Nitya नित्या, नित्य f & m 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.
Om ओम m Hindi, MarathiFrom the Sanskrit
ओम् (om), considered to be a sacred syllable because it represents the range of sounds that can be made by the human voice.
Pallav पल्लव m HindiMeans
"budding leaf, shoot" in Sanskrit.
Parvati पार्वती f Hinduism, HindiMeans
"of the mountains" in Sanskrit. Parvati is a Hindu goddess of love and power, the wife of
Shiva and the mother of
Ganesha.
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).
Prabhat प्रभात m HindiMeans
"shining forth, morning" in Sanskrit.
Pradeep प्रदीप m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, NepaliAlternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi
प्रदीप, Bengali
প্রদিপ, Malayalam
പ്രദീപ്, Kannada
ಪ್ರದೀಪ್, Telugu
ప్రదీప్, Tamil
பிரதீப் or Nepali
प्रदिप (see
Pradip).
Prakash प्रकाश m Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Gujarati, Bengali, Odia, NepaliDerived from Sanskrit
प्रकाश (prakasha) meaning
"light, bright, shining".
Pran प्राण m HindiMeans
"breath" in Sanskrit.
Prasad प्रसाद m Telugu, Marathi, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Odia, Bengali, NepaliMeans
"brightness, clearness, graciousness, offering" in Sanskrit. This is a word referring to an offering of food made to a deity.
Praveen प्रवीण m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, MalayalamAlternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi
प्रवीण, Gujarati
પ્રવીણ, Kannada
ಪ್ರವೀಣ್, Telugu
ప్రవీణ్, Tamil
பிரவீண் or Malayalam
പ്രവീൺ (see
Pravin).
Prithvi पृथ्वी m & f Hindi, Nepali, HinduismFrom Sanskrit
पृथ्वी (prthvi) meaning
"earth", derived from
पृथु (prthu) 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.
Puja पूजा f Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Punjabi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, NepaliMeans
"honour, worship" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a Hindu ritual of reverence.
Rahul राहुल m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Gujarati, Punjabi, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, TeluguModern form of
Rahula.
Raj राज m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, NepaliMeans
"empire, royalty", from Sanskrit
राज्य (rajya).
Rajaram राजाराम m Hindi, MarathiMeans
"king Rama", from Sanskrit
राज (raja) meaning "king" combined with the name
Rama 1. This name was borne by a 17th-century ruler of the Maratha Empire.
Rajendra राजेन्द्र m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Telugu, NepaliMeans
"lord of kings", derived from Sanskrit
राज (raja) meaning "king" combined with the name of the Hindu god
Indra, used here to mean "lord". This was the name of two 11th-century rulers of the Chola Empire in southern India.
Rajesh राजेश m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, NepaliMeans
"ruler of kings" from Sanskrit
राज (raja) meaning "king" and
ईश (isha) meaning "lord, ruler".
Rajnish रजनीश m HindiMeans
"lord of the night" from Sanskrit
रजनि (rajani) meaning "night" and
ईश (isha) meaning "lord, ruler". This is another name for the moon in Hindu texts.
Rakhi राखी f HindiFrom a word for a type of ritual wristband, ultimately from Sanskrit
रक्षा (raksha).
Ramdas रामदास m Marathi, HindiMeans
"servant of Rama" from the name of the Hindu deity
Rama 1 combined with Sanskrit
दास (dasa) meaning "servant". This name was borne by a 17th-century Hindu holy man from Maharashtra.
Ramprasad रामप्रसाद m Bengali, Hindi, MarathiMeans
"clearness of Rama" from the name of the Hindu deity
Rama 1 combined with Sanskrit
प्रसाद (prasada) meaning "clearness, brightness". This name was borne by the Bengali poet Ramprasad Sen (c. 1723-1781).
Ranjit रणजीत, रंजीत m Hindi, Marathi, BengaliMeans
"coloured, pleased, delighted" in Sanskrit. A famous bearer was Ranjit Singh (1780-1839), the founder of a Sikh kingdom that covered most of the Punjab and Kashmir.
Rati रति f Hinduism, HindiMeans
"rest, pleasure" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the wife of the Hindu god of love
Kama.
Ravi रवि m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Odia, Gujarati, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, NepaliMeans
"sun" in Sanskrit. Ravi is a Hindu god of the sun, sometimes equated with
Surya. A famous bearer was the musician Ravi Shankar (1920-2012).
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 (raushani) meaning
"light, brightness", ultimately of Persian origin.
Sandeep संदीप m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, NepaliAlternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi
संदीप, Bengali
সন্দীপ, Gurmukhi
ਸੰਦੀਪ, Gujarati
સંદિપ, Kannada
ಸಂದೀಪ್, Malayalam
സന്ദീപ്, Telugu
సందీప్, Tamil
சந்தீப் or Nepali
सन्दीप (see
Sandip).
Saraswati सरस्वती f Hinduism, Hindi, MarathiMeans
"possessing water" from Sanskrit
सरस् (saras) meaning "fluid, water, lake" and
वती (vati) meaning "having". This is the name of a Hindu river goddess, also associated with learning and the arts, who is the wife of
Brahma.
Sarika सारिका f Hindi, MarathiFrom a Sanskrit word referring to a type of thrush (species Turdus salica) or myna bird (species Gracula religiosa).
Savitri सावित्री f Hinduism, Hindi, MarathiMeans
"relating to the sun" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a hymn dedicated to Savitr, a Hindu sun god, and it is also the name of his daughter. It is borne by several other characters in Hindu epics, including a wife of
Brahma, a wife of
Shiva, and a daughter of Daksha. 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.
Shahrukh शाहरुख़ m Urdu, HindiUrdu and Hindi form of
Shahrokh. A notable bearer is the Indian actor Shahrukh Khan (1965-), normally called Shah Rukh Khan.
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 (shakunta) meaning
"bird". This is the name of a character in Hindu legend, her 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 daughter of King Dasharatha.
Sharma शर्म m HindiMeans
"protection, comfort, joy" in Sanskrit.
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).
Shresth श्रेष्ठ m HindiMeans
"most excellent, best" in Sanskrit.
Shrivatsa श्रीवत्स m Hindi (Rare)Means
"beloved of Shri" from the name of the Hindu goddess
Shri combined with Sanskrit
वत्स (vatsa) meaning "beloved, dear". This is the name of a mark on
Vishnu's chest.
Shyama श्याम, श्यामा m & f Hinduism, HindiDerived from Sanskrit
श्याम (shyama) meaning
"dark, black, blue". This is a transcription of the masculine form
श्याम, which is another name of the Hindu god
Krishna, as well as the feminine form
श्यामा, one of the many names of the wife of the god
Shiva. It is also the name of a Jain goddess.
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 rescued by her husband from the demon king Ravana.
Sona 1 सोना f HindiMeans
"gold" in Hindi, derived from Sanskrit
सुवर्ण (suvarna) meaning literally "good colour".
Sujata सुजाता f Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Odia, BuddhismMeans
"well-born", derived from the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" and
जात (jata) 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". In the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata this is the name of King Sagara's second wife, who bore him 60,000 children.
Sunil सुनील m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Gujarati, Punjabi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, NepaliFrom Sanskrit
सु (su) meaning "good, very" combined with
नील (nila) meaning "dark blue".
Sunita सुनीता f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, NepaliMeans
"well conducted, wise", derived from the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" combined with
नीत (nita) meaning "conducted, led". In Hindu legend this is the name of the daughter of King Anga of Bengal.
Suniti सुनीती f HindiMeans
"good conduct" from the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" combined with
नीति (niti) 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 (shila) meaning "conduct, disposition". This is a transcription of both the feminine form
सुशीला and the masculine form
सुशील. This name is borne by wives of the Hindu gods
Krishna and
Yama.
Swarna स्वर्ण, स्वर्णा m & f Telugu, HindiMeans
"good colour" or
"golden", a contraction of the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" and
वर्ण (varna) 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 is also the name of a Buddhist deity (a bodhisattva).
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 ma) meaning "O (child), do not (practice austerities)!", which was addressed to Parvati by her mother.
Upasana उपासना f HindiMeans
"worship, devotion" in Sanskrit.
Vasuda वसुदा f Hindi (Rare)Means
"granting wealth" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the earth.
Vasudha वसुधा f HindiMeans
"producer of 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 are used frequently in Hindu texts. It is the name of a grandson of
Indra, a son of
Krishna and it is another name of the goddess
Durga. This was also the name of a semi-legendary 6th-century BC king of Sri Lanka.
Vishnu विष्णु m Hinduism, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, MarathiProbably means
"all-pervasive" in Sanskrit. The Hindu god Vishnu is the protector and preserver of the universe, usually depicted as four-armed and blue-skinned. By some Hindus he is regarded as the supreme god.