100+ Mystical Names

The name of a wise and beautiful 10th century BC Ethiopian queen, probably the same person as the Queen of Sheba, who visited Solomon in the Old Testament.

This name is sometimes connected with Chandra, the Hindu moon god.

In the ancient Hindu religion, Indra is the warrior god of sky and rain. The vowel ending makes it sound feminine to the English speaker; it also sounds like the French river Indre.

In Buddhism, Dharma embodies the basic principles of cosmic existence--making it a fitting name for the hippyish character on the sitcom Dharma and Greg, whose middle name was Freedom.

A recently popular spiritual name that entered the Top 500 in 2003.

With Bodhi one of the fastest-rising names, could other concepts from Eastern religions catch on as names too? Moksha can refer to various types of freedom and release, such as from ignorance and from the cycle of death and rebirth.

One Greek mythological name -- she was the goddess of order -- not yet embraced by American parents.

Mala is one of those names that's both simple and exotic, easy to pronounce yet unfamiliar to many English speakers.

With the fashions for tree names, place names, and nickname names, Derry is a three-way winner.

Dawud is a widely-used Arabic name, a version of David that is among the British Top 1000 names for boys.

The name of the elephant-headed Hindu god of wisdom is rarely heard outside India.

Whether you think of the chocolates or the naked long-haired lady on the horse, Godiva is a name with baggage no child should have to carry.

Hariti is a Buddhist goddess of the protection of children, smooth delivery, and positive parenting. In Japanese Buddhism, she is known as Kishimojin and has a dual personality as the demon of misery who terrorizes poorly-behaved children and their irresponsible parents.

Orra and Ora are simple yet rare names with a lovely religious meaning.

Shruti references Hindu scriptures called the Vedas, considered to hold the timeless truths of the universe. It is commonly used among Hindu girls.

Shiva is one of the principle deities of Hinduism. Shiva is the powerful god of both destruction and resurrection but is also associated as the patron god of yoga, meditation and arts. Shiva's wife is Parvati, the mother goddess of creation.

Hasan is a significant Muslim historical figure — he was the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and the son of Ali and Fatimah. Shia Muslims consider Hasan a martyr — he died after being poisoned by his wife.

This simple but alluring name — some might associate it with the Kama Sutra — was chosen by heavy metal rocker Sammy Hagar for his daughter.

Guanyin is the bodhisattva of compassion. It's the Chinese translation of the original Sanskrit bodhisattva's name, Avalokiteśvara. Avalokiteśvara's depiction as male or female varies by culture, but in China, Guanyin is a feminine deity.

Puja (and variant spelling, Pooja) is a common name for girls in Hindu culture. In Hinduism, puja is a worship ritual of offering to a deity.