Name News

Olumidé is one of my middle names, and it means my hero has come. All three represent our South Asian, Caribbean and African cultures."

Amita Suman Albatross Names -  The Department of Conservation in New Zealand recently set out to name a new albatross chick! The theme wa

Hi Swistle, Big time nerd fan of your blog here. I’ve been reading every post religiously for years, and when I initially found your website I went back and read all the archives too! The time has …

Photo by Julia Volk on Pexels.com Origin: Sanskrit/Hindi हिमानीBengali: হিমানীMeaning: "mass of collection of snow; snow drift."Gender: femininePron: HEE-mah-NEE The name comes directly from the Sanskrit word हिमानी meaning, "a mass of collection of snow; snow dirft." Sources Himani, Himānī: 7 definitions (wisdomlib.org)User-submitted name Himani - Behind the Namehttps://spokensanskrit.org

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com Origin: Sanskrit निष्कGender: femininePronunciation: NISH-kah The name is derived from the Sanskrit निष्क (niska), which essentially means "gold coin," "gold vessel" or "a gold pendant." It can refer to a unit of measurement, which is the weight of gold equal to 18 or 15 Suvarṇas or karsa. It is…

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com Origin: Hindi, Sanskrit व्योमMeaning: "space; ether; firmament; heavens; sky."Gender: masculinePronunciation: VYOOM The name comes directly from the Hindi word व्योम (vyom), which means, "space, ether, firmament, sky; heavens." It is ultimately linked to the Sanskrit व्योमन् (vyoman) of the same meaning. Sources https://www.nameslist.org/meaning/baby-name-Vyomhttps://spokensanskrit.org/https://www.shabdkosh.com/s

Photo by Mohsin khan on Pexels.com Origin: SanskritBengali: অজয়Devangari: अजयGujarati: અજયHindi/Marathi: अजयKannada: ಅಜಯ್Malayalam: അജയ്Tamil: அஜய்Telugu: అజయ్Meaning: "invincible; unconquerable."Gender: masculinePronunciation: uh-JYE The name is from the Sanskrit a अ (not) & jaya जय (victory). The name appeared in the British Top 500 Male Names between 1996-2011, and peaked at #300 in 2003. Other forms Ajai and…

Hamsa talking to Damayanti by Raja Ravi Varma The name can have a few origins and meanings. It is primarily an Indian name that comes from the Sanskrit हंस (hamsa), which originally referred to an aquatic bird of passage. The hamsa is described as a mythical bird with knowledge in the Rig Veda and also as the…

Photo by DreamLens Production on Pexels.com Origin: Persian, Hindi خوشی ख़ुशीMeaning: "joy; happiness; mirth; delight."Gender: femininePronunciation: (KUSH-shee) The name is from the Hindi word ख़ुशी which means "joy; delight; mirth; happiness." It is a borrowing from the Persian word خوشی of the same meaning. Another transliteration is Kushi. Sources https://www.behindthename.com/name/khushihttp://hindi-english.org/https://www.babycenter.in/babyname/1155239/khushi#:~:text=Save%20to%20list,an%20Indian%20word%20meaning%20%27happy%27https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindustani_etymology

Photo by QAISER AZIM on Pexels.com Origin: Sanskrit/Hindi लावण्यTelugu: లావణ్యాTamil: லாவண்யாMeaning: "grace; beauty; charm; loveliness."Gender: femininePronunciation: (LAH-vun-yah) The name comes directly from the Sanskrit word meaning, "grace; beauty; charm; loveliness." Sources https://spokensanskrit.org/https://www.behindthename.com/name/lavanya

ANS Member Smita Joseph published two books recently: The Anglo Indians In Hyderabad: Socio-Linguistic, Historical And Anthropological Perspectives (2020) and A Sociolinguistic Analysis of Indian Christian Names: The Case of Telugu Catholics and Syrian Christians (2022).

With the presidential inauguration just two days away, now is a good time to take a closer look at the baby name Kamala. Most Americans already know that Kamala Devi Harris’ first name is pro…

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com Origin: Sanskrit विहानाMeaning: "dawn; early morning."Gender: feminine(vee-HAH-nah) The name comes directly from the Sanskrit word विहान (vihana) meaning, "dawn; early morning." Sources Sanskrit Dictionary for Spoken SanskritVihana, Vihāna: 2 definitions (wisdomlib.org)विहाना  | Vihana Name Meaning in Hindi, Latest Indian Baby Girl Names Rashi, Nakshatra, Numberology (kidpaw.com)

Photo by Rodolfo Clix on Pexels.com Dhyana & Dhyani are unisex (pronounced TAH-nah & TAH-nee), ultimately derived from the Sanskrit ध्यान and meaning "meditation; attention." Both concepts are applied in Buddhism and Hinduism. An exclusive masculine form is Dhyan. Sources https://www.nameslist.org/meaning/baby-name-Dhyanihttps://www.nameslist.org/meaning/baby-name-Dhyanahttps://www.nameslist.org/meaning/baby-name-Dhyanhttps://www.shabdkosh.com/

Origin: Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi गौरीMeaning: "fair; light-skinned; white; brilliant."Gender: femininePronunciation: GORE-ee The name comes directly from the Sanskrit word meaning "fair; light-skinned; white; brilliant." In Hinduism, this is an epithet for the goddess Parvati in her Mahagauri form. The Kannada and Tamil form is Gowri கௌரி (Tamil) & ಗೌರಿ (Kannada). Gauri can also be a…

Photo by Jan Koetsier on Pexels.com Anila is from the Sanskrit आनिल (wind), in Hinduism it is an epithet for the wind God, Vayu. In contemporary India, both names are unisex. Anıl is a Turkish unisex name meaning "the memory; to be remembered," in Turkish. Anil is also a popular Albanian & Bosnian male name,…

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com The name is a feminine Indian name that sounds identical to the male English surname & given-name, Kyle. It can either be derived from the Hindi "कायल (convinced) or the Tamil கயல் which is the name of a species of fish endemic to the Indian subcontinent, known under the scientific…

Origin: Sanskrit लक्ष्मीKannada: ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮೀMalayalam: ലക്ഷ്മിMarathi/Hindi: लक्ष्मीOdia: ଲକ୍ଷ୍ମୀTamil: லட்சுமிTelugu: లక్ష్మిMeaning: "to perceive, observe, know, understand' and 'goal, aim, objective."Gender: feminineLUCK-shmee The name is derived from the Sanskrit lakṣ (लक्ष्) and lakṣa (लक्ष), meaning "to perceive, observe, know, understand' and 'goal, aim, objective." It is borne in Hinduism by the supreme goddess, wife of Vishnu, who is…