The girl names that Indian parents keep returning to are soft, short and meaningful: goddess names, words for light and music, and a growing number of modern, easy-to-say names. Here is what is trending, with meanings and the feel of each one. Some meanings differ by source, so we note where.
The names you will hear most
- Aadhya: the first power. A name of Goddess Durga.
- Saanvi: knowledge; often linked with Goddess Lakshmi or Saraswati.
- Anaya: caring and gentle (sources vary on the origin).
- Diya: a lamp, a light.
- Ananya: unique, without equal.
- Aaradhya: worshipped, revered.
- Myra: often glossed as loved or admirable. Sources disagree on the origin.
- Kiara: often said to mean light or clear. Sources vary.
- Ira: the earth; also speech and Goddess Saraswati.
- Anika: often given as grace. Sometimes linked to Goddess Durga.
Goddess-inspired
- Anvi: commonly given as a name of Goddess Lakshmi or Durga. Meanings vary.
- Ishani: the north-east; a name of Parvati.
- Siya: a name of Sita.
- Mira: devoted to Krishna, from the poet-saint Meera.
- Avni: the earth.
- Vedika: an altar; a person of knowledge.
Light, music and nature
- Aahana: the first ray of the sun; often glossed as inner light.
- Aarohi: a musical rise, or a climb.
- Tara: a star.
- Mahika: the earth, or a dewdrop.
- Kavya: poetry.
- Pari: a fairy.
Fresh and modern
- Navya: new, praiseworthy.
- Aadvika: unique.
- Tanvi: delicate, slender.
- Charvi: beautiful, graceful.
- Nitya: eternal, always.
- Prisha: beloved. Often glossed as loved by God.
- Vanya: a forest, or a gift.
Names that work across languages
If your family may live abroad, or you want a name that every colleague can say, look at Meher (kindness), Zara (princess, or blossom), Sara (princess), Inaya (care) and Riya. They are short, easy to spell and appear in many communities.
Before you finalise
- Say it aloud with the surname, and check the initials.
- Check the meaning in more than one language, and ask the elders in the family.
- Think about nicknames and how it will look in a school register.
- If you add a double vowel or extra letter for style, remember that all your daughter's documents will carry that spelling.
Read how to choose a baby name, and see the trending boy names.
Please note: there is no official, single ranking of baby names in India. "Trending" here means names that appear again and again in recent Indian parenting and baby-name lists, and not a count of birth records. Meanings differ between sources, so check with a family elder, a Sanskrit or Arabic dictionary, or your own priest or maulvi before you decide. Spelling matters too: pick one spelling and use it everywhere.