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."
 
The prime impetus of Arya's rise is the fiercely independent young character Arya Stark in the TV series Game of Thrones, based on the George R. R. Martin books A Song of Fire and Ice. Another influence is the Elven princess in Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle trilogy, basis of the movie Eragon. 
 
The name resembles the musical Aria and the male Aryan, both also growing in popularity in the US. Arya entered the popularity charts in 2010.

Arya

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.
 
Asha is finding new life through its Game of Thrones connections. Disney has announced an upcoming film titled Wish, which will feature a heroine named Asha who may likely be the next Disney Princess.
 
Read more about Asha and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

Asha

Aditya

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.

Chandra

Feminine form of Cian, a name from Irish legend.

Ciannait

This name has recently come on the radar via rising actor Dev Patel, who made his mark in Slumdog Millionaire and then in Lion and is also the name of the lead character played by Aziz Ansari in his sitcom Master of None. It could catch on here, at a time when parents are importing other three-letter names like Liv.

This Hindu goddess name has a powerful heritage plus lively sound with a devilish edge. If you're enchanted by <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/433/goddess-baby-names">goddess names</a> but want to set your little girl apart from all the Lunas and Athenas in the playground, consider Devi.

Devi

Devika

Divya

A striking and feminine possibility associated with a modern hero — longtime Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi. 

Indira

Pronounced like Jay, this short name is popular in South Asia and makes for a great English-South Asian crossover choice, used regularly in the UK and Australia. It can also be an alternate spelling of the English name Jay, either short for a J name or deriving from the name of the bird.

 Famous bearers include Tamil-language actor Jai Sampath, Australian actor Jai Courtney, and American actor and musician Jai Rodriguez.

Kala

Cute name but be warned: Kali is the Hindu goddess of destruction, the fierce side of the goddess Devi. 

But many parents don't know or don't care about Kali's dark side and see the name simply as a respelling of Callie. It might also be a short form of such names as the Greek Kalista, the Arabic Kalila, or the Indian Kalinda.

Kali

Kiran

Lolita without the naughty implications. 

Lalita

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.

Leela

Lila is one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girl names</a> 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.
 
The one caveat, and you may consider it a big: As a group, the La-La names have gotten so stylish so quickly that they're verging on full-blown trendiness and tend to blend into one another. So while there may not be another little girl named Lila in town, between those named Lillian, Lily, Layla, and so on, you may feel there's a double L overload.
 
Lila was derived from the Arabic word laylah, meaning "night." It has separate roots in Sanskrit with the meaning "play." In Hinduism, Lila is a conceptualism of the universe as a playground of the gods. Lilah and Lyla are variant spellings. 
Lila has been a recent hot TV character name, seen on such shows asDamages and Dexter, as well as Friday Night Lights, where the name is spelled Lyla—another trendy version.
 Trivia tidbit: Diane Sawyer was born Lila Diane.

Lila

This pretty, succinct Arabic name is also commonly used as a nickname for names like Carolina.

Lina

Maya, which has an almost mystical image, has been steadily climbing in popularity in the US and the English-speaking world, along with a range of other countries, including France, Germany, Israel, and Brazil. It's ranked in the US Top 100 since the turn of this century, but has never risen to the top of the list, which you may consider a good thing.
 
In addition to being the name of a Central American culture, Maya was the legendary Greek mother of Hermes by Zeus, and means "illusion" in Sanskrit and Eastern Pantheism. It can also be spelled Maia, though both names have so many possible origins and meanings that not all of them are related. 
 </brTo the Romans, Maia/Maya was the incarnation of the earth mother and goddess of spring, after whom they named the month of May.
 Famed author Maya Angelou was born Marguerite; Maya was coined by her brother saying "mya sister." Its best known current bearers include performer Maya Rudolph and architect Maya Lin. 
Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke's actress daughter is Maya Ray. British designer Phoebe Philo also has a Maya, named for Angelou, as does Israeli actress Gal Gadot.

Maya

Meena

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 paeans of devotion to the god Krishna.
The story of Meera was the basis of an eponymous Indian historical drama television series in 2009. It's also gotten a boost from HBO's Game of Thrones, in which Meera Reed is a tough, wise character who cares for the disabled seer Bran Stark once he flees Winterfell.
 Meera is a shimmeringly lovely name.

Meera

A variation of Nila, a name spread through African by the substantial Indian population there.  Also a variant of Neala and Neila.

Neela

Pretty name that hit the popularity charts in England in the late 1990s.

Nisha

A name rich in Hindu tradition as the alternate name for the Goddess Lakshmi, the embodiment of beauty and charm; currently borne, appropriately, by model-actress-writer Padma Lakshmi. 

Padma

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.
 
Priya is a very popular given name in India, and can also be found in countries including Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Priya remains uncommon in the US and denotes someone with an individual brand of beauty.

Priya

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.


Rani

Reena

Refers to one of the seven sacred rivers of India. 

Reva

Sitara

Despite a rich history in Irish myth preceding its plantation appearance in Gone with the Wind, widespread use in the seventies caused Tara to lose its Irish accent.
 American actress Tara Reid helped bring attention to this name, though her career dropped off in tandem with the popularity of the name. Her most recent credits include the B-movie Sharknado series.

Tara

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 <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names">popular name</a>, 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.

Veda

Vena

Classic Indian name with a winning meaning — literally.

Vijay

frauleinawesome's list "Awesome Indian Names" of 34 great name ideas: Arya - Vijay!