Indian Origin Names

This is a list of names in which the origin is Indian.
gender
usage
origin
Aarti f Hindi, Marathi
From the name of a Hindu ritual in which offerings of lamps or candles are made to various gods, derived from Sanskrit आरात्रिक (ārātrika).
Abha f Hindi
From Sanskrit आभा (ābhā) meaning "splendour, light".
Abhay m Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit अभय (abhaya) meaning "fearless".
Abhijeet m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali
Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi अभिजीत or अभिजित or Bengali অভিজিৎ (see Abhijit).
Abhijit m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali
From Sanskrit अभिजित (abhijita) meaning "victorious". This is the Sanskrit name for the star Vega.
Abhilash m Malayalam, Hindi
From Sanskrit अभिलष (abhilaṣa) meaning "desire, wish".
Abhilasha f Hindi
Feminine form of Abhilash.
Abhinav m Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu
From Sanskrit अभिनव (abhinava) meaning "young, fresh".
Aishwarya f Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil
From Sanskrit ऐश्वर्य (aiśvarya) meaning "prosperity, wealth". A famous bearer is the Indian actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (1973-).
Ajay m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil
Means "unconquered", from Sanskrit (a) meaning "not" and जय (jaya) meaning "victory, conquest".
Akanksha f Hindi
Derived from Sanskrit आकाङ्क्षा (ākāṅkṣā) meaning "desire, wish".
Akash m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali
From Sanskrit आकाश (ākāśa) meaning "open space, sky".
Akhil m Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam
From Sanskrit अखिल (akhila) meaning "whole, complete".
Akhila f Telugu, Malayalam
Feminine form of Akhil.
Akshay m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada
From Sanskrit अक्षय (akṣaya) meaning "undecaying, imperishable".
Amala f Tamil, Malayalam
Derived from Sanskrit अमल (amala) meaning "clean, pure".
Amar 1 m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi
From Sanskrit अमर (amara) meaning "immortal".
Amit 1 m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Punjabi, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Nepali
From Sanskrit अमित (amita) meaning "immeasurable, infinite".
Amita f Hindi, Marathi, Nepali
Feminine form of Amit 1.
Amitabh m Hindi
From Sanskrit अमिताभ (amitābha) meaning "immeasurable splendour". A famous bearer is Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan (1942-).
Amrit m Hindi
Means "immortal" from Sanskrit (a) meaning "not" and मृत (mṛta) meaning "dead". In Hindu texts it refers to a drink that gives immortality.
Amrita f Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali
Feminine form of Amrit.
Anandi f Hindi
Feminine form of Anand.
Anik m Hindi, Bengali
From Sanskrit अनीक (anīka) meaning "army" or "splendour".
Anika 2 f Hindi
Feminine form of Anik.
Aniket m Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit अनिकेत (aniketa) meaning "homeless".
Anima 1 f Hindi
Means "minuteness" from Sanskrit अणिमन (aṇiman). In yoga texts, this is the name of the ability to make oneself infinitely small so to be invisible.
Anish m Hindi, Marathi
Means "supreme, paramount, without a ruler", from the Sanskrit negative prefix (a) and ईश (īśa) meaning "ruler, lord".
Anisha f Hindi
Means "nightless, sleepless" in Sanskrit.
Anit m Hindi
Possibly from Sanskrit अनीत (anīta) meaning "not guided".
Anita 2 f Hindi, Marathi, Nepali, Tamil
Feminine form of Anit.
Anjali f Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Nepali
From Sanskrit अञ्जलि (añjali) meaning "salutation".
Ankit m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali
From Sanskrit अङ्कित (aṅkita) meaning "marked".
Ankita f Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali
Feminine form of Ankit.
Ankur m Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit अङ्कुर (aṅkura) meaning "sapling, sprout, shoot".
Anoop m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Malayalam
Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi अनूप, Bengali অনুপ or Malayalam അനൂപ് (see Anup).
Anuj m Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit अनुज (anuja) meaning "born later, younger". This name is sometimes given to the younger sibling of an older child.
Anuja f Hindi, Marathi
Feminine form of Anuj.
Anup m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Malayalam
From Sanskrit अनूप (anūpa) meaning "watery, place near the water, lagoon".
Anupam m Hindi, Bengali
From Sanskrit अनुपम (anupama) meaning "incomparable, matchless".
Anupama f Hindi
Feminine form of Anupam.
Anuradha f Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Sinhalese
From the name of a constellation in Hindu astrology, meaning "causing success", from Sanskrit अनु (anu) meaning "after" and राधा (rādhā) meaning "success, prosperity".
Aparajita f Bengali, Hindi
From Sanskrit अपराजित (aparājita) meaning "unconquered".
Apoorva m & f Hindi, Marathi
Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi अपूर्व or अपूर्वा (see Apurva).
Apurva m & f Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit अपूर्व (apūrva) meaning "unpreceded, new". This is a transcription of both the masculine form अपूर्व and the feminine form अपूर्वा.
Arabinda m Bengali, Odia
Bengali and Odia variant of Aravind.
Aradhana f Hindi
Means "worship" in Sanskrit.
Arati f Hindi, Marathi
Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi आरती (see Aarti).
Aravind m Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil
From Sanskrit अरविन्द (aravinda) meaning "lotus".
Aravinda m Kannada
Alternate transcription of Kannada ಅರವಿಂದ (see Aravind).
Archana f Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil
From Sanskrit अर्चन (arcana) meaning "honouring, praising". This is the name of a Hindu ritual.
Arti f Hindi, Marathi
Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi आरती (see Aarti).
Arya 1 m & f Persian, Hindi, Malayalam
From 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.
Aryan m Hindi
Variant of Arya 1.
Aseem m Hindi
Alternate transcription of Hindi असीम (see Asim 2).
Asha 1 f Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam
Derived from Sanskrit आशा (āśā) meaning "wish, desire, hope".
Ashish m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Nepali
From Sanskrit आशिष (āśiṣa) meaning "prayer, blessing".
Ashwin m Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada
From Sanskrit अश्विन् (aśvin) meaning "possessed of horses". The Ashvins are twin Hindu gods of the sunrise and sunset.
Asim 2 m Hindi, Bengali
From Sanskrit असीमन् (asīman) meaning "boundless, limitless".
Aswathi m Malayalam
From Sanskrit अशवत्थ (aśvattha) meaning "sacred fig tree".
Aurobindo m Bengali, Odia
Bengali and Odia variant of Aravind.
Avani f Marathi, Gujarati, Hindi
From Sanskrit अवनी (avanī) meaning "earth".
Avanti f Hindi
From the name of an ancient kingdom of central India that had its capital at Ujjain.
Avinash m Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Kannada
From Sanskrit अविनाश (avināśa) meaning "indestructible".
Ayaan 1 m Hindi
From Sanskrit अयान (ayāna) meaning "not moving, natural disposition" or अयन (ayana) meaning "path, progress".
Azad m Persian, Hindi, Bengali, Azerbaijani, Turkish, Kurdish
Means "free" in Persian. This word has derivatives in several other languages, such as Hindi and Turkish.
Bahadur m Hindi, Nepali
From Persian بهادر (bahādor), itself from Turkic bagatur meaning "hero, warrior". This was the name of rulers of the Mughal Empire.
Bal m Hindi, Marathi, Nepali
From Sanskrit बाल (bāla) meaning "young, child", sometimes a short form of names such as Balakrishna.
Bala 1 m & f Tamil, Telugu, Hindi
Variant and feminine form of Bal.
Balakrishna m Telugu, Kannada
From Sanskrit बाल (bāla) meaning "young" combined with the name of the Hindu god Krishna.
Balkrishna m Marathi
Marathi form of Balakrishna.
Balwinder m & f Indian (Sikh)
From Sanskrit बल (bala) meaning "strength, might" combined with the name of the Hindu god Indra.
Bhavana f Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam
From Sanskrit भावन (bhāvana) meaning "producing, manifesting, thought, emotion".
Bhavna f Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam
Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi भावना, Kannada ಭಾವನಾ or Malayalam ഭാവന (see Bhavana).
Bipin m Marathi, Hindi
Variant of Vipin.
Chandan m Hindi, Bengali, Odia
Derived from Sanskrit चन्दन (candana) meaning "sandalwood".
Chandana f & m Kannada, Telugu, Hindi, Bengali, Sinhalese
Feminine form of Chandan, as well as the Sinhala masculine form.
Chandrakant m Marathi, Hindi
Means "beloved by the moon", derived from Sanskrit चन्द्र (candra) meaning "moon" and कान्त (kānta) meaning "desired, beloved". This is another name for the moonstone.
Chandrakanta f Hindi
Feminine form of Chandrakant.
Chandrashekhar m Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Odia
Means "crown of the moon", derived from Sanskrit चन्द्र (candra) meaning "moon" and शेखर (śekhara) meaning "crest, peak, crown". This is an epithet of the Hindu god Shiva.
Chetan m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada
From Sanskrit चेतन (cetana) meaning "visible, conscious, soul".
Chetana f Marathi, Hindi
Feminine form of Chetan.
Chirag m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati
Means "lamp, light" in Hindi and other Indian languages, ultimately from Persian چراغ (cherāgh).
Chiranjeevi m Hindi, Telugu
Alternate transcription of Hindi चिरंजीवी or Telugu చిరంజీవి (see Chiranjivi).
Chiranjivi m Hindi, Telugu
From Sanskrit चिरंजीव (ciraṃjīva) meaning "long-lived, infinite".
Darshan m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada
From Sanskrit दर्शन (darśana) meaning "seeing, observing, understanding".
Darshana f Marathi
Feminine form of Darshan.
Dayaram m Hindi
Means "compassion of Rama", from Sanskrit दया (dayā) meaning "compassion" combined with the name of the god Rama 1.
Deep m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Punjabi
Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi दीप, Gujarati દીપા, Bengali দীপ or Gurmukhi ਦੀਪ (see Dip).
Deepa f Hindi, Marathi, Punjabi, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil
Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi दीपा, Gurmukhi ਦੀਪਾ, Bengali দীপা, Malayalam ദീപ or Tamil தீபா (see Dipa).
Deepali f Hindi, Marathi
Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi दीपाली (see Dipali).
Deepika f Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu
Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi दीपिका, Kannada ದೀಪಿಕಾ, Malayalam ദീപിക, Tamil தீபிகா or Telugu దీపికా (see Dipika).
Deepti f Hindi, Marathi, Kannada
Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi दीप्ती or Kannada ದೀಪ್ತಿ (see Dipti).
Deo m Hindi
Alternate transcription of Hindi देव (see Dev).
Dev m Hindi, Marathi
Derived from Sanskrit देव (deva) meaning "god".
Devadas m Hindi
Means "servant of the gods" from Sanskrit देव (deva) meaning "god" and दास (dāsa) meaning "servant".
Devdas m Hindi
Alternate transcription of Hindi देवदास (see Devadas).
Devika f Hindi
Means "little goddess" from Sanskrit देवी (devī) meaning "goddess" and (ka) meaning "little".
Dhananjay m Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit धनंजय (dhanaṃjaya) meaning "winning wealth".
Dharma m Hindi, Telugu, Nepali
Means "that which is established, law, duty, virtue" in Sanskrit.
Dhaval m Marathi, Gujarati
From Sanskrit धवल (dhavala) meaning "dazzling white".
Diksha f Hindi
Means "preparation for a religious ceremony" in Sanskrit.
Dip m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Punjabi
Masculine form of Dipa.
Dipa f Hindi, Marathi, Punjabi, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil
From Sanskrit दीप (dīpa) meaning "light, lamp".
Dipali f Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit दिपाली (dipālī) meaning "row of lamps".
Dipti f Hindi, Marathi, Kannada
From Sanskrit दीपति (dīpti) meaning "brightness, light".
Disha f Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit दिशा (diśā) meaning "region, direction".
Divya f Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam
Means "divine, heavenly" in Sanskrit.
Diya 1 f Hindi
Means "lamp, light" in Hindi.
Drishti f Hindi
Means "sight" in Sanskrit.
Esha f Hindi
Means "desire, wish" in Sanskrit.
Ganga f & m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali, Telugu
From 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.
Gaurav m Hindi
Derived from Sanskrit गौरव (gaurava) meaning "importance, dignity".
Geeta f Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Nepali
Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi/Nepali गीता or Bengali গীতা (see Gita 1).
Geetha f Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu
South Indian form of Gita 1.
Gita 1 f Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Nepali
From Sanskrit गीत (gīta) meaning "song". The word appears in the name of the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred text of Hinduism (meaning "divine song").
Grishma f Marathi
From Sanskrit ग्रीष्म (grīṣma) meaning "summer".
Hardeep m Indian (Sikh)
From the name of the Hindu god Hari and Sanskrit दीप (dīpa) meaning "lamp, light".
Harendra m Hindi
Combination of the names of the Hindu gods Hari (referring to Vishnu) and Indra.
Harinder m & f Indian (Sikh)
Variant of Harendra used by Sikhs.
Harish m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam
From the name Hari (an epithet of Vishnu) combined with Sanskrit ईश (īśa) meaning "lord".
Harisha m & f Kannada, Telugu
Variant and feminine form of Harish.
Harpreet m & f Indian (Sikh)
From the name of the Hindu god Hari and Sanskrit प्रीति (prīti) meaning "pleasure, joy, love".
Harshad m Hindi, Marathi
Derived from Sanskrit हर्ष (harṣa) meaning "happiness".
Harshada f Hindi, Marathi
Feminine form of Harshad.
Harshal m Marathi, Gujarati
Derived from Sanskrit हर्ष (harṣa) meaning "happiness".
Hema f Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Kannada
Means "golden" in Sanskrit.
Hira 1 f & m Urdu, Nepali, Punjabi, Gujarati, Hindi
Derived from Sanskrit हीर (hīra) meaning "diamond". It is typically feminine in Pakistan and unisex in India and Nepal.
Ila f Hindi
Means "earth" or "speech" in Sanskrit.
Inderjeet m & f Indian (Sikh)
Alternate transcription of Gurmukhi ਇੰਦਰਜੀਤ (see Inderjit).
Inderjit m & f Indian (Sikh)
Variant of Indrajit used by Sikhs.
Inderpal m & f Indian (Sikh)
Means "protector of Indra" from the name of the god Indra combined with Sanskrit पाल (pāla) meaning "protector".
Indu f Hindi
Means "bright drop" in Sanskrit. This is a name for the moon.
Isha f & m Hindi, Marathi, Hinduism
Means "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 f Hindi
Means "ruling, possessing" in Sanskrit.
Ishita f Hindi
Means "supremacy" in Sanskrit.
Jasvinder m & f Indian (Sikh)
Alternate transcription of Gurmukhi ਜਸਵਿੰਦਰ (see Jaswinder).
Jaswinder m & f Indian (Sikh)
From Sanskrit यशस् (yaśas) meaning "fame, praise, glory" combined with the name of the Hindu god Indra.
Jayashri f Marathi
Means "goddess of victory", derived from Sanskrit जय (jaya) meaning "victory" and the honorific श्री (śrī).
Jayendra m Hindi
Means "lord of victory" from Sanskrit जय (jaya) meaning "victory" combined with the name of the god Indra, used here to mean "lord".
Jayesh m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati
Means "lord of victory" from Sanskrit जय (jaya) meaning "victory, conquest" and ईश (īśa) meaning "lord, ruler".
Jaywant m Marathi
Means "possessing victory", derived from Sanskrit जय (jaya) meaning "victory" and वन्तृ (vantṛ) meaning "possessor, owner".
Jeetendra m Hindi, Marathi
Alternate transcription of Hindi जितेन्द्र or Marathi जितेंद्र (see Jitendra).
Jitender m Indian (Sikh)
Variant of Jitendra used by Sikhs.
Jitendra m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati
Means "conqueror of Indra" from Sanskrit जिति (jiti) meaning "victory, conquering" combined with the name of the god Indra.
Jyothi f & m Telugu, Malayalam
Telugu and Malayalam form of Jyoti.
Jyoti f & m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Nepali
Derived from Sanskrit ज्योतिस् (jyotis) meaning "light". This is a transcription of both the feminine form ज्योती and the masculine form ज्योति.
Jyotsana f Hindi
Variant of Jyotsna.
Jyotsna f Hindi
Derived from Sanskrit ज्योत्स्ना (jyotsnā) meaning "moonlight".
Kailash m Hindi, Marathi
From the name of a mountain in the Himalayas that is believed to be the paradise of the Hindu god Shiva. It is probably derived from Sanskrit केलास (kelāsa) meaning "crystal".
Kajal f & m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati
From Sanskrit कज्जल (kajjala) meaning "kohl, collyrium", referring to a black powder traditionally used as an eyeliner.
Kalpana f Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Nepali
Means "imagining, fantasy" in Sanskrit.
Kalyan m Hindi, Bengali, Telugu
From Sanskrit कल्याण (kalyāṇa) meaning "beautiful, lovely, auspicious".
Kalyana m Telugu
Variant of Kalyan.
Kamini f Hindi
Means "desirable" in Sanskrit.
Kanta f & m Hindi, Bengali
From Sanskrit कान्त (kānta) meaning "desired, beautiful". The feminine form has a long final vowel, while in the masculine form it is short.
Kanti m & f Hindi, Bengali, Hinduism
Means "beauty" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi.
Karan m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi
From Sanskrit करण (karaṇa) meaning "clever, skillful".
Karishma f Hindi
Means "miracle" in Hindi.
Karthik m Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam
Southern Indian form of Kartik.
Karthika f Tamil, Malayalam
Southern Indian feminine form of Kartik.
Kartik m Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit कृत्तिका (Kṛttikā), the name for the constellation of the Pleiades.
Karuna f & m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Telugu
From Sanskrit करुणा (karuṇā) meaning "compassion, mercy".
Kashi f Hindi
From 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".
Kasi f Telugu, Tamil
Southern Indian form of Kashi.
Kaur f Indian (Sikh)
Means "princess", ultimately from Sanskrit कुमारी (kumārī) meaning "girl". This surname was assigned to all female Sikhs in 1699 by Guru Gobind Singh. It is now used as a surname or a middle name by most female Sikhs. The male equivalent is Singh.
Kaveri f Hindi
From the name of the Kaveri River in southern India.
Kavi m Hindi
From a title for a poet, meaning "wise man, sage, poet" in Sanskrit.
Kavita f Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit कविता (kavitā) meaning "poem".
Kavitha f Telugu, Tamil, Kannada
South Indian form of Kavita.
Khushi f Hindi
Means "happiness" in Hindi, ultimately from Persian خوشی (khūshī).
Kiran f & m Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Gujarati, Nepali, Urdu
Derived from Sanskrit किरण (kiraṇa), which can mean "dust" or "thread" or "sunbeam".
Kirtida f Hindi
Means "one who bestows fame" in Sanskrit.
Kishor m Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Nepali
Derived from Sanskrit किशोर (kiśora) meaning "colt".
Kishore m Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu
Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi किशोर, Tamil கிஷோர் or Telugu కిశోర్ (see Kishor).
Kishori f Marathi
Feminine form of Kishor.
Kshitij m Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit क्षितिज (kṣitija) meaning "born of the earth" or "horizon".
Kshitija f Marathi, Hindi
Feminine form of Kshitij.
Lal m Hindi, Nepali
Means "boy" in Hindi, derived from Sanskrit लल (lala) meaning "playing, caressing".
Lalit m Hindi, Marathi
Masculine form of Lalita.
Lata f Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit लता (latā) meaning "vine, creeping plant".
Lavanya f Hindi, Telugu, Tamil
From Sanskrit लावण्य (lāvaṇya) meaning "beauty, loveliness, charm".
Leela f Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam
Alternate transcription of Lila 1.
Lila 1 f Hindi
Means "play, amusement" in Sanskrit.
Lina 3 f Hindi
Means "absorbed, united" in Sanskrit.
Lochan m Hindi
Means "the eye" in Sanskrit.
Lochana f Hindi
Feminine form of Lochan.
Lucky m & f English, Hindi
From 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).
Madhu f & m Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu
From Sanskrit मधु (madhu) meaning "honey, sweet". This is another name of Chaitra, the first month of the Hindu year (which occurs in March and April).
Madhukar m Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit मधुकर (madhukara) meaning "bee, honey-maker".
Madhur m & f Hindi
Means "sweet" in Sanskrit.
Madhuri f Marathi, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada
From Sanskrit माधुर (mādhura) meaning "sweetness", a derivative of मधु (madhu) meaning "honey, sweet".
Mahinder m & f Indian (Sikh)
Variant of Mahendra used by Sikhs.
Mala f Hindi
Means "necklace" in Sanskrit.
Malati f Hindi
Means "jasmine" in Sanskrit.
Malini f Hindi
Means "fragrant" in Sanskrit.
Manas m Bengali, Assamese, Hindi
Means "mind, intellect, spirit" in Sanskrit.
Maninder m & f Indian (Sikh)
From Sanskrit मनस् (manas) meaning "mind, intellect, spirit" combined with the name of the Hindu god Indra.
Manish m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Malayalam, Punjabi, Tamil, Nepali
From Sanskrit मनीषा (manīṣā) meaning "thought, wisdom".
Manisha f Hindi, Marathi, Nepali
Feminine form of Manish.
Manju f Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu
From Sanskrit मञ्जु (mañju) meaning "lovely, beautiful".
Manjula f Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam
From Sanskrit मञ्जुल (mañjula) meaning "pleasing, beautiful".
Manjusha f Marathi, Hindi
From Sanskrit मञ्जूषा (mañjūṣā) meaning "small box, small chest".
Marama f & m Maori, Polynesian Mythology
Means "moon" in Maori. This is the name of a moon god (or goddess) in Maori mythology.
Mayur m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati
From Sanskrit मयूर (mayūra) meaning "peacock".
Meena f Hindi, Marathi, Tamil
Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi मीना or Tamil மீனா (see Mina 2).
Meera f Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada
Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi मीरा, Malayalam മീര, Tamil மீரா or Kannada ಮೀರಾ (see Mira 1).
Mina 2 f Hindi, Marathi, Tamil
From Sanskrit मीन (mīna) meaning "fish", which in Hindu astrology is the name of a sign of the zodiac.
Minali f Hindi
Means "fish catcher" in Sanskrit.
Mira 1 f Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada
From Sanskrit मीर (mīra) meaning "sea, ocean". This was the name of a 16th-century Indian princess who devoted her life to the god Krishna.
Mitra 1 m & f Hinduism, Hindi
Means "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.
Mitul m Gujarati, Hindi
Derived from Sanskrit मित (mita) meaning "measured".
Mohandas m Hindi
Means "servant of Mohana" from the name of the Hindu god Mohana (an epithet of Krishna) combined with Sanskrit दास (dāsa) meaning "servant". A famous bearer of this name was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948), also known as Mahatma Gandhi, an Indian leader who struggled peacefully for independence from Britain.
Mohinder m & f Indian (Sikh)
Variant of Mahendra used by Sikhs.
Mohit m Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali
From Sanskrit मोहित (mohita) meaning "infatuated, fascinated, bewildered".
Mridula f Hindi
From Sanskrit मृदु (mṛdu) meaning "soft, delicate, gentle".
Mukta f Hindi, Marathi
Means "liberated, set free" in Sanskrit.
Mukul m Hindi
Means "bud, blossom" in Sanskrit.
Nalini f Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi
From Sanskrit नलिनी (nalinī) meaning "lotus".
Namrata f Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Nepali
From Sanskrit नम्रता (namratā) meaning "bowing, humility".
Nandita f Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit नन्द (nanda) meaning "joy".
Narendra m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Telugu
Means "lord of men" from Sanskrit नर (nara) meaning "man" combined with the name of the Hindu god Indra, used here to mean "lord".
Narinder m & f Indian (Sikh)
Variant of Narendra used by Sikhs.
Naveen m Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam
Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi नवीन, Kannada ನವೀನ್, Telugu నవీన్, Tamil நவீன் or Malayalam നവീൻ (see Navin).
Navin m Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam
From Sanskrit नव (nava) meaning "new, fresh".
Neela f Tamil, Hindi
Alternate transcription of Tamil நீலா or Hindi नीला (see Nila).
Neelam f & m Hindi, Marathi
Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi नीलम (see Nilam).
Neelima f Marathi, Hindi, Telugu
Alternate transcription of Marathi/Hindi नीलिमा or Telugu నీలిమ (see Nilima).
Neeraj m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati
Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi नीरज or Gujarati નીરજ (see Niraj).
Neha f Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada, Punjabi, Gujarati, Bengali, Telugu
Possibly from Sanskrit स्नेह (sneha) meaning "love, tenderness".
Nihal 2 m Hindi
Means "content, happy" in Hindi.
Nikhil m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Odia, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil
From Sanskrit निखिल (nikhila) meaning "whole, entire".
Nikhila f Telugu, Hindi
Feminine form of Nikhil.
Nikita 2 f Marathi, Hindi
Derived from Sanskrit निकेत (niketa) meaning "house, habitation".
Nikitha f Telugu, Tamil
Southern Indian variant of Nikita 2.
Nila f Tamil, Hindi, Indonesian, Burmese
From Sanskrit नील (nīla) meaning "dark blue".
Nilam f & m Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit नील (nīla) meaning "dark blue".
Nilesh m Marathi
From Sanskrit नील (nīla) meaning "dark blue" and ईश (īśa) meaning "lord, ruler".
Nilima f Marathi, Hindi, Telugu
From Sanskrit नील (nīla) meaning "dark blue".
Ninad m Marathi
Means "sound, hum" in Sanskrit.
Niraj m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Nepali
From Sanskrit नीरज (nīraja) meaning "water-born, lotus".
Nirav m Gujarati, Marathi
From Sanskrit नीरव (nīrava) meaning "quiet, silent".
Nirmal m Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Nepali
From Sanskrit निर्मल (nirmala) meaning "clean, pure".
Nirupama f Hindi, Kannada
Means "unequaled, matchless" in Sanskrit.
Nishant m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati
From Sanskrit निशान्त (niśānta) meaning "night's end, dawn".
Nithin m Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada
Southern Indian variant of Nitin.
Nithya f Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam
Southern Indian form of Nitya.
Nitika f Hindi
From Sanskrit नीति (nīti) meaning "guidance, moral conduct".
Nitin m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Telugu, Kannada
From Sanskrit नीति (nīti) meaning "guidance, moral conduct".
Nitish m Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali
From Sanskrit नीति (nīti) meaning "guidance, moral conduct" and ईश (īśa) meaning "lord, ruler".
Nitya f & m Hinduism, Hindi
Means "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.
Om m Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit ओम् (om), considered to be a sacred syllable because it represents the range of sounds that can be made by the human voice.
Padmini f Kannada, Tamil, Telugu
Means "multitude of lotuses", a derivative of Sanskrit पद्म (padma) meaning "lotus".
Pallav m Hindi
From Sanskrit पल्लव (pallava) meaning "budding leaf, shoot".
Pallavi f Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil
Feminine form of Pallav.
Parminder m & f Indian (Sikh)
From Sanskrit परम (parama) meaning "highest, best" combined with the name of the Hindu god Indra.
Parveen f & m Urdu, Hindi
Alternate transcription of Urdu پروین or Hindi परवीन (see Parvin).
Parvin f & m Persian, Urdu, Hindi
Means "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 f Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Punjabi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Nepali
Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi/Nepali पूजा, Gujarati પૂજા, Bengali পূজা, Gurmukhi ਪੂਜਾ, Telugu పూజా, Malayalam പൂജ, Tamil பூஜா or Kannada ಪೂಜಾ (see Puja).
Poornima f Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, Marathi
Alternate transcription of Tamil பூர்ணிமா, Kannada ಪೂರ್ಣಿಮಾ or Hindi/Marathi पूर्णिमा (see Purnima).
Prabhat m Hindi
Means "shining forth, morning" in Sanskrit, derived from प्रभा (prabhā) meaning "to shine".
Prabodh m Hindi
Means "awakening" in Sanskrit.
Prachi f Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati
From Sanskrit प्राच्य (prācya) meaning "eastern, ancient".
Pradip m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Nepali
Derived from Sanskrit प्रदीप (pradīpa) meaning "light, lantern".
Prakash m Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Gujarati, Bengali, Odia, Nepali
Derived from Sanskrit प्रकाश (prakāśa) meaning "light, bright, shining".
Pran m Hindi
From Sanskrit प्राण (prāṇa) meaning "breath".
Pranab m Bengali, Assamese
Bengali and Assamese form of Pranav.
Pranav m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati
This is the Sanskrit word referring to ओम् (om), the Hindu sacred syllable.
Pranay m Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit प्रणय (praṇaya) meaning "leader, guidance, love".
Prasad m Telugu, Marathi, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Odia, Bengali, Nepali
From Sanskrit प्रसाद (prasāda) meaning "brightness, clearness, graciousness, offering". This is a word referring to an offering of food made to a deity.
Prasanna m Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Odia, Hindi
Means "clear, bright, tranquil" in Sanskrit.
Prashant m Hindi, Marathi, Nepali, Bengali
From Sanskrit प्रशान्त (praśānta) meaning "calm, quiet".
Pratap m Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit प्रताप (pratāpa) meaning "heat, splendour, glory".
Prateek m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali
Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi प्रतीक, Gujarati પ્રતિક or Bengali প্রতীক (see Pratik).
Pratibha f Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit प्रतिभा (pratibhā) meaning "light, splendour, intelligence".
Pratik m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali
From Sanskrit प्रतीक (pratīka) meaning "look, appearance".
Pratima f Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit प्रतिमा (pratimā) meaning "image, likeness, reflection".
Praveena f Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi
Alternate transcription of Pravina.
Pravina f Marathi, Tamil
Feminine form of Pravin.
Preethi f Kannada, Tamil
South Indian form of Priti.
Preeti f Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati
Alternate transcription of Hindi प्रीति or प्रीती, Marathi प्रीती or Gujarati પ્રીતિ (see Priti).
Prem m Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Nepali
From Sanskrit प्रेम (prema) meaning "love, affection".
Prema f Tamil, Kannada, Marathi, Nepali, Hindi
Feminine form of Prem.
Prithvi m & f Hindi, Nepali, Hinduism
From Sanskrit पृथ्वी (pṛthvī) meaning "earth", derived from पृथु (pṛthu) meaning "wide, vast". This is the name of a Hindu goddess, a personification of the earth in the Rigveda. She is the consort of the sky god Dyaus. When used as a given name in modern times it is typically masculine.
Priti f Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati
From Sanskrit प्रीति (prīti) meaning "pleasure, joy, love".
Priyanka f Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali
From Sanskrit प्रियंकर (priyaṃkara) meaning "agreeable, amiable".
Puja f Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Punjabi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Nepali
From Sanskrit पूजा (pūjā) meaning "honour, worship". This is the name of a Hindu ritual of reverence.
Puneet m Hindi, Marathi
Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi पुनीत (see Punit).
Punit m Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit पुनीत (punīta) meaning "cleaned, purified".
Punita f Hindi, Marathi
Feminine form of Punit.
Purnima f Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Kannada
From Sanskrit पूर्णिमा (pūrṇimā) meaning "full moon".