Indian Girl Names
Updated Tue Jun 09 2020
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Indian names for girls are often rooted in either Hindi, the dominant language of India, or Sanskrit, the ancient Indian language. The Indian names for girls in our database also include a sprinkling of Punjabi and Urdu names. Indian names that are most familiar to English speakers are often the names of female celebrities, such as Priyanka Chopra or Padma Lakshmi. Other popular Indian baby names for girls include Chandra, Kalinda, Savita, and Lalita. There are many gorgeous Indian names for girls that may appeal to parents in India or elsewhere.
Browse our full list of Indian baby girl names here. 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.
Browse our full list of Indian baby girl names here. 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.
- Opal
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"gem"Description:
Opal is on the verge of a repolishing, following other jewel names like Ruby and Pearl. A Top 100 name during the first two decades of the twentieth century, the opalescent Opal has a good chance of coming back as another O-initial option.
- 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.
- Priya
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"beloved"Description:
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.
- Arya
Origin:
Sanskrit; Modern variation of AriaMeaning:
"noble; air/song"Description:
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."
- 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.
- Veda
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"knowledge"Description:
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 popular name, 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.
- Kali
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"black one"Description:
Cute name but be warned: Kali is the Hindu goddess of destruction, the fierce side of the goddess Devi.
- 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.
- Uma
Origin:
Sanskrit, HebrewMeaning:
"light, peace, nation"Description:
Uma is a sweet, strong name for a Hindu goddess... and a Hollywood one. But as popular as Uma Thurman is, other parents have not yet picked up on her name, making it a rarity.
- Indira
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"beauty"Description:
A striking and feminine possibility associated with a modern hero — longtime Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi.
- 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).
- Alisha
Origin:
Phonetic spelling of Alicia; also SanskritMeaning:
"protected by God"Description:
This name has two derivations. One is as a member of the well-populated Alice/Alicia family (with an overly literal spelling), which gives it the meaning "noble"; the other is an Urdu name with the meaning "protected by God." If you're going with the first derivation, we suggest you stick with the classic and beautiful Alicia.
- 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.
- Anjali
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"gift"Description:
This Indian name meaning gift or offering feels familiar via sound-alikes Angela or Angelina, and made a brief appearance on the U.S. Top 1000. Anjali is a pretty route to a name that's at once easy to understand and uncommon.