Sanskrit Names for Girls
By Nameberry
Updated Tue Jun 09 2020
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Sanskrit names for girls have their roots in the ancient Sanskrit language, which was spoken across South Asia until the early medieval period, primarily by the educated elite. A great many of the baby names used in India today are of Sanskrit origin, and you'll also find a surprising number of exotic Sanskrit girl names which appear in Western pop culture on this list, too: Arya, Asha and Sansa, for example, or Padma and Parvati.
Find more enticing Sanskrit baby girl names in our full bill, below. The top names below rank among the current US Top 1000 Baby Names and are ordered by popularity. Unique names rank below the Top 1000 and are listed alphabetically.
Find more enticing Sanskrit baby girl names in our full bill, below. The top names below rank among the current US Top 1000 Baby Names and are ordered by popularity. Unique names rank below the Top 1000 and are listed alphabetically.
- Opal
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"gem"Description:
Opal is on the verge of a repolishing, following other jewel names like Ruby and Pearl. A Top 100 name during the first two decades of the twentieth century, the opalescent Opal has a good chance of coming back as another O-initial option.
- 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.
- Veda
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"knowledge"Description:
A name with religious resonance, as the Vedas are the most sacred texts of Hinduism. Outside of that religious context, Veda has the makings of a modern popular name, with its sharp V initial, two syllables, and feminine a ending. This is evidenced by it reentry into the US Top 1000 in 2015, after fifty-five years off the list. Similar names on the rise are Vera and Vada.
- Arya
Origin:
Sanskrit; Modern variation of AriaMeaning:
"noble; air/song"Description:
Arya was derived from an Indo-Iranian word meaning "Aryan" or "noble." It is a masculine given name in Iran, Indonesia, Bali, and Sanskrit-speaking regions of India. In Hindu- and English-speaking parts of the world, Arya is more often a feminine name, the latter influenced by the similar Italian name Aria, meaning "air" or "song."
- Uma
Origin:
Sanskrit, HebrewMeaning:
"light, peace, nation"Description:
Uma is a sweet, strong name for a Hindu goddess... and a Hollywood one. But as popular as Uma Thurman is, other parents have not yet picked up on her name, making it a rarity.
- Priya
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"beloved"Description:
Priya originated in India as a name derived from the Sanskrit word for "beloved." In India, where names are often given based on one’s birthday and horoscope, Priya is traditionally given to girls born in August. Priya is used in Hindu mythology as the name of a daughter of King Daksha—known for fathering 146 daughters.
- Indira
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"beauty"Description:
A striking and feminine possibility associated with a modern hero — longtime Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi.
- Kali
Origin:
Sanskrit, EnglishMeaning:
"black one; free man"Description:
Kali is a number of different things: a playful, contemporary twist on the name Callie; the Hindu goddess of destruction; an alternative spelling for Kaylee; a short form of the Arablic Kalila, the Greek Kalista, or the African American Kaliyah; a masculine name in India; and a trendy form of Kali(fornia).
- Alisha
Origin:
Phonetic spelling of Alicia; also SanskritMeaning:
"protected by God"Description:
This name has two derivations. One is as a member of the well-populated Alice/Alicia family (with an overly literal spelling), which gives it the meaning "noble"; the other is an Urdu name with the meaning "protected by God." If you're going with the first derivation, we suggest you stick with the classic and beautiful Alicia.
- Vela
Origin:
Sanskrit, LatinMeaning:
"shore, sail"Description:
Vela is one of those rare names that is at once simple, straightforward, authentic, and unusual, at least in the Western World. Besides being an Indian girls' name, Vela is a Southern sky constellation whose name is Latin for sail – originally part of the Argo Navis constellation.
- Sansa
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"praise, charm"Description:
Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin is a master namer, and this unusual choice from India is beginning to be heard in nurseries as well as on television. Sansa was perhaps slower to catch on than other names such as Arya and Khaleesi as Sansa Stark was in the first seasons of the show a weak and compromised character.
- Leela
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"play"Description:
While Leela may be a spelling variation of Lila or Leila, it's also an Indian name in its own right with a playful meaning. And unlike it's more popular Western sisters, Leela does not create pronunciation confusion.
- Rani
Origin:
Hindi, HebrewMeaning:
"queen; she is singing"Description:
Rani, alternatively spelled Ranee, is the female equivalent of Raja in Hindi. In many Indo-Aryan languages it can mean "queen" or "lady". The Hebrew version is used for both genders in modern Israel. Actress Kate Hudson and director Danny Fujikawa named their daughter Rani after Fujikawa's late father, whose name was Ron.
- 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.
- Rania
Origin:
Arabic, GreekMeaning:
"to gaze, to look; heavenly"Description:
As an Arabic name, Rania is a variation of Raniya, ultimately derived from the Arabic word ranā meaning "to gaze" or "side look". Other descendants of this root include Ranya and Rana itself. Familiar in the UK, Spain, the Netherlands and France, Rania is currently borne by Rania Al Abdullah, Queen of Jordan.
- Devi
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"divine"Description:
This Hindu goddess name has a powerful heritage plus lively sound with a devilish edge. If you're enchanted by goddess names but want to set your little girl apart from all the Lunas and Athenas in the playground, consider Devi.
- Anjali
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"gift"Description:
This Indian name meaning gift or offering feels familiar via sound-alikes Angela or Angelina, and made a brief appearance on the U.S. Top 1000. Anjali is a pretty route to a name that's at once easy to understand and uncommon.
- Parvati
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"the daughter of the mountain"Description:
This Hindu goddess name is very popular in India. The goddess of love, fertility and devotion, representing female force, Parvati is the wife of Shiva and the mother of Ganesh. There is a Harry Potter character named Parvati Patil, a twin sister of Padma..
- Gita
Origin:
Sanskrit; Latvian; Czech "song; pearl or strength or exalted one"Meaning:
"song; pearl or strength or exalted one"Description:
A simple, international name extremely popular in India. The word, meaning "song", also appears in the name of the Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu sacred text. Geeta is a spelling variant.
- Jena
Origin:
Diminutive of Jennifer, variation of Gina, English, Arabic, "white wave; paradise"Meaning:
"white wave; paradise"Description:
Jena is a succinct name with a number of different roots, making it a versatile choice. On one hand, it might be used as a diminutive for the 70s favorite Jennifer, a name of Cornish origin that was hugely popular in a number of countries in the latter half of the 20th century. Jena might feel sleeker and more contemporary to some than the long form.