1000+ Best Indian Names & Surnames with Meanings: Guide

I was clutching a cup of lukewarm vending machine coffee in a hospital hallway, waiting for my brother to walk out and give us the news. When he finally did, he looked like he’d gone twelve rounds with a boxer. “It’s a boy,” he whispered, eyes wide. Then, the panic set in. “We still don’t have a name. Mom wants ‘Harish,’ and my wife wants ‘Zayn.’ I’m going to get disowned by someone today.”

We spent the next three days in a naming war. My mother was on the phone with a priest in her village, insisting the stars demanded a ‘K’ sound. My sister-in-law was vetoing everything that couldn’t be easily pronounced by her colleagues in New York. I just wanted them to pick something so we could stop calling the poor kid “Baby Boy.”

If you’re reading this, you’re probably stuck in that same beautiful, chaotic struggle. Naming a child in our culture isn’t just about picking a label. It’s about navigating astrology, placating grandparents, honoring lineage, and passing the “Starbucks Test” (will the barista butcher it?).

This isn’t just a list of Best Indian Names & Surnames; it’s a survival guide for your family’s legacy.

Also Read: Cool German Girl Names with Meanings and Best Scottish Names with Meanings

Key Takeaways

• The “Starbucks Test”: Modern parents prioritize names that travel well globally without losing their Sanskrit or regional roots.
• Astrology is Non-Negotiable: For many, the Rashi (zodiac) and Nakshatra (birth star) aren’t suggestions; they are rules.
• Surname Stories: Your last name is often a GPS coordinate pointing to your village, trade, or caste history.
• The Nickname Trap: Remember, whatever noble name you pick, your aunties might still call him “Guddu” or “Chintu.”

Why Does Every Auntie Have an Opinion on the Name?

Have you ever noticed that in an Indian household, privacy is a myth? When my cousin was pregnant, people we hadn’t seen in a decade were calling with “suggestions.”

The pressure is real because an Indian name is a story. It’s a bridge. When I was growing up, my name was a constant conversation starter—sometimes a burden, mostly a badge of honor. But today, the game has changed. We are looking for the “Goldilocks” name: traditional enough to satisfy the Dadi (grandma), but modern enough to fit on a tech startup’s website.

Finding the Best Indian Names & Surnames means you are balancing thousands of years of history with a very modern identity crisis. You aren’t just naming a baby; you’re defining how the world will say hello to them.

What Are the Real Trends for Boy Names in 2024?

Let’s be honest: the era of “Ramesh” and “Suresh” is pausing. We aren’t seeing those lengthy, compound names as much anymore. Now, it’s all about short, punchy, vowel-heavy names. They sound soft but mean something powerful.

The “New Age” Boy Names (Short & Global)

These are the names I hear constantly at my nephews’ birthday parties. They fit perfectly on a soccer jersey or a boardroom nameplate.

• Aarav: Meaning peaceful or wisdom. It’s basically the “John” of modern India.
• Vihaan: Dawn or morning. It feels fresh, like a new start.
• Vivaan: Full of life. It’s got a great rhythm to it.
• Aditya: The sun. A classic that somehow never feels old.
• Kabir: Great or powerful. It nods to the Sufi poet, bridging gaps between communities.
• Reyansh: A part of the sun. It sounds royal but accessible.
• Arjun: Bright or shining. Every boy wants to be the hero of the Mahabharata.
• Shaurya: Bravery. It sounds masculine without being aggressive.
• Ayaan: Gift of God. Simple, beautiful, and impossible to mispronounce.
• Ishaan: The sun or Lord Shiva.
• Dhruv: The Pole Star. It implies someone who is steady and unshakeable.
• Rohan: Ascending or sandalwood. The ultimate crossover name—works in Mumbai and Dublin.
• Aryan: Noble. Despite historical complexities, it remains a favorite for its sound.
• Kartik: Name of a month; son of Lord Shiva.
• Laksh: Target or aim. Short for Lakshman, but cooler.
• Moksh: Salvation. For the parents who want a spiritual vibe.
• Nirvaan: Ultimate bliss.
• Om: The sacred sound. You can’t get shorter or more powerful than this.
• Parth: Another name for Arjun. Distinct and strong.
• Pranav: The sacred syllable Om.
• Riaan: Little king. Trendy and very popular in the diaspora.
• Samarth: Capable.
• Shiv: Lord Shiva. Short, sharp, divine.
• Vedaant: Wisdom of the Vedas.
• Yug: An era.

The “Heavyweights” (Mythological & Traditional)

Sometimes, you just want a name that thunders a bit. These names carry the weight of temples and ancient texts.

• Ganesh: The Remover of Obstacles. Everyone loves Ganesh.
• Krishna: Dark, all-attractive. You can’t go wrong with the playful god.
• Ram: Pleasing. The epitome of virtue.
• Vishnu: The Preserver.
• Madhav: Sweet like honey. A softer name for Krishna.
• Govind: Protector of cows. Earthy and traditional.
• Keshav: Having long, beautiful hair.
• Narayana: The refuge of everyone.
• Shankar: Beneficent. It brings to mind the ascetic Shiva.
• Mahadev: The Great God.
• Harish: Lord of Monkeys.
• Rajendra: King of Kings.
• Suresh: Ruler of Gods.
• Dinesh: Lord of the Day (Sun).
• Mahesh: Great Lord.
• Gopal: Protector.
• Nand: Joyful.
• Yash: Fame. Short, but it feels traditional.
• Dev: God.
• Brahma: The Creator.

Are We Finally Moving Past “Doll” Names for Girls?

I hope so. For a long time, girl names were all about being delicate or passive. But look at the list below—names like “Aadya” (First Power) or “Shanaya” (First Ray of Sun). These are names for CEOs, artists, and leaders.

The Modern Power List for Girls

• Aadya: The beginning; the first power. A name for Durga.
• Ananya: Matchless. It says, “There is no one else like me.”
• Diya: Light. Simple, bright, positive.
• Ira: Earth or Muse.
• Ishita: Desired.
• Kiara: Dark-haired. This one exploded in popularity recently.
• Myra: Beloved.
• Navya: New or modern. Literally means “fresh.”
• Pari: Angel. Okay, this one is still a bit “doll-like,” but it’s sweet.
• Prisha: God’s gift.
• Riya: Singer.
• Saanvi: Goddess Lakshmi.
• Shanaya: First ray of the sun.
• Siya: Sita. A modern twist on a classic.
• Tara: Star. Universal and beautiful.
• Vanya: Gracious gift.
• Zara: Princess. It has a Persian flair that’s very in vogue.
• Ahana: Inner light.
• Amaya: Night rain.
• Kavya: Poetry. For the artistic soul.
• Meera: The devotee. Represents pure love and strength.
• Nainika: Pupil of the eye.
• Sana: Brilliance.
• Zoya: Alive.

Nature and Timeless Classics

• Avani: Earth. Grounded and strong.
• Bhoomi: Earth.
• Chandni: Moonlight. Romantic and classic.
• Damini: Lightning. Powerful.
• Esha: Desire.
• Gauri: Fair.
• Jasmine: The flower.
• Kamal: Lotus.
• Leela: Divine play.
• Nandini: Delighting.
• Padma: Lotus.
• Pooja: Worship. You probably know five Poojas, but it’s a classic for a reason.
• Priya: Beloved.
• Rani: Queen.
• Roshni: Light.
• Shreya: Auspicious.
• Sneha: Affection.
• Suman: Cheerful.
• Tanvi: Delicate.
• Uma: Goddess Parvati.
• Varsha: Rain.
• Yamini: Night.

What Does Your Surname Actually Say About You?

I met a guy in Chicago once named “Kulkarni.” Before he even opened his mouth, I knew his ancestors probably handled village accounts in Maharashtra. Surnames in India are basically history books compressed into one word. They tell you about migration, caste, profession, and lineage.

The North: Lineage and Profession

• Sharma: Joy or shelter. Traditionally for Brahmins (teachers/priests).
• Verma: Shield. Usually associated with the warrior class (Kshatriyas).
• Gupta: Protector. A staple in the business communities.
• Singh: Lion. If you meet a Singh, you’re likely meeting a Rajput or a Sikh. It’s about martial history.
• Kumar: Prince.
• Malhotra, Khanna, Kapoor: These are Khatri names, often linked to trade and business lineages in the Punjab region.
• Mehta: Chief or accountant.
• Joshi: Astrologer. If your last name is Joshi, someone back in your line was reading the stars.
• Trivedi/Chaturvedi: Someone who mastered three or four Vedas. Talk about academic pressure!
• Mishra: Honorable person.
• Pandey: Learned one.
• Yadav: Descendant of Yadu (Lord Krishna’s clan).
• Bansal, Agarwal: Traders, often from specific communities like Agroha.

The South: Patronymics and Villages

Naming works differently down south. Often, we don’t use “surnames” in the Western sense. We use the father’s name or the village name.

• Iyer/Iyengar: Tamil Brahmin communities.
• Nair: Leaders or soldiers from Kerala.
• Menon: Accountants or elders from Kerala.
• Pillai: Child of a King.
• Reddy: Village headmen. Powerful land-owning legacy in Andhra/Telangana.
• Rao: Royalty or King.
• Naidu: Captain or Chief.
• Gowda: Village head in Karnataka.
• Shetty: Merchant class, famously from the coastal Karnataka region.
• Subramaniam, Krishnan, Raman: Often father’s names used as surnames, referencing gods.

East and West: Titles and Trades

• Patel: The Village Headman. It is arguably the most recognizable Indian name worldwide. It originates from Gujarat.
• Shah: King or Merchant.
• Desai: Landlord or tax collector.
• Mukherjee, Banerjee, Chatterjee: The “Jee” often denotes a teacher or priest class in Bengal.
• Bose, Ghosh: Residents or cowherds.
• Das: Servant (of the divine).
• Patil: Village chief in Maharashtra.
• Deshmukh: Regional leader.
• Pawar: Warrior clan.

Does Astrology Really Call the Shots?

For many of us, yes. You might love the name “Rahul,” but if your baby is born under the Rohini star, the priest is going to tell you the name must start with O, Va, Vi, or Vu.

I’ve seen parents sit with spreadsheets, trying to match the syllable the priest gave them with a name that sounds cool. It’s a collision of faith and aesthetics.

• Aries (Mesha): A, L, E
• Taurus (Vrishabha): B, V, U
• Gemini (Mithuna): K, Ch, G
• Cancer (Karka): D, H
• Leo (Simha): M, T
• Virgo (Kanya): P, T
• Libra (Tula): R, T
• Scorpio (Vrishchika): N, Y
• Sagittarius (Dhanu): Bh, Dh, Ph
• Capricorn (Makara): J, Kh
• Aquarius (Kumbha): G, S
• Pisces (Meena): D, Ch, Z, Th

The Unisex Revolution

We are finally embracing names that don’t fit in a box.

• Kiran: Ray of light.
• Sonu: Beloved.
• Suman: Flower.
• Krishna: Works for boys and girls.
• Neel: Blue.
• Chandan: Sandalwood.

The Massive A-Z Suggestion List

Here is a collection to help you brainstorm. I’ve mixed the common with the rare.

A

• Aadi (Beginning), Aagam (Arrival), Aahil (Prince), Aalok (Light), Aamir (Populous), Aarohi (Music), Aashi (Smile), Aayush (Long lived), Abhay (Fearless), Abhi (Fearless), Abhilasha (Desire), Abhimanyu (Warrior son), Abhiram (Pleasing), Abhishek (Ritual), Adarsh (Ideal), Aditi (Mother of gods), Advait (Unique), Agastya (Sage), Aishani (Goddess Durga), Aishwarya (Prosperity), Ajay (Unconquerable), Ajit (Invincible), Akanksha (Desire), Akash (Sky), Akhil (Complete), Akshara (Letter), Akshay (Immortal), Alisha (Protected), Alok (Brightness), Amaira (Princess), Aman (Peace), Amar (Immortal), Amisha (Beautiful), Amit (Infinite), Amrita (Nectar), Amulya (Priceless), Anand (Bliss), Anant (Infinite), Anika (Grace), Aniket (Lord of the world), Anil (Wind), Anirudh (Boundless), Anjali (Offering), Ankit (Marked), Ankur (Sprout), Anmol (Priceless), Ansh (Portion), Anshula (Sunny), Antara (Note), Anuj (Younger brother), Anup (Unequalled), Anurag (Love), Anushka (Grace), Aradhya (Worshipped), Archana (Worship), Arijit (Conquering enemies), Arnav (Ocean), Arpit (Dedicated), Arsh (Sky), Aruna (Dawn), Arundhati (Star), Arvind (Lotus), Asha (Hope), Ashish (Blessing), Ashok (Without sorrow), Ashwin (Light), Asmita (Pride), Atul (Incomparable), Avinash (Indestructible), Ayush (Long life).

B

• Bablu (Innocent), Balaji (Vishnu), Balram (Krishna’s brother), Bandana (Worship), Barkha (Rain), Basant (Spring), Bela (Creeper), Bhadra (Good), Bhagat (Devotee), Bhairav (Shiva), Bhanu (Sun), Bharat (India), Bhargav (Shiva), Bhaskar (Sun), Bhavana (Feeling), Bhavesh (Lord of world), Bhavna (Meditation), Bhavya (Grand), Bhuvan (World), Bijoy (Victory), Bimal (Pure), Bindu (Dot), Bipin (Forest), Brij (Krishna’s place).

C

• Chaitanya (Consciousness), Chakradhar (Vishnu), Chaman (Garden), Chameli (Jasmine), Champa (Flower), Chanchal (Active), Chand (Moon), Chandan (Sandalwood), Chandra (Moon), Charan (Feet), Charu (Beautiful), Chetan (Consciousness), Chhaya (Shadow), Chintan (Thought), Chirag (Lamp), Chitra (Picture).

D

• Daksh (Capable), Daksha (Earth), Daman (Controller), Damodar (Krishna), Darpan (Mirror), Darsh (Sight), Darshan (Vision), Daya (Kindness), Dayal (Kind), Deep (Light), Deepa (Lamp), Deepak (Lamp), Deepali (Lamps), Deepika (Little light), Deepti (Glow), Dev (God), Devaki (Krishna’s mom), Devang (Part of God), Devansh (Part of God), Devendra (King of Gods), Devika (Little goddess), Dhairya (Patience), Dhananjay (Arjuna), Dhara (Earth), Dharmendra (Lord of Dharma), Dhruv (Star), Diksha (Initiation), Dilip (Protector), Dinesh (Sun), Disha (Direction), Divya (Divine), Divyansh (Divine part), Diya (Lamp), Drishti (Sight), Durga (Goddess), Dushyant (Destroyer of evil).

G

• Gagan (Sky), Gajendra (Elephant King), Ganesh (Lord of multitude), Gargi (Scholar), Garima (Dignity), Gaurav (Pride), Gauri (Parvati), Gautam (Buddha), Gayatri (Veda Mother), Geeta (Holy book), Geetanjali (Poems), Girish (Lord of mountains), Gita (Song), Gopal (Krishna), Gour (Fair), Govind (Krishna), Gulab (Rose), Gunjan (Humming), Gurpreet (Guru’s love), Gyan (Knowledge).

H

• Hans (Swan), Hansa (Swan), Hanuman (Monkey God), Hardik (Heartfelt), Hari (Vishnu), Harini (Deer), Harish (Shiva), Harsh (Happiness), Harsha (Joy), Harshad (Giver of joy), Harshita (Happy), Hema (Gold), Hemant (Winter), Hemlata (Golden creeper), Himanshu (Moon), Hina (Henna), Hitesh (Lord of goodness), Hrithik (From heart).

I

• Ibrahim (Father), Idhant (Luminous), Ila (Earth), Imran (Prosperity), Inder (King of Gods), Indira (Lakshmi), Indra (King of Gods), Indu (Moon), Iqbal (Prosperity), Ira (Earth), Irfan (Knowledge), Isha (Lord), Ishaan (Sun), Ishani (Durga), Ishita (Desired), Ishwar (God).

J

• Jagdish (Lord of world), Jagjit (Winner of world), Jai (Victory), Jaideep (Victory of light), Janhvi (Ganga), Jasmine (Flower), Jatin (Shiva), Jaya (Victory), Jayant (Victorious), Jeevan (Life), Jia (Heart), Jignesh (Curiosity), Jitendra (Conqueror), Juhi (Flower), Jyoti (Light), Jyotsna (Moonlight).

K

• Kabir (Great), Kailash (Abode of Shiva), Kajal (Eyeliner), Kalan (Time), Kalpana (Imagination), Kalyan (Welfare), Kamal (Lotus), Kamini (Beautiful), Kanchan (Gold), Kanishk (King), Kanta (Beautiful), Kapil (Sage), Karan (Warrior), Kareena (Pure), Kartik (Month), Karuna (Compassion), Kashish (Attraction), Kasturi (Musk), Kaushal (Clever), Kaushik (Sage), Kavita (Poem), Kavya (Poetry), Kedar (Shiva), Keshav (Krishna), Ketki (Flower), Khushi (Happiness), Kiran (Ray), Kirti (Fame), Kishore (Young), Komal (Soft), Krishna (Lord), Kritika (Star), Kunal (Lotus), Kusum (Flower).

L

• Laksh (Aim), Lakshman (Rama’s brother), Lakshmi (Goddess), Lal (Beloved), Lalit (Beautiful), Lata (Creeper), Lavanya (Grace), Leela (Play), Lina (Tender), Lochan (Eye), Lokesh (Lord of world).

M

• Madan (Love God), Madhav (Krishna), Madhu (Honey), Madhuri (Sweetness), Mahima (Greatness), Mahesh (Shiva), Mahi (Earth), Mala (Garland), Malini (Florist), Mamta (Motherly love), Manish (Lord of mind), Manisha (Intellect), Manju (Sweet), Manjula (Melodious), Manoj (Born of mind), Manvi (Human), Manya (Worthy), Maya (Illusion), Mayank (Moon), Mayuri (Peahen), Meena (Fish), Meenakshi (Fish-eyed), Meera (Devotee), Megha (Cloud), Meghna (Cloud), Mihir (Sun), Milan (Union), Milind (Honey bee), Mina (Fish), Mitali (Friendship), Mohan (Attractive), Mohit (Attracted), Mona (Solitary), Monika (Advisor), Mridul (Soft), Mukesh (Liberation), Mukul (Bud), Muskan (Smile).

N

• Nadia (Beginning), Nagarjun (Snake), Naina (Eyes), Nakul (Twin), Namrata (Modesty), Nanda (Joy), Nandini (Cow), Narayan (Vishnu), Narendra (King of men), Naresh (Lord of man), Narinder (King of men), Natasha (Born on Christmas), Naveen (New), Navin (New), Navya (New), Nayan (Eye), Neel (Blue), Neela (Blue), Neelam (Sapphire), Neeraj (Lotus), Neha (Rain), Nidhi (Treasure), Nikita (Earth), Nilam (Sapphire), Nilima (Blue), Nimisha (Minute), Nina (Beautiful eyes), Niranjan (Pure), Nirav (Quiet), Nirmal (Pure), Nisha (Night), Nishant (End of night), Nitin (Master of path), Nitya (Eternal).

O

• Ojas (Brilliance), Om (Sacred), Omkar (Sound of Om), Omkarnath (Lord of Om).

P

• Padma (Lotus), Pallavi (New leaves), Pankaj (Lotus), Parag (Pollen), Param (Supreme), Paras (Touchstone), Pari (Fairy), Parth (Arjuna), Parvati (Shiva’s wife), Pawan (Wind), Payal (Anklet), Piyush (Nectar), Pooja (Worship), Poonam (Full moon), Prabhat (Morning), Prabhu (God), Prachi (East), Pradeep (Light), Pragati (Progress), Prakash (Light), Pramod (Joy), Pranali (Organization), Pranav (Om), Pranay (Love), Prasad (Offering), Prashant (Calm), Prateek (Symbol), Pratibha (Talent), Pratik (Symbol), Preeti (Love), Prem (Love), Prerna (Inspiration), Pritam (Beloved), Priti (Love), Priya (Beloved), Priyanka (Symbol), Puneet (Pure), Punit (Pure), Pushpa (Flower).

R

• Rachana (Creation), Radha (Krishna’s love), Radhika (Radha), Raghav (Rama), Raghu (Rama’s clan), Rahul (Conqueror), Raj (King), Raja (King), Rajan (King), Rajani (Night), Rajeev (Blue lotus), Rajendra (King of kings), Rajesh (King of kings), Rajiv (Lotus), Rajkumar (Prince), Rakesh (Moon Lord), Rakhi (Thread), Ram (Rama), Raman (Pleasing), Ramesh (Rama’s Lord), Rani (Queen), Ranjan (Delighting), Ranjit (Victorious), Rashmi (Ray), Ratna (Gem), Raveena (Sunny), Ravi (Sun), Ravinder (Sun), Reena (Gem), Rekha (Line), Renu (Dust), Renuka (Mother), Reshma (Silk), Reyansh (Ray), Richa (Hymn), Riddhi (Prosperity), Rishabh (Moral), Rishi (Sage), Ritesh (Truth Lord), Ritu (Season), Riya (Singer), Rohan (Ascending), Rohit (Red), Roma (Lakshmi), Ronak (Brightness), Roshan (Bright), Ruchi (Interest), Rupal (Silver), Rupali (Beautiful).

S

• Sachin (Pure), Sadhana (Worship), Sagar (Ocean), Sahil (Shore), Sai (Divine), Sakshi (Witness), Salil (Water), Saloni (Beautiful), Samarth (Capable), Sameer (Breeze), Samir (Breeze), Sampada (Wealth), Samrat (Emperor), Sana (Praise), Sandeep (Light), Sandhya (Evening), Sangeeta (Music), Sanjay (Victorious), Sanjana (Gentle), Sanjiv (Vital), Sankar (Shiva), Santosh (Satisfaction), Sanyogita (Partner), Sapna (Dream), Sarika (Bird), Sarita (River), Saroj (Lotus), Sarthak (Meaningful), Sarvesh (Lord of all), Satish (Lord of Sati), Satyen (Truth Lord), Saumya (Mild), Saurabh (Fragrance), Savita (Sun), Seema (Boundary), Shabana (Decorated), Shagun (Omen), Shailesh (Mountain Lord), Shalini (Modest), Shambhu (Shiva), Shankar (Shiva), Shantanu (Wholesome), Sharad (Autumn), Shashi (Moon), Shashank (Moon), Shashwat (Eternal), Shekhar (Crest), Shikha (Hill top), Shilpa (Art), Shishir (Winter), Shiv (Shiva), Shivam (Auspicious), Shivani (Parvati), Shivansh (Part of Shiva), Shobha (Beauty), Shraddha (Faith), Shravan (Month), Shreya (Auspicious), Shruti (Vedas), Shubham (Auspicious), Shweta (White), Shyam (Dark), Siddharth (Accomplished), Siddhi (Achievement), Simran (Meditation), Sindhu (Ocean), Sitara (Star), Smita (Smile), Smriti (Memory), Sneha (Love), Snehal (Friendly), Sohan (Handsome), Som (Moon), Sonal (Golden), Sonali (Golden), Sonam (Beautiful), Soni (Gold), Sonia (Golden), Sonu (Handsome), Soumya (Soft), Sourabh (Fragrance), Srishti (Creation), Subhash (Soft spoken), Sudha (Nectar), Sudhashu (Moon), Sudhir (Wise), Sujata (Well born), Sujit (Winner), Suman (Flower), Sumit (Friend), Sunil (Dark blue), Sunita (Well behaved), Sunny (Sunshine), Supriya (Beloved), Suraj (Sun), Suresh (God Lord), Surya (Sun), Sushant (Quiet), Sushil (Good character), Sushma (Beauty), Sushmita (Smile), Swati (Star), Sweta (White).

T

• Tanmay (Engrossed), Tanvi (Delicate), Tanya (Fairy), Tapaya (Penance), Tara (Star), Tarun (Young), Tejas (Brilliance), Trisha (Thirst), Tulsi (Sacred plant), Tushar (Snow).

U

• Uday (Rise), Udit (Risen), Ujwal (Bright), Uma (Parvati), Umesh (Uma’s Lord), Unnati (Progress), Upasana (Worship), Urvi (Earth), Usha (Dawn), Utkarsh (Prosperity), Uttam (Best).

V

• Vaibhav (Richness), Vaishali (City), Vandana (Worship), Vani (Voice), Varun (Water God), Varsha (Rain), Vasant (Spring), Vasudha (Earth), Vasundhara (Earth), Ved (Sacred knowledge), Vedant (Veda end), Veena (Instrument), Veer (Brave), Vibha (Light), Vicky (Victorious), Vidya (Knowledge), Vijay (Victory), Vikas (Development), Vikram (Valor), Vimal (Pure), Vinay (Modesty), Vineet (Humble), Vinod (Pleasure), Vipin (Forest), Vipul (Plenty), Virat (Majestic), Vishal (Huge), Vishesh (Special), Vishnu (Preserver), Vivek (Wisdom), Vrinda (Basil).

Y

• Yamini (Night), Yash (Fame), Yashoda (Krishna’s mom), Yashwant (Famous), Yatin (Ascetic), Yogesh (Yoga Lord), Yuvraj (Prince).

Z

• Zafar (Victory), Zahid (Ascetic), Zara (Princess), Zoya (Life).

(There are thousands more, but these are the ones that have stood the test of time and trend.)

How to Avoid the “Playground Test” Failure?

I have a friend named “Sukhdeep.” It’s a beautiful, spiritual name. But in a US middle school? You can imagine the jokes.

When you pick a name, you have to be ruthless. Yell it across a park. Ask your non-Indian friends to read it off a piece of paper without help. If they struggle, or if they giggle, think twice.

But also, don’t be afraid to teach people. If people can learn to say “Tchaikovsky” or “Schwarzenegger,” they can learn to say “Siddharth” correctly.

Naming is one of the few things you give a child that they will carry every single day of their life. Make it count.

If you want to dig deeper into linguistic roots, check out Behind the Name for some excellent history.

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