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 (aratrika).
Abha आभा f HindiMeans
"splendour, light" in Sanskrit.
Aditi अदिति f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, KannadaMeans
"boundless, entire" or
"freedom, security" in Sanskrit. This is the name of an ancient Hindu goddess of the sky and fertility. According to the Vedas she is the mother of the gods.
Agni 1 अग्नि m Hinduism, HindiMeans
"fire" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the ancient Hindu fire god, usually depicted as red-skinned with three legs, seven arms, and two faces.
Akanksha आकाङ्क्षा, आकांक्षा f HindiMeans
"desire, wish" in Sanskrit.
Amit 1 अमित m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Punjabi, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, NepaliMeans
"immeasurable, infinite" in Sanskrit.
Amitabh अमिताभ m HindiMeans
"immeasurable splendour" in Sanskrit. A famous bearer is Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan (1942-).
Amrit अमृत m HindiMeans
"immortal" from Sanskrit
अ (a) meaning "not" and
मृत (mrta) meaning "dead". In Hindu texts it refers to a drink that gives immortality.
Anil अनिल m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, NepaliDerived from Sanskrit
अनिल (anila) meaning
"air, wind". This is another name of
Vayu, the Hindu god of the wind.
Anima 1 अणिमा f HindiMeans
"minuteness" from Sanskrit
अणिमन (animan). In yoga texts, this is the name of the ability to make oneself infinitely small so to be invisible.
Anish अनीश m Hindi, MarathiMeans
"supreme, paramount, without a ruler", from the Sanskrit negative prefix
अ (a) and
ईश (isha) meaning "ruler, lord".
Anisha अनिशा f HindiMeans
"nightless, sleepless" in Sanskrit.
Anit अनीत m HindiPossibly means
"not guided" in Sanskrit.
Anuj अनुज m Hindi, MarathiMeans
"born later, younger" in Sanskrit. This name is sometimes given to the younger sibling of an older child.
Apurva अपूर्व, अपूर्वा m & f Hindi, MarathiMeans
"unpreceded, new" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form
अपूर्व and the feminine form
अपूर्वा.
Arundhati अरुन्धती, अरुंधती f Hinduism, HindiThe name of a star (also called Alcor), which was named after a type of climbing plant, possibly 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 (arusha) meaning
"reddish, dawn", a word used in the
Rigveda to describe the red horses of
Agni. This name also appears in the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata belonging to a daughter of
Manu and the wife of Chyavana, though in this case it might derive from Sanskrit
आरुषी (arushi) meaning
"hitting, killing".
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.
Ayaan 1 अयान m HindiFrom Sanskrit
अयान (ayana) meaning
"not moving" or
"natural disposition" or
अयन (ayana) meaning
"path" or
"precession".
Bahadur बहादुर m Hindi, NepaliFrom Persian
بهادر (bahador), itself from Turkic
bagatur meaning
"hero, warrior". This was the name of rulers of the Mughal Empire.
Chanda चण्डा m & f Hinduism, HindiMeans
"fierce, hot, passionate" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form
चण्ड and the feminine form
चण्डा (an epithet of the Hindu goddess
Durga).
Chandra चन्द्र, चन्द्रा m & f Hinduism, Bengali, Assamese, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, NepaliMeans
"moon" in Sanskrit, derived from
चन्द (chand) meaning "to shine". This is a transcription of the masculine form
चण्ड (a name of the moon in Hindu texts, which is often personified as a deity) as well as the feminine form
चण्डा.
Dayaram दयाराम m HindiMeans
"compassion of Rama", from Sanskrit
दया (daya) meaning "compassion" combined with the name of the god
Rama 1.
Deepak दीपक m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, NepaliAlternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi/Nepali
दीपक, Bengali
দীপক, Gujarati
દીપક, Gurmukhi
ਦੀਪਕ, Malayalam
ദീപക്, Kannada
ದೀಪಕ್, Tamil
தீபக் or Telugu
దీపక్ (see
Dipak).
Devi देवी f Hinduism, Hindi, TamilDerived from Sanskrit
देवी (devi) meaning
"goddess". Devi is the Hindu mother goddess who manifests herself as all other goddesses.
Devika देविका f HindiMeans
"little goddess" from Sanskrit
देवी (devi) meaning "goddess" and
क (ka) meaning "little".
Diksha दीक्षा f HindiMeans
"preparation for a religious ceremony" in Sanskrit.
Dinesh दिनेश m Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Gujarati, Bengali, Punjabi, Nepali, SinhaleseModern form of
Dinesha.
Durga दुर्गा f & m Hinduism, Hindi, Nepali, TeluguMeans
"unattainable" in Sanskrit. Durga is a Hindu warrior goddess, the fierce, twelve-armed, three-eyed form of the wife of
Shiva. She is considered an incarnation of
Parvati.
Esha एषा f HindiMeans
"desire, wish" in Sanskrit.
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.
Gaurav गौरव m HindiDerived from Sanskrit
गौरव (gaurava) meaning
"importance, dignity".
Gayatri गायत्री f Hinduism, Marathi, HindiFrom Sanskrit
गायत्र (gayatra), which refers to a type of song or hymn with a particular meter. It is also the name of a Hindu goddess who is a personification of this song.
Gita 1 गीता f Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, NepaliMeans
"song" in Sanskrit. The word appears in the name of the
Bhagavad Gita, a sacred text of Hinduism (meaning "divine song").
Hari हरि m Hinduism, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, NepaliMeans
"brown, yellow, tawny" in Sanskrit, and by extension
"monkey, horse, lion". This is another name of the Hindu god
Vishnu, and sometimes of
Krishna. It is also borne by the son of the Garuda, the bird-like mount of Vishnu.
Ila इला f HindiMeans
"earth" or
"speech" in Sanskrit.
Indra इन्द्र, इंद्र m Hinduism, Hindi, NepaliMeans
"possessing drops of rain" from Sanskrit
इन्दु (indu) meaning "a drop" and
र (ra) meaning "acquiring, possessing". Indra is the name of the ancient Hindu warrior god of the sky and rain. He is the chief god in the
Rigveda.
Indrajit इन्द्रजित, इंद्रजित, इन्द्रजीत, इंद्रजीत m Hinduism, Bengali, HindiMeans
"conqueror of Indra" from the name of the god
Indra combined with Sanskrit
जिति (jiti) meaning "victory, conquering". In Hindu legend this is another name of Meghanada, the son of Ravana, the king of Sri Lanka. He was given this name by
Brahma after he defeated
Indra.
Indu इन्दु f HindiMeans
"bright drop" in Sanskrit. This is a name for the moon.
Isha ईशा f & m Hindi, Marathi, HinduismMeans
"master, lord" 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". This is a transcription of both the feminine form
जया (an epithet of the Hindu goddess
Durga) and the masculine form
जय (borne by 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.
Jayendra जयेन्द्र, जयेंद्र m HindiMeans
"lord of victory" from Sanskrit
जय (jaya) meaning "victory" combined with the name of the god
Indra, used here to mean "lord".
Kailash कैलाश m Hindi, MarathiFrom the name of a mountain in the Himalayas that is believed to be the paradise of the Hindu god
Shiva. It possibly means "crystal" in Sanskrit.
Kalyani कल्याणी f Hinduism, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, Marathi, HindiMeans
"beautiful, lovely, auspicious" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata this is the name of one of the Krittikas, or Pleiades. It is also another name of the Hindu goddess
Parvati.
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. This is the name of one of the Krittikas, or Pleiades, in the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata. It is also another name of the Hindu goddess
Lakshmi.
Kanta कान्ता, कान्त f & m Hindi, BengaliMeans
"desired, beautiful" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the feminine form
कान्ता and the masculine form
कान्त.
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 (kashi) meaning "shining".
Kaveri कावेरी f HindiFrom the name of the Kaveri River in southern India.
Kavi कवि m HindiFrom a title for a poet, meaning
"wise man, sage, poet" in Sanskrit.
Khushi खुशी f HindiMeans
"happiness" in Hindi, ultimately from Persian
خوشی (khushi).
Kirtida कीर्तिदा f HindiMeans
"one who bestows fame" in Sanskrit.
Krishna कृष्ण m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, NepaliMeans
"black, dark" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a Hindu god believed to be an incarnation of the god
Vishnu. He was the youngest of King Vasudeva's eight children, six of whom were killed by King Kamsa because of a prophecy that a child of Vasudeva would kill Kamsa. Krishna however was saved and he eventually killed the king as well as performing many other great feats. In some Hindu traditions, Krishna is regarded as the supreme deity. He is usually depicted with blue skin.
Kumar कुमार m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, NepaliModern form of
Kumara.
Kumari कुमारी f Hinduism, Hindi, TeluguFeminine form of
Kumara. In the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata Kumari is the wife of the warrior Bhima. This is also another name of the Hindu goddess
Durga.
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.
Lal लाल m Hindi, NepaliMeans
"boy" in Hindi, derived from Sanskrit
लल (lala) meaning "playing, caressing".
Lalita ललिता f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, ThaiMeans
"playful, charming, desirable" in Sanskrit. In Hindu belief this is the name of one of the playmates of the young
Krishna. It is also another name of the goddess
Parvati.
Lila 1 लीला f HindiMeans
"play, amusement" in Sanskrit.
Lilavati लीलावती f Hindi (Rare)Means
"amusing, charming, graceful" in Sanskrit. The 12th-century mathematician Bhaskara named one of his systems of mathematics after his daughter Lilavati. This was also the name of a 13th-century queen of Sri Lanka.
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).
Mahendra महेन्द्र, महेंद्र m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, SanskritFrom Sanskrit
महा (maha) meaning "great" combined with the name of the Hindu god
Indra. This was the name of a son of the 3rd-century BC Indian emperor
Ashoka. He is credited with introducing Buddhism to Sri Lanka.
Mala माला f HindiMeans
"necklace" in Sanskrit.
Manu 1 मनु m Hinduism, Hindi, KannadaMeans
"thinking, wise" in Sanskrit. In Hindu belief this is a title of Svayambhuva, the progenitor of the human race, as well as several of his descendants.
Mitra 1 मित्र, मित्रा m & f Hinduism, HindiMeans
"friend" in Sanskrit, a cognate of
Mithra. This is a transcription of both the feminine form
मित्रा and the masculine form
मित्र, which is the name of a Hindu god of friendship and contracts who appears in the
Rigveda.
Mohandas मोहनदास m HindiMeans
"servant of Mohana" from the name of the Hindu god
Mohana combined with Sanskrit
दास (dasa) 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.
Mridula मृदुला f HindiFrom Sanskrit
मृदु (mrdu) meaning
"soft, delicate, gentle".
Mukul मुकुल m HindiMeans
"bud, blossom" in Sanskrit.