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Chandrika

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Chandrika

Pronounced chun-DREE-kuh /tʃənˈdriː.kə/Medium

Meaning: Chandrika is a Sanskrit name meaning 'moonlight' or 'moonbeam', built on chandra, 'moon', a deeply auspicious word in Indian tradition. It is an established girl's name across India and the South Asian diaspora, sometimes a name of the moon's radiance itself.Medium

In 30 seconds: Chandrika is a Sanskrit girl's name meaning 'moonlight'. Brought to the United States by South Asian families, it stayed rare, cresting in the early nineteen-seventies (said chun-DREE-kuh).

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Origin MediumSanskrit

MeaningChandrika is a Sanskrit name meaning 'moonlight' or 'moonbeam', built on chandra, 'moon', a deeply auspicious word in Indian tradition. It is an established girl's name across India and the South Asian diaspora, sometimes a name of the moon's radiance itself.

U.S. rank (2002)#15917 ↘ Falling

2002 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1972

Total births (all-time)≈ 161

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Chandrika is a classical Sanskrit name for moonlight, long used across India and carried to the United States by South Asian immigrant families in the later twentieth century. Its root chandra, 'moon', is one of the most auspicious words in Indian naming. In America it remained a heritage name rather than a mainstream one.

It appeared only in small numbers, reaching a couple dozen girls a year around 1972 and staying rare, tracking the growth of South Asian communities. A girl named Chandrika then is in her fifties now.

Did you know? Chandrika is built on the Sanskrit chandra, 'moon', the same root behind many Indian names, and means the soft light the moon casts.

Overall data confidence 72%

References - Chandrika — Sanskrit chandra 'moon'; Chandrika 'moonlight'; South Asian heritage name

Variations

ChandraChandrakalaChandaniChandrima

Nicknames

ChandiRika

Famous Bearers

★Chandrika Kumaratunga (b. 1945)
Sri Lankan politician who served as the country's president; a widely known bearer of the name

If you like Chandrika…

Chandra— the moon root name it is built on

Indira— a like classical Indian girl's name

Priya— a familiar Sanskrit name of similar feel

Vamika— lands in the same popularity range

Anvika— another Sanskrit name

Explore names like Chandrika

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Chandrika mean?

Chandrika is a Sanskrit name meaning 'moonlight' or 'moonbeam', from chandra, 'moon'.

How do you pronounce Chandrika?

It's said chun-DREE-kuh /tʃənˈdriː.kə/, three syllables, stress on the middle.

Is Chandrika a boy or girl name?

Chandrika is used as a girl's name.

Is Chandrika a popular name?

No, in the United States it has always been rare, a heritage name most visible in the early nineteen-seventies.