India has always been known for its beautiful names. Indian names have a meaning behind it and it reflects the religions, culture, language and place of the person. Indian child names are mostly drawn from the scriptures written in the olden times in Sanskrit. History has indeed played a big role in characterizing Indian names. Indian names almost always have a meaning attached to them. According to Indians the sound and meaning of names create a positive or negative energy in the lives of individuals

The conventional Indian boy’s names include Aditya which means sun, Akshay meaning immortal, Bharat which means universal monarch, Chetan which means light, Devang meaning part of God, Girish meaning God of mountain, Vijay which means triumph, Vikram meaning Victory, Saransh meaning result, Anubhav meaning experience, Vivek meaning respect etc.

Indian girl names are also derived from the names of Goddesses in most communities. A special emphasis is given to the meaning of the word and feminine qualities of the sound. Some oft repeated Indian girl names are Aditi which means mother of Gods, Gitanjali which means a collection of poems, Shradha meaning faith, Karuna meaning mercy, Shanti meaning peace, Vandana meaning prayer, Bela meaning time, Kalpana which means imagination, Tulsi which is a sacred plant, Ruchi means interest, Lalita which is another name for Goddess Durga, Sushmita which means smiling etc.

India is a country of many castes and cultures and names given to Indian boys and girls are also driven by this. For example, Indian girl names in Punjab are accompanied by the suffix kaur, as in ‘kirankaur’. Indian culture is very diverse and rich in traditions as well as ancient languages. There is an endless treasure of Indian names for both boys and girls in India, which is unparalleled in terms of their brilliance and depth. Famous writers have compiled whole books of Indian names to help parents name their children.

It is difficult for some people to relate to the meaning of Indian names in modern times. Foreign invasions and cultural exchanges have left their mark on the name of Indian children. Individual preferences of parents have started prevailing over religious dictates and family pressures lately. Indian children are sometimes seen bearing very non-Indian names.

Indian names thus have their meanings rooted in their culture, religion and the God-Goddesses and place of birth. Now-a-days more and more parents desire of new modern names for their children which are a blend of Indian as well as western words. For example ‘avatar’ is name which has its origination in Sanskrit and means incarnation of Lord Vishnu. However avatar has now become an English word. Hence, like India, Indian names too are evolving.