Namkaran · naming by the stars
Hindu baby names by nakshatra and Rashi
In the Vedic tradition a child’s name often begins with a sound linked to the Moon’s position at birth. Browse 1,327 names with meanings (723 for boys, 620 for girls, unisex names counted in both), grouped by nakshatra, by Rashi or worked out from the birth details.
Baby name calculator
Enter the birth date, time and place to find the namakshar and matching names.
Names by nakshatra
All 27 nakshatras with the syllable of each pada.
Names by Rashi
The nine syllables of each Moon sign.
What is a namakshar?
The zodiac is divided into 27 nakshatras (lunar mansions), and each nakshatra into four quarters called padas, giving 108 padas in all. Each pada has a traditional syllable. The pada the Moon occupies at the moment of birth gives the child’s namakshar, the “name letter”, and families often choose a name that begins with that sound for the Namkaran (naming) ceremony, held on or after the eleventh or twelfth day.
Because nine padas fall in each of the twelve Rashis (Moon signs), many families also accept any syllable of the child’s Rashi. Both approaches are shown on these pages.
A few syllables, such as Ng (Ardra), Yi (Jyeshtha), Ye (Mula), Je (Shravana), Vu and Vo (Rohini, Mrigashira), Ho and Hu (Pushya), Cho (Ashwini), Pe and Po (Chitra), Ge (Dhanishta), Do and Tha, begin almost no names in common use. Tradition is flexible here: families choose a name from another pada of the same nakshatra or from any syllable of the Rashi, or keep the namakshar for a ceremonial name and choose a different everyday name.
Names by nakshatra
| Nakshatra | Pada syllables | Rashi | Boy names | Girl names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashwini | Chu, Che, Cho, La | Aries | 16 | 15 |
| Bharani | Li, Lu, Le, Lo | Aries | 16 | 14 |
| Krittika | A, I, U, E | Aries, Taurus | 99 | 78 |
| Rohini | O, Va, Vi, Vu | Taurus | 52 | 41 |
| Mrigashira | Ve, Vo, Ka, Ki | Taurus, Gemini | 38 | 32 |
| Ardra | Ku, Gha, Ng, Chha | Gemini | 13 | 8 |
| Punarvasu | Ke, Ko, Ha, Hi | Gemini, Cancer | 33 | 26 |
| Pushya | Hu, He, Ho, Da | Cancer | 16 | 16 |
| Ashlesha | Di, Du, De, Do | Cancer | 29 | 23 |
| Magha | Ma, Mi, Mu, Me | Leo | 47 | 43 |
| Purva Phalguni | Mo, Ta, Ti, Tu | Leo | 30 | 28 |
| Uttara Phalguni | Te, To, Pa, Pi | Leo, Virgo | 41 | 34 |
| Hasta | Pu, Sha, Na, Tha | Virgo | 36 | 34 |
| Chitra | Pe, Po, Ra, Ri | Virgo, Libra | 35 | 31 |
| Swati | Ru, Re, Ro, Ta | Libra | 25 | 29 |
| Vishakha | Ti, Tu, Te, To | Libra, Scorpio | 18 | 17 |
| Anuradha | Na, Ni, Nu, Ne | Scorpio | 35 | 34 |
| Jyeshtha | No, Ya, Yi, Yu | Scorpio | 17 | 10 |
| Mula | Ye, Yo, Bha, Bhi | Sagittarius | 20 | 17 |
| Purva Ashadha | Bhu, Dha, Pha, Dha | Sagittarius | 20 | 14 |
| Uttara Ashadha | Be, Bo, Ja, Ji | Sagittarius, Capricorn | 22 | 17 |
| Shravana | Ju, Je, Jo, Gha | Capricorn | 5 | 2 |
| Dhanishta | Ga, Gi, Gu, Ge | Capricorn, Aquarius | 22 | 15 |
| Shatabhisha | Go, Sa, Si, Su | Aquarius | 58 | 55 |
| Purva Bhadrapada | Se, So, Da, Di | Aquarius, Pisces | 29 | 28 |
| Uttara Bhadrapada | Du, Tha, Jha, Na | Pisces | 23 | 19 |
| Revati | De, Do, Cha, Chi | Pisces | 29 | 25 |
Names by Rashi
Aries (Mesha)
Chu, Che, Cho, La, Li, Lu, Le, Lo, A
Taurus (Vrishabha)
I, U, E, O, Va, Vi, Vu, Ve, Vo
Gemini (Mithuna)
Ka, Ki, Ku, Gha, Ng, Chha, Ke, Ko, Ha
Cancer (Karka)
Hi, Hu, He, Ho, Da, Di, Du, De, Do
Leo (Simha)
Ma, Mi, Mu, Me, Mo, Ta, Ti, Tu, Te
Virgo (Kanya)
To, Pa, Pi, Pu, Sha, Na, Tha, Pe, Po
Libra (Tula)
Ra, Ri, Ru, Re, Ro, Ta, Ti, Tu, Te
Scorpio (Vrishchika)
To, Na, Ni, Nu, Ne, No, Ya, Yi, Yu
Sagittarius (Dhanu)
Ye, Yo, Bha, Bhi, Bhu, Dha, Pha, Be
Capricorn (Makara)
Bo, Ja, Ji, Ju, Je, Jo, Gha, Ga, Gi
Aquarius (Kumbha)
Gu, Ge, Go, Sa, Si, Su, Se, So, Da
Pisces (Meena)
Di, Du, Tha, Jha, Na, De, Do, Cha, Chi
How the names are matched to syllables
Names are grouped by the sound they begin with, as it is spoken. A long vowel may be spelt doubled, so Meera and Deepak start with “Mi” and “Di”, and Pooja starts with “Pu”. A name that begins with an r-cluster counts under its first consonant, so Prakash is a “Pa” name and Trilok a “Ti” name. Names that begin with “ai” or “au” sounds, such as Kailash or Gaurav, have a different vowel and are not listed under “Ka” or “Ga”.
Some syllables appear in more than one nakshatra in English spelling: Ta, Ti, Tu, Te and To (Purva and Uttara Phalguni, Swati, Vishakha), Da, Di, Du, De and Do (Pushya, Ashlesha, Purva and Uttara Bhadrapada, Revati), Na, Tha, Dha and Gha. In Sanskrit these are often different letters, such as the hard ट and soft त, but in everyday use the same names serve both, so we list them under each.
Choosing a name with care
The syllable is a starting point, not the whole decision. Say the name aloud with your family name, think about how it will be shortened, and read its meaning. A name you love and can explain to your child is in keeping with the spirit of the tradition.