Choosing a good name for the new born baby is also a tedious job but excites the pregnant mother a lot.

I too thought a lot and made numerous list of names for my baby boy or girl. Here is my list of names which are mostly inspired from hindu Gods and Goddesses



Baby girl names starting with A



Adwika

Arohi

Amaaaya

Aamodini

Aaral

Aashirya

Arya

Aeindri

Aaryahi

Amohi amaaya

Anagha

Adishakti

Akshavi

Agrisha

Agranya

Aarna

Abjini- multitude of lotuses





Baby boy names staarting with A



Aadidev

Aarambh

Abhiyaan

Aamod

Akshat

Aanjaneya

Anaadi

Avirat

Avyukt

Avighna

Adhaata

Adhoksaja





Miscellaneous small names for nickname



Eha

Pavaki

Keshav

Rudra

Shivaa

Krishna

Kisna

Kinshu

Kishnu

Keyan

Krit

Kshiva

Akshi

Chhaya

Chakshyu

Chavi

Drishya

Kavya

Keya

Idhyah

Ish

Ishi

Inu

Isva

Eham

Eka

Arha

Aan

Ank

Asmi

Ambe

Iha

Ikshu

Ichcha

Drishika

Kriyan

Laya

Mishri

Mishthi

Mukta

Meethi

Dugga

Durga

Saanjh

Shalmali

Shyamoli

Shiuli

Shankari

Shankar

Mahadev

Shivi

Shivin

Lavi

Krivi

Shambhu

Bhola

Shravani

Punya

Shloka

Shunya

Mantra

Rai

Stotra

Swah

Swaha

Swar

Swara

Ved

Urja

Urmi

Urvi

Yukti

Yantra

Yamna

Yumna

Yashvi

Yahvi

Vahni

Zyen



Miscellaneous meaningful names



Chaitanya

Darshan

Drishti

Durgeswari

Ekaaparnika

Hariyaksh

Hritvika

Himani

Bhairavi

Roudri

Inaaya

Kirati

Kairav

Kainaat

Kriday

Leher

Lehri

Leshya

Lagna

Lana

Lamha

Hriday

Naman

Niriha

Namya

Kaashvj

Kavya

Laasya

Mahamaaya

Haasini

Shambhavi

Shrini

Utpalakshi

Ushnishini

Yagnaa

Yagnaish

Yagnee

Yuvna

Vedini

But by our tradition, the first letter of the baby’s name is given by the brahmin after looking at the baby’s vedic astrological horoscope on the 21st day ceremony of the baby. I did the horoscope check for my baby online and "g" was the letter. All my lists ddidn't have a single name starting with G. Yet I instantly came up with the name "Govind" as I always wanted my baby to have a God’s name. All my family members condemned me for this name and said that your son too won't like it. I would reply that its his bad luck then as he doesn't have a choice either.

There is a beautiful thought behind this choice which led me to it. I believe in chanting of vedic mantras which helps to build up concentration, as the sonic vibrations of those mantras creates a peaceful aura around us. Similarly God’s name itself is powerful enough to cleanse our minds and heart. The vibration of the name itself had sin destroying effects

I would also like to share an excerpt from shrimad bhagwad Gita which gives the inspiration naming the child with God’s name. It is the story of Ajamila as described in the Bhagavatam.



Ajamila was a pious brahmana. But once he saw a prostitute engaged with a man in the forest and since then he got infatuated. He fell down from his religious activities and went so low as to marry the prostitute herself. He abandoned spiritual activities and engaged in sinful ones. In course of time he begot ten sons from his wife and he had named the youngest one who he loved very much as Narayana. At the time of his death when the minions of Yama came, out of fear he repeatedly called his youngest son with his name Narayana. As he took the name of the Lord, messengers of Vishnu came and realised him from the fetters of Yama. Vishnu dootas discussed with the Yama dootas why he shouldn't be punished. Hearing this conversation, Ajamila could know his mistakes and got back his life. Then he spent rest of his life practising devotion to the Lord and finally went to Vishnu's abode after his death.

So even the holy name of the Lord is powerful enough to redeem people of their sins. Hence, Yama said to his messengers the importance of chanting Lord's name as below:

Therefore it should be understood that one is easily relieved from all sinful reactions by chanting the holy name of the Lord and chanting of His qualities and activities. This is the only process recommended for relief from sinful reactions. Even if one chants the holy name of the Lord with improper pronunciation, he will achieve relief from material bondage if he chants without offenses. Ajāmila, for example, was extremely sinful, but while dying he merely chanted the holy name, and although calling his son, he achieved complete liberation because he remembered the name of Nārāyaṇa. [SB - 6.3.24]

My dear servants, please bring to me only those sinful persons who do not use their tongues to chant the holy name and qualities of Kṛṣṇa, whose hearts do not remember the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa even once, and whose heads do not bow down even once before Lord Kṛṣṇa. Send me those who do not perform their duties toward Viṣṇu, which are the only duties in human life. Please bring me all such fools and rascals. [SB - 6.3.29]



Another great example about the importance of God’s name is the transformation of dasyu/ dacoit Ratnakar into Valmiki. We all know that Valmiki is the saint who narrated the epic Ramayan and was also the teacher of Luv-Kush, the twin kids of Lord Ram and Sita. He was actually a well known bandit named Ratnakar. Although by birth he was a brahmin, yet bad company had turned him into a bandit. He looted the people passing through the lonely paths in the forests. One day sage Narada was passing by that way. As usual dasyu Ratnakar stopped Narada muni and threatened him to surrender all his belongings. But sage Narada was unafraid of him and calmly said, “ look brother, I do not posses anything that you would like to take.” And then asked him, “ Why are you doing all this? There is no other sin as bad as killing an innocent unarmed human being. And fir whom are you committing such a heinous crime?

Ratnakar was accustomed of frightened faces who used to cry and beg for his mercy. He was astonished to see that Narada was not at all afraid of him rather had the courage to question him. Impressed by this, he answered to sage Narada, “ I do this to meet the needs of my large family.” To this sage Narada replied; “ Brother, please go and ask all your family members if they are willing to share the sins you have committed.” Dasyu Ratnakar was agitated by this conversation but his newly awakened conscience stirred him up intensely enough to question his family members about this. So he tied Sage NArada tightly to a tree with a rope and went home. He asked the same question to each of his family members, “ Are you willing to share the sins I have been committing to meet all your needs?”. The same reply came for each one of them, “ It is your duty to look after us and feed us, it is not my concern about the way you earn the wealth to look after us or meet our needs. So why should I share your sin?”.

Ratnakar was dismayed as he was toiling so hard day and night by risking his life in the forest for them and incurring sins for himself yet none of them is willing to share his load of sins. He realised the futility of his actions. With the newly found realisation and guilt he returned to the forest, untied sage Narada, and fell at his feets. He cried and asked, “ O learned man, how can a sinner like me attain salvation?”

After thinking for a while, sage Narada asked the guilt-striken dacoit to chant the name of lord Rama if he wanted to get rid of his sins. But dasyu Ratnakar was so sinful that he couldn't even pronounce the simple two syllabled word Rama. Sage Narada tried a lot to help him pronounce the word but in vain. Tired and dejected, so witty as he is, Sage Narada advised Dasyu Ratnakar to pronounce the two syllables in reverse i.e. “Mara”. This was easy for dasyu Ratnakar as he uttered this word frequently while he killed innocent people. But now he started chanting “mara – mara” with repentance and with the intention of penance for his sinful deeds. He continued with the chanting for days, weeks, months, years, and even yugas. He didn't cease chanting for even a single moment neither did he even get up from that place nor did he open his eyes. His body is so still that termites grew their hill over him. Lord Brahma was impressed with his determined penance and blessed him with knowledge as well as renamed him as Valmiki because termites in sanskrit are called valmik.

Even by chanting the names backwards a cruel bandit could transform into a knowledgeable sage. #naamkaran

Tell me which name did you like from my list?