In the Vedic naming tradition, the first sound of a child’s name comes from the pada (quarter) of the nakshatra the Moon occupied at the moment of birth. Each of the 27 nakshatras has four padas, and each pada has its own syllable, so a baby born with the Moon in the second pada of Ashwini traditionally receives a name beginning with Che. The table that lists all 108 syllables is called the Avakahada chakra, and it is still used for the naming ceremony (namakarana) in many families in India and abroad.
To find the right syllable you need the baby’s date, time and place of birth. The free nakshatra calculator works out the Moon’s nakshatra and pada and shows the syllable for that pada. Then open the page for that nakshatra below for boy and girl names with their meanings.
The syllables for every nakshatra
| Nakshatra | Pada 1 | Pada 2 | Pada 3 | Pada 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashwini | Chu (चू) | Che (चे) | Cho (चो) | La (ला) |
| Bharani | Li (ली) | Lu (लू) | Le (ले) | Lo (लो) |
| Krittika | A (अ) | I (ई) | U (उ) | E (ए) |
| Rohini | O (ओ) | Va (वा) | Vi (वी) | Vu (वू) |
| Mrigashira | Ve (वे) | Vo (वो) | Ka (का) | Ki (की) |
| Ardra | Ku (कू) | Gha (घ) | Nga (ङ) | Chha (छ) |
| Punarvasu | Ke (के) | Ko (को) | Ha (हा) | Hi (ही) |
| Pushya | Hu (हू) | He (हे) | Ho (हो) | Da (डा) |
| Ashlesha | Di (डी) | Du (डू) | De (डे) | Do (डो) |
| Magha | Ma (मा) | Mi (मी) | Mu (मू) | Me (मे) |
| Purva Phalguni | Mo (मो) | Ta (टा) | Ti (टी) | Tu (टू) |
| Uttara Phalguni | Te (टे) | To (टो) | Pa (पा) | Pi (पी) |
| Hasta | Pu (पू) | Sha (ष) | Na (ण) | Tha (ठ) |
| Chitra | Pe (पे) | Po (पो) | Ra (रा) | Ri (री) |
| Swati | Ru (रू) | Re (रे) | Ro (रो) | Taa (ता) |
| Vishakha | Ti (ती) | Tu (तू) | Te (ते) | To (तो) |
| Anuradha | Na (ना) | Ni (नी) | Nu (नू) | Ne (ने) |
| Jyeshtha | No (नो) | Ya (या) | Yi (यी) | Yu (यू) |
| Moola | Ye (ये) | Yo (यो) | Bha (भा) | Bhi (भी) |
| Purva Ashadha | Bhu (भू) | Dha (धा) | Pha (फा) | Dha (ढा) |
| Uttara Ashadha | Bhe (भे) | Bho (भो) | Ja (जा) | Ji (जी) |
| Shravana | Ju (जू) | Je (जे) | Jo (जो) | Gha (घा) |
| Dhanishta | Ga (गा) | Gi (गी) | Gu (गू) | Ge (गे) |
| Shatabhisha | Go (गो) | Sa (सा) | Si (सी) | Su (सू) |
| Purva Bhadrapada | Se (से) | So (सो) | Da (दा) | Di (दी) |
| Uttara Bhadrapada | Du (दू) | Tha (थ) | Jha (झ) | Na (ञ) |
| Revati | De (दे) | Do (दो) | Cha (चा) | Chi (ची) |
The table follows the 27-nakshatra system used throughout this site. Tables that count Abhijit as a 28th nakshatra give Shravana the syllables Khi, Khu, Khe and Kho instead of Ju, Je, Jo and Gha.
Some syllables look alike in English but are different letters in Devanagari: Ta, Ti and Tu of Purva Phalguni are the retroflex ट, while Ti, Tu, Te and To of Vishakha are the dental त; Di, Du, De and Do of Ashlesha are ड, while Da and Di of Purva Bhadrapada and De and Do of Revati are द. Each nakshatra page points out these differences.
Nakshatra letters and rashi letters
Two different letter rules are in use. The classical rule, described above, takes the syllable from the nakshatra pada, so it changes roughly every six hours as the Moon moves. A simpler first-letter chart, widely used in Gujarat and elsewhere, assigns groups of letters to each Moon sign (rashi) instead. The two do not always agree. Neither is wrong; families follow their own custom, and many choose a name freely and keep the nakshatra syllable as a pet name or for ritual use only.
Before you choose
A name is lived in for a lifetime, so its meaning and how it sounds in the place you live matter as much as the first letter. If a syllable has very few names, as happens with rare sounds such as Nga or the final syllable of Uttara Bhadrapada, families usually choose the nearest sound, and that is an accepted practice. Each nakshatra page explains its own sounds and lists only names in real use, with their standard meanings.
Frequently asked questions
↳ How do I find my baby's nakshatra and pada?
You need the date, time and place of birth. Enter them in the free nakshatra calculator on this site, which works out the Moon's sidereal position, the nakshatra, the pada and the naming syllable for that pada.
↳ What if the birth time is not known exactly?
The Moon moves through one pada in about six hours, so an uncertain time can change the syllable. The calculator shows when the Moon changed nakshatra on that date, and many families choose a name that suits either syllable or ask a family astrologer.
↳ Is it necessary to follow the nakshatra letter?
No. It is a tradition, not a rule, and many families do not follow it or follow the rashi letter chart instead. A name with a good meaning that the family loves is always a sound choice.
↳ Why do different websites give different letters for Shravana?
Some tables count Abhijit as a 28th nakshatra and move Ju, Je and Jo to it, which leaves Shravana with Khi, Khu, Khe and Kho. This site uses the 27-nakshatra table, which gives Shravana Ju, Je, Jo and Gha.