Favorite Indian Girl Names

I've compiled a list of my all-time desi favorites! Contains both traditional and "modern" names.
  1. Gia
    • Origin:

      Italian
    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"
    • Description:

      Gia is a cute if slight name that calls to mind stylish sisters Mia, Lea, Pia, Tia, and Nia. One of the most familiar Italian baby names in the US, Gia is a short form of Gianna, which in turn is a diminutive of Giovanna, the feminine form of Giovanni, the Italian equivalent of John—all of them meaning "God is gracious."
  2. Sonia
    • Origin:

      Russian and Scandinavian variation of Sophia
    • Meaning:

      "wisdom"
    • Description:

      Early European import, well known in the 1940s via Norwegian skating movie star Sonja Henie, that has sailed back across the Atlantic, despite the rising popularity of other Russian names.
  3. Noor
    • Origin:

      Arabic; Dutch variation of Eleonora
    • Meaning:

      "light"
    • Description:

      An interesting name associated with the elegant American-born Queen Noor of Jordan. Noor is very popular among modern Muslim parents around the world and is beginning to cross over, perhaps because of its simplicity and its resemblance to the stylish Western Nora. It appeared in the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2015.
  4. Laila
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Layla or Sami variation of Helga, Arabic or Finnish
    • Meaning:

      "night; holy"
    • Description:

      Beguiling and lovely, Laila is one of the lilting variations of Leila and Layla. It's the name of the former-boxer daughter of Muhammad Ali and of actor Shawn Wayans. In Finland, the Sami people use this in place of the Scandinavian name Helga.
  5. Tina
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Christina et al
    • Description:

      Tina, despite its petite and tinkly image, is apt these days to be replaced by the more elegant originals, Christina and Martina.It does have some strong namesakes, though, in Tina Turner (born Anna Mae), Tina Brown (born Christina), Tina Fey (born Elizabeth), and photographer Tina Barney (born Tina).
  6. Milan
    • Origin:

      Italian place name or Slavic
    • Meaning:

      "the middle of the plain; gracious, dear; union"
    • Description:

      In many Slavic and other European countries, Milan is purely a boys’ name, but in the US, it's also popular for girls – no doubt inspired by the fashionable Italian city. It entered the Top 1000 for boys in 2013, while for girls it has been in the Top 1000 since 2009. Currently, it is given to three boys for everyone one girl.
  7. Danika
    • Origin:

      Eastern European
    • Meaning:

      "morning star"
    • Description:

      Spelling variation of Danica with a modern update.
  8. Reva
    • Origin:

      Hindi river name; Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "rain"
    • Description:

      Refers to one of the seven sacred rivers of India.
  9. Indu
    • Origin:

      Hindi
    • Meaning:

      "moon"
    • Description:

      Indu is truly unusual, but shares sounds with more popular choices like Indie and Indigo. Other moon names to consider: Luna, Serena, Io.
  10. Zulekha
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "fair, brilliant beauty"
    • Description:

      This spelling variation of the alluring Zuleika was used by model Iman for her daughter in the '70s. Zuleika is considered to be the name of the Biblical Potiphar's wife, about whom several famous poems have been written throughout history.
  11. Aarzu
    • Beyanth
      • Chandini
        • Eyesha
          • Farhana
            • Firdaus
              • Ganga
                • Hetal
                  • Jhoda
                    • Kiran