Hindi Names for Girls
Updated Tue Jun 09 2020
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Hindi names for girls have their roots in the musical Hindi language, which is one of the five most spoken languages in the world. But beautiful Hindi baby names remain remarkably underused outside of the Indian subcontinent, even though many sweet and simple Hindi girl names — like Asha, Jaya, Lila and Reva — feel like they could travel anywhere. Other Hindi names for girls — like Mirabai, Ishana and Kalindi — feel more rooted in Indian culture, and could make a meaningful choice for parents hoping to honor their heritage. With the representation of South-Asian figures in Western pop culture a hot topic right now, we hope and expect to hear more of these beautiful Hindi girls' names in future.
See below for our full list of gorgeous girl baby names of Hindi origin. The top names below rank among the current US Top 1000 Baby Names and are ordered by popularity. Unique names rank below the Top 1000 and are listed alphabetically.
See below for our full list of gorgeous girl baby names of Hindi origin. The top names below rank among the current US Top 1000 Baby Names and are ordered by popularity. Unique names rank below the Top 1000 and are listed alphabetically.
- Lila
Origin:
Arabic, SanskritMeaning:
"night; play"Description:
Lila is one of the girl names 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.
- Asha
Origin:
Sanskrit; SwahiliMeaning:
"hope; life"Description:
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.
- Nara
Origin:
Japanese place name or CelticMeaning:
"happy"Description:
Soft, simple, and far more unusual than Tara or Farrah. As a Japanese place name, it's been used occasionally as a surname and is beginning to be used as a first. Nara is also the name of a Hindu (male) God and the name means "man" in Hindi.
- Sena
Origin:
Korean; Hindi; Turkish; Arabic; EweMeaning:
"this world's beauty or grace; army; to praise; bringing heaven to earth"Description:
Sena is one of those names that is as obscure in the Western World as it is simple and straightforward. Sena exists as a name in a range of languages and cultures and may be pronounced like Senna (with a soft e) or Sienna.
- Tula
Origin:
Choctaw, Hindi, or KiswahiliMeaning:
"mountain peak, a Libra, or to be tranquil"Description:
Tula is a polyethnic name which, spelled Toula, was used for the heroine of the hit film My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
- Rita
Origin:
Spanish, HindiMeaning:
"pearl; truth, order"Description:
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.
- Leia
Origin:
Spelling variation of Leya, Spanish; HindiMeaning:
"the law; lion"Description:
This spelling variation of Leya was popularized by the Star Wars films, but is still firmly in the US Top 1000 many years later. This spelling is also probably preferred as it is clearer in pronunciation to the original Hindi name, Leya (which sometime gets pronounced Lee-ah).
- Karma
Origin:
HindiMeaning:
"destiny, spiritual force"Description:
Some parents, including rapper Ludacris, are literally bestowing good karma on their children; it could just join the new spiritual name congregation.
- Savita
Origin:
HindiMeaning:
"sun"Description:
Savita is among the most popular Hindi names for girls, and one that could easily immigrate. Want more ideas? How about the Italian or Spanish Sarita or the simplified Vita or the Scandinavian Sunniva?
- Shivani
Origin:
HindiMeaning:
"life and death"Description:
Shivani sounds fresh and powerful.
- Kerala
Origin:
Indian place nameDescription:
Kerala, the name of the most beautiful and touristed state of India, has recently debuted on the U.S. extended popularity list as a first name for girls. And why not? Kerala sounds lovely and rhythmic and in tune with the Kardashian-influenced taste for all names K.
- Chandra
Origin:
HindiMeaning:
"goddess of the moon"Description:
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.
- Kamala
Origin:
Hindi, HawaiianMeaning:
"lotus or pale red; or, a garden"Description:
A multicultural name that manages to sound soft and strong at the same time, Kamala is also another name for the Hindu goddess Lakshmi.
- Deva
Origin:
HindiMeaning:
"divine, shining one"Description:
If you don't want your daughter to be a Diva, try this Hindu moon goddess name that was chosen by actress Monica Bellucci for hers.
- Rani
Origin:
Hindi, HebrewMeaning:
"queen; she is singing"Description:
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.
- Anara
Origin:
Kazakh, Persian, and HindiMeaning:
"pomegranate flower"Description:
Anara is a name that strikes a perfect balance between simple and unusual. It's easy to understand and pronounce for a Westerner, and yet it's highly distinctive, used for only 24 girls in the US in 2021. A recommended and unusual nature option.
- Neela
Origin:
Hindi, SanskritMeaning:
"sapphire blue"Description:
A variation of Nila, a name spread through African by the substantial Indian population there. Also a variant of Neala and Neila.
- Nisha
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"night"Description:
Pretty name that hit the popularity charts in England in the late 1990s.
- Nita
Origin:
Hindi, Hebrew, and ChoctawMeaning:
"friendly, to plant, and bear"Description:
One of those slender names, like Lena or Etta, that's used in several cultures and carries a range of meanings. But by being so many things, it doesn't feel decidedly like anything.
- Tulsi
Origin:
HindiMeaning:
"basil"Description:
Tulsi is more than a simple nature name: The holy basil plant is sacred in the Hindu religion, used to honor the god Vishnu and representative of his consort, the goddess Tulsi. The Tulsi plant is often planted in Hindu houses and is used for medicinal as well as ritualistic purposes.