addressed to Parvati by her mother.
Upasana उपासना f HindiMeans
"worship, devotion" in Sanskrit.
Urvashi उर्वशी f Hinduism, HindiPossibly means
"widely spreading", derived from Sanskrit
उरु (uru) meaning "wide" and
अश् (aś) meaning "to prevade". According to Hindu scripture this was the name of an apsara (a type of female spirit) who was the wife of Pururavas.
Vasuda वसुदा f Hindi (Rare)Means
"granting wealth" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the earth.
Vasudha वसुधा f HindiMeans
"holding wealth" in Sanskrit, used to refer to the earth.
Vasundhara वसुंधरा, वसुन्धरा f Hindi, TeluguMeans
"possessor of wealth" in Sanskrit, used to refer to the earth.
Vijaya विजया m & f Hinduism, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, HindiMeans
"victory" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form
विजय and the feminine form
विजया, both of which occur as names or epithets in Hindu scripture. This was also the name of a semi-legendary 6th-century BC king of Sri Lanka.
... [more]