Names That Mean Enlightenment

Bodhi is a Sanskrit name translated as "enlightenment" or "awakening" which relates to a Buddhist concept, wherein Bodhi is synonymous with the state of nirvana, being freed from hate, greed and ego. The Bodhi tree is a large fig tree under which the founder of Buddhism received enlightenment. Spelling variations include Bodie and Bode.
 
Bodhi has recently been appearing as a baby name in the American celebrisphere, first heard via Bodhi Elfman, husband of Jenna. Since then it has been used by four celebrity couples as the first name for their sons, and celebrity chef Tom Colicchio as the middle name for his boy, Luka. Carly Simon and James Taylor have a grandson named Bodhi. And who remembers that it was the name of the Patrick Swayze character in the 1991 film "Point Break"?
 
As opposed to some other religious and <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/254/spiritual-baby-names">spiritual names</a>, Bodhi has an upbeat, friendly feel, similar to that of Brody and Cody.
 
A Top 300 name in the US, it ranks in the Top 100 in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.

Bodhi

Bodhi relates to the Buddhist concept of enlightenment and has been a hot baby name in recent years, most notably for boys. Sunny yet calm, Bodhi conveys a state of being free from hatred and greed and also connects to the sacred fig tree in India, under which the founder of Buddhism received enlightenment. 
 
Celebrities especially seem to love Bodhi — Megan Fox, Oliver Hudson, and Stacy Keibler all have sons with the name. Nikki Reed and Ian Somerholder used Bodhi for their daughter Bodhi Soleil in 2017, and it has increased in popularity for girls since then, though not as much as you might expect. 
 
Given to 37 girls compared to more than 1100 boys in the US in a recent year — less than four percent of all Bodhis born — alternative spellings Bodee and Bodie were also predominantly used for boys. In England and Wales, Bodhi did make a brief appearance in the Top 1000 for girls back in 2023, but dropped back out of it by the following year.

Names That Mean Enlightenment

The names

Bodhi

Bodhi