Sanskrit Boy Names

Some parents want a boy name with weight behind it — not loud, just old and sure of itself. That is the pull of Sanskrit boy names, a set drawn from epics, philosophy and scripture that has been in continuous use longer than most modern languages have existed. Arjun belongs to the archer at the heart of the Mahabharata and still reads as both classical and completely current. Veer (brave, heroic) is one syllable of pure nerve. Bodhi (awakening) came into American style through surf culture and stayed for its calm, and Rohan has the rare gift of sounding at home in Mumbai, Manchester and Minneapolis at once.

The faster-rising corner of this list belongs to a newer generation of parents in the diaspora, and it is unmistakably vowel-rich and melodic. Aarav, Vihaan and Ishaan have climbed U.S. birth records fast over the past decade, joined by Ayaan and its trimmer twin Ayan. Aryan and Kiaan follow the same music. If you want something rarer and frankly more scholarly, Agastya is the name of a revered Vedic sage and almost nobody in your child’s class will share it, while Samir sits comfortably at the crossroads of Sanskrit and Arabic naming. We hold 911 boy names with Sanskrit roots, so there is far more here than the front page.

Every name below opens to its full page — a sourced meaning, the epic or text it descends from, its U.S. popularity, and a clear audio pronunciation so you can hear it before you fall for it.