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Home › Baby Names Directory › Shiva

Shiva

♀ Girl

Pronounced SHEE-vuh /ˈʃiː.və/High

Meaning: From the Sanskrit Shiva, 'auspicious; benevolent; kind' — the name of one of the supreme deities of Hinduism, the destroyer and transformer within the Trimurti. As a personal name it is used with reverence and leans strongly to boys; the feminine counterpart is Shivani.Medium

In 30 seconds: A name carried by one of Hinduism's supreme deities: Shiva means 'auspicious, benevolent' (said 'SHEE-vuh'). More often a boy's name — we note the lean.
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Origin MediumSanskrit, Hebrew
MeaningFrom the Sanskrit Shiva, 'auspicious; benevolent; kind' — the name of one of the supreme deities of Hinduism, the destroyer and transformer within the Trimurti. As a personal name it is used with reverence and leans strongly to boys; the feminine counterpart is Shivani.
U.S. rank (2024)#13230 ↘ Falling
2024 U.S. births7 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1993
Total births (all-time)≈ 284

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 199319682024

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

Shiva is Sanskrit for 'auspicious; benevolent' and is above all the name of one of the supreme deities of Hinduism, worshipped as destroyer and transformer within the Trimurti. Used as a given name it is treated with reverence and is far more often a boy's name; Shivani is the usual feminine form, which we note. A separate Hebrew word, shiva ('seven'), names the seven-day Jewish period of mourning — the two are unrelated (said 'SHEE-vuh').

For girls it appears only very rarely in the U.S., against much heavier use for boys. Rare, reverent, and cross-sex.

Did you know? Shiva is the name of one of the supreme deities of Hinduism — the destroyer and transformer — and the word itself means 'auspicious' or 'benevolent' in Sanskrit. For girls, families more often choose the feminine form Shivani. Note too that shiva is the Hebrew name for the seven-day Jewish mourning period, an entirely separate word.
Overall data confidence 60%
References — Shiva — Sanskrit 'auspicious'; Hindu deity; separate Hebrew mourning term; boy-leaning

Variations

ShivaniSivaShiv

Nicknames

ShivShi

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Shiva…

Shivani— the usual feminine form of the same name
Parvati— the goddess who is Shiva's consort
Devi— a like reverent Sanskrit choice
Sita— a like classic Indian name

Explore names like Shiva

By themesanskritcross-sexhinduunisex-lean-boy

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Shiva mean?

Shiva is Sanskrit for 'auspicious; benevolent' and is the name of one of the supreme deities of Hinduism.

How do you pronounce Shiva?

It's said SHEE-vuh /ˈʃiː.və/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Shiva a boy or girl name?

In Hindu usage Shiva is far more often a boy's name — we note the lean; Shivani is the usual feminine form.

How popular is Shiva?

Shiva is very rare for girls in the U.S. and more common for boys.

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