This page lists 27 boy names and 16 girl names that begin with Y. Each Y name has its standard meaning and, where there is one, the nakshatra syllable it fits, so a family working from the Moon’s pada can see at a glance which names suit their baby. Only names in real use in India are included.
Y is the य of Yash and Yamuna. Names such as Yajnavalkya and Yajnaseni carry the conjunct ज्ञ after the first syllable, and the nakshatra table gives Y to Jyeshtha and Moola.
Boy names starting with Y
| Name | Meaning | Nakshatra syllable |
|---|---|---|
| Yadav | descendant of Yadu | Jyeshtha (Ya) |
| Yadunath | lord of the Yadus; a name of Krishna | Jyeshtha (Ya) |
| Yagnesh | lord of sacrifice | Jyeshtha (Ya) |
| Yajat | one who worships | Jyeshtha (Ya) |
| Yajnavalkya | the name of a Vedic sage | Jyeshtha (Ya) |
| Yaksh | a nature spirit | Jyeshtha (Ya) |
| Yash | fame, glory | Jyeshtha (Ya) |
| Yashodhan | wealth of fame | Jyeshtha (Ya) |
| Yashpal | protector of fame | Jyeshtha (Ya) |
| Yashraj | king of fame | Jyeshtha (Ya) |
| Yashvardhan | increaser of fame | Jyeshtha (Ya) |
| Yashwant | famous | Jyeshtha (Ya) |
| Yatharth | reality, truth | Jyeshtha (Ya) |
| Yatin | ascetic, self-controlled | Jyeshtha (Ya) |
| Yatish | lord of ascetics | Jyeshtha (Ya) |
| Yayati | the name of a king in the Mahabharata | Jyeshtha (Ya) |
| Yeshwant | glorious, famous | Moola (Ye) |
| Yoganand | bliss of yoga | Moola (Yo) |
| Yogendra | lord of yogis | Moola (Yo) |
| Yogesh | lord of yoga | Moola (Yo) |
| Yogeshwar | lord of yoga, a name of Krishna | Moola (Yo) |
| Yogiraj | king of yogis | Moola (Yo) |
| Yudhishthir | steadfast in battle; the eldest Pandava | Jyeshtha (Yu) |
| Yug | an age, an era | Jyeshtha (Yu) |
| Yuvan | young | Jyeshtha (Yu) |
| Yuvraj | crown prince | Jyeshtha (Yu) |
| Yuyutsu | eager to fight, a figure in the Mahabharata | Jyeshtha (Yu) |
Girl names starting with Y
| Name | Meaning | Nakshatra syllable |
|---|---|---|
| Yajnaseni | a name of Draupadi | Jyeshtha (Ya) |
| Yami | twin of Yama; a name of the Yamuna | Jyeshtha (Ya) |
| Yamini | night | Jyeshtha (Ya) |
| Yamuna | the sacred river | Jyeshtha (Ya) |
| Yashasvini | famous, glorious | Jyeshtha (Ya) |
| Yashika | success | Jyeshtha (Ya) |
| Yashoda | bringer of glory; Krishna’s foster mother | Jyeshtha (Ya) |
| Yashvi | successful, glorious | Jyeshtha (Ya) |
| Yogeshwari | goddess of yoga, a name of Durga | Moola (Yo) |
| Yogini | a woman who practises yoga | Moola (Yo) |
| Yogita | one who practises yoga | Moola (Yo) |
| Yogmaya | divine power of illusion, a name of Durga | Moola (Yo) |
| Yoshita | woman, young woman | Moola (Yo) |
| Yukti | skill, ingenuity | Jyeshtha (Yu) |
| Yuthika | jasmine | Jyeshtha (Yu) |
| Yuvika | young girl | Jyeshtha (Yu) |
Y in the nakshatra table
The 108 naming syllables include 5 that begin with Y: Ya in Jyeshtha pada 2, Yi in Jyeshtha pada 3, Yu in Jyeshtha pada 4, Ye in Moola pada 1 and Yo in Moola pada 2. A baby whose Moon falls in one of those Y padas takes that sound, and the Y names above that match are shown in the last column of each table.
Y in the rashi chart
In the first-letter chart, Y belongs to Vrishchika. Every name beginning with Y sits in that one sign.
Move on to the previous letter, X and the next letter, Z, return to the letters index, or search every name together in the name finder. For the Y names above, the baby names hub has a page for each of the 27 nakshatras, and the free nakshatra calculator works out your baby’s pada from the birth details.
Frequently asked questions
↳ What are some Indian baby names that start with Y?
Among boys, Yadav, Yadunath, Yagnesh are on this page and 24 more. Among girls, Yajnaseni, Yami, Yamini are listed with 13 more. The tables above give every name with its meaning.
↳ Do all Y names have a nakshatra syllable?
43 of the 43 names on this page fit one of the 108 syllables. The other 0 begin with a sound that no pada gives, so a family following the nakshatra rule would not use a name that starts with Y.
↳ Which rashi is the letter Y in?
The chart places Y in Vrishchika.
↳ Are the Y names here real and traditional?
Yes. Every Y name on this page is in real use in India with a standard meaning, drawn from Sanskrit, Hindi or regional tradition. A Y name whose meaning could not be confirmed is left out.