By Pamela Redmond · Updated November 2026
Across 17 pages
of 17
Sanskrit
"brave"
One of the fastest-rising Indian boy names of the past few years, Veer is a straightforward choice with visual appeal and a striking V initial. Sleek and simple, Veer has joined the US Top 1000 boy…
Dutch, German, Slovene, and Polish diminutive of Anne, Hindi, Sanskrit
"grace; army, splendour"
Sweet but spiky, Anika is a multicultural choice with broad appeal. Familiar in the UK, Czechia, Poland, and the US, it is in the Top 100 in Slovenia. It is additionally popular in Bangladesh, India,…
Hindi, Sanskrit
"light, saintly woman; prosperous"
Meera Bai, also spelled Mirabai, was a great female Hindu mystical poet whose works are popular throughout India. She was a fifteenth-sixteenth century Indian princess who devoted her life to writing…
Thai, Sanskrit
"noble"
Araya is one of those names that seems to have a different derivation and meaning on every website. The one we consider most reliable is that it's a variation of the very popular Arya, which means…
Modern Indian name, Hindi
"dark and kind; farrner"
Krishiv is a modern Indian boys name, which feels both familiar and fresh. The origins of Krishiv are debated, but it may be newly created blend of Lord Krishna and Lord Shiva's names, meaning…
"sage"
A number of stylish Indian names are making their way to the US mainstream, including wise Rishi. In Hindu mythology, the Rishis are sages and seers; in modern times, Rishi Rich is a popular…
Variation of Air, Ayra, or Ara, English, Sanskrit, Finnish, Lithuanian
"air; noble; messenger; river place name"
Playful but concise, Aira has become a rising star in England and Wales in recent years. Light and well, airy, it has also been trending upwards in the US. while in the US. Short and simple as it may…
"sacred knowledge"
Literary Indian choice, best known here via acclaimed writer Ved Mehta, who lost his sight at the age of four.
Phonetic spelling of Alicia; also Sanskrit
"protected by God"
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…
Hindi
"sun; conferring"
A title of the Hindu sun god, made cross-culturally famous by sitar player Ravi Shankar.
Variation of Arya, Sanskrit
Arya has become a popular name thanks to the young heroine of Game of Thrones and because of the rise of similar Aria too. Variation Aarya has also seen increased use in English speaking countries,…
"ray of light"
Though it sounds like a modern invention, Kiran is a traditional Hindu name from India; chosen for her son by actress Kelli Williams. Author Kiran Desai is a woman and this name, which bears a…
"play"
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…
Spanish, Hindi
"pearl; truth, order"
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. The name Rita still has enough Latin zip to be a lively, revivable short…
"the roarer"
Rudra is a lively Sanskrit name meaning "roaring", "howling", and "crying", though it is occasionally interpreted as meaning "frightening and fierce one". A popular boy name in Nepal, and India, it…
"sovereign, excellence, splendor"
Viraj is a Sanskrit name and a modern form of Viraja, a mythical being in Hindu mythology associated with creation, having been produced by Brahma (the supreme director and creator of the universe).…
"concentration"
A spiritual choice with an approachable sound, Samadhi (or samādhi) is a state of meditative consciousness in yoga. It has a range of interpretations, but common definitions include a state of total…
Sanskrit; Swahili
"hope; life"
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,…
This unusual Indian name, which refers to one of the names of Lord Vishnu, has been one of the fastest-growing boys' names of the last decade. It first managed to climb into the US Top 1000 in 2014.…
Dutch, Punjabi, Albanian
"from Hadria; gaining; golden life"
There's something particularly attractive about names with an interior " j " and Arjan is a prime example. The Punjabi version is pronounced with a conventional j as in jar; the Dutch Arjan, which is…
