Hindi Names
Updated Sat Apr 20 2024
Share
Copy link
Hindi baby names have their roots in the musical Hindi language, which is one of the five most spoken languages in the world.
Despite being little-known outside of the South-Asian subcontinent, many of the beautiful Hindi baby names below have real potential in the US and further afield: think Hindi girl names like Asha, Jaya, and Reva, or Hindi boy names like Ravi, Rohan, and Varan.
Hindi names are different than Hindu names — the former are rooted in the Hindi language, while the latter are connected to the Hindu religion.
Whether you're hoping to honor your heritage with a meaningful baby name of Hindi origin, or you're simply looking for unique baby names with history, find our full list of handsome Hindi names for babies here, ordered by their current popularity among the readers of Nameberry.
RELATED:
- Lila
Origin:
Arabic, SanskritMeaning:
"night; play"Description:
Lila is one of the girl names with a double l sound — Lila, Lola, Layla, Leila, Lily et al — that have caught on in a major way., Delicate yet dynamic, Lila has a slightly international flair.
- Asha
Origin:
Sanskrit; SwahiliMeaning:
"hope; life"Description:
Asha is an Indian name that comes from the Sanskrit word for hope or desire, but it is also a Swahili name derived from Aisha, meaning life. Since the ascendance of Ashley through the 1980s and 90s, all baby names Ash-related have been used in the U.S. for both girls and boys, from Ashlyn to Ashby, Ashton to Asher. Despite its separate roots, Asha is part of this group.
- Aarav
Origin:
HindiMeaning:
"peaceful"Description:
Aarav is derived from the Sanskrit root "rav," which is related to peace and music. Aarav is also associated with the concept of wisdom. It has traditionally been a common name among Hindus, who intentionally select names to inspire particular values in their children.
- Rohan
Origin:
Irish, Scottish, Hindi, Urdu, Sanskrit ,"rowan tree; redhead; sandalwood; ascension"Meaning:
"rowan tree; redhead; sandalwood; ascension"Description:
Simultaneously a name of Hindi and Sanskrit origin, a spelling variation of the popular Rowan and an anglicized form of Irish Ruadhán, Rohan is a cross-cultural choice.
- Sena
Origin:
Korean; Hindi; Turkish; Arabic; EweMeaning:
"this world's beauty or grace; army; to praise; bringing heaven to earth"Description:
Sena is one of those names that is as obscure in the Western World as it is simple and straightforward. Sena exists as a name in a range of languages and cultures and may be pronounced like Senna (with a soft e) or Sienna.
- Tula
Origin:
Choctaw, English, Spanish, Hindi, or KiswahiliMeaning:
"leaping waters; town; spear strength; mountain peak"Description:
Tula is a multicultural name, linked to the names Tallulah, Gertrude, and Tullia, a mountain range in Antarctica, and to the Greek Toula, used for the heroine of the hit film My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
- Rita
Origin:
Spanish, HindiMeaning:
"pearl; truth, order"Description:
One of the glamour girl names of the Rita Hayworth 1940s, Rita was once a Top 50 name and stayed on the SSA list until 2002.
- Leia
Origin:
Variation of Leah, Laya, or Leya, Portuguese, Spanish, English, SanskritMeaning:
"weary; the law; dissolution"Description:
Most familiar in the English speaking world as the Star Wars princess, Jedi, and leader, Leia can be considered a pop culture choice, created by George Lucas who in turn likely based it on the Biblical Leah. It has been in the US Top 1000 since the mid-2000s and is also a popular choice in the UK and Sweden.
- Nara
Origin:
Japanese place name or CelticMeaning:
"happy"Description:
Soft, simple, and far more unusual than Tara or Farrah. As a Japanese place name, it's been used occasionally as a surname and is beginning to be used as a first. Nara is also the name of a Hindu (male) God and the name means "man" in Hindi.
- Meena
Origin:
HindiMeaning:
"blue semiprecious stone, bird"Description:
Interesting multi-cultural option.
- Shivani
Origin:
HindiMeaning:
"life and death"Description:
Shivani sounds fresh and powerful.
- Nita
Origin:
Hindi, Hebrew, and ChoctawMeaning:
"friendly, to plant, and bear"Description:
One of those slender names, like Lena or Etta, that's used in several cultures and carries a range of meanings. But by being so many things, it doesn't feel decidedly like anything.
- Ravi
Origin:
HindiMeaning:
"sun; conferring"Description:
A title of the Hindu sun god, made cross-culturally famous by sitar player Ravi Shankar.
- Chandra
Origin:
HindiMeaning:
"goddess of the moon"Description:
Chandra is the name of the Hindu moon goddess last groovy when incense and meditation were hot new concepts but a new possibility with the resurgence of astrology and other non-Western spiritual beliefs.
- Nisha
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"night"Description:
Simple but sophisticated, Nisha is a pretty Sanskrit choice that hit the popularity charts in England in the late 1990s. The meaning "night" adds a slightly mystical element to name and it is a hugely popular choice in India, used across multiple languages.
- Dhani
Origin:
HindiMeaning:
"rich"Description:
Dhani is a haunting Hindi name for boys that's a million miles away from the similar-sounding Danny or Donny. One notable namesake is musician Dhani Harrison, look-alike son of Beatle George. He is named after the sixth and seventh notes of the Indian music scale, 'dha' and 'ni'. 'Dhani' is also a raga in north Indian classical music. Another noted bearer is longtime NFL linebacker Dhani Jones.
- Anara
Origin:
Kazakh, Persian, and HindiMeaning:
"pomegranate flower"Description:
Anara is a name that strikes a perfect balance between simple and unusual. It's easy to understand and pronounce for a Westerner, and yet it's highly distinctive, used for only 24 girls in the US in 2021. A recommended and unusual nature option.
- Neela
Origin:
Hindi, SanskritMeaning:
"sapphire blue"Description:
A variation of Nila, a name spread through African by the substantial Indian population there. Also a variant of Neala and Neila.
- Sajan
Origin:
HindiMeaning:
"beloved"Description:
An attractive and worldly name for a cherished baby son.
- Pan
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"all or shepherd"Description:
Pan is the Greek god with the legs of a goat and the body of a pipes-playing man known for his mischievousness. Pan is also the god of shepherds, pastures, and fertility. Pan is also a Hindi name meaning leaf or feather.