Choosing a name by its first letter is the most common way to start. Open a letter below and you see boy names and girl names in two tables, each name with its meaning and, where there is one, the nakshatra syllable it fits. Every name here is in real use in India, and where a sound has no genuine name the page says so.
Every letter
| Letter | Boy names | Girl names |
|---|---|---|
| A | 44 | 36 |
| B | 43 | 29 |
| C | 30 | 27 |
| D | 40 | 36 |
| E | 6 | 7 |
| F | 1 | 1 |
| G | 35 | 26 |
| H | 31 | 23 |
| I | 10 | 11 |
| J | 31 | 26 |
| K | 31 | 34 |
| L | 19 | 19 |
| M | 36 | 33 |
| N | 37 | 31 |
| O | 4 | 2 |
| P | 46 | 36 |
| Q | 0 | 0 |
| R | 30 | 36 |
| S | 42 | 35 |
| T | 26 | 25 |
| U | 20 | 18 |
| V | 32 | 32 |
| W | 0 | 0 |
| X | 0 | 0 |
| Y | 27 | 16 |
| Z | 0 | 1 |
The letters are those of the English alphabet, so one page can hold several Devanagari sounds: S includes the palatal श and retroflex ष, B includes the aspirated भ, and C includes the च of Chandra. The page for each letter explains which sounds it covers.
Other ways to find a name
If you already know the nakshatra, use the baby names hub. If you want the first-letter chart of the 12 signs, use the names by rashi. To combine a letter with a gender, nakshatra, rashi or a word in the meaning, use the name finder.
Frequently asked questions
↳ How many names are listed for each letter?
The count varies with the letter, from a full list for letters such as P and A to a short one for E, I and O. The table above gives the exact boy and girl counts for every letter.
↳ Why do Q, W and X have no names?
None of them is a sound of Sanskrit or Hindi in standard spelling. Names that use W are usually spelled with V, and X usually stands for the conjunct Ksh, so those names are on the V and K pages.
↳ Does a name have to start with the nakshatra syllable?
Following the syllable of the Moon's pada is a tradition, not a rule, and many families choose a meaning they love and keep the syllable for ritual use. Each name shows its syllable so you can decide.
↳ Are the meanings the same in every region?
The meanings here are the standard ones from Sanskrit and Hindi. Some regional languages give a name a second meaning or a different spelling, so a family may follow its own tradition.