Bengali Baby Boy Names with Meanings
Bengali families often name a son after Shiva or t...
Date | 11/9/2026
Bengali parents often name a daughter after Durga, who comes home as Uma every Durga Puja, a heroine of Tagore, or the flowers and rivers of Bengal. Many Bengali girl names are Sanskrit words with a soft Bengali sound, and others, like Hiya and Mohona, are everyday Bengali words. Here are Bengali baby girl names with their meanings and Bengali spellings, from goddess names and literary heroines to classic and modern favourites.
Durga Puja is Bengal's biggest festival, and the agomoni songs sung before it welcome Durga as Uma, a married daughter coming home to her parents for a few days each autumn. Kali Puja follows on the new-moon night of Diwali, and Kali is worshipped at famous temples such as Kalighat and Dakshineswar in Kolkata. These goddess names are among the most loved in Bengal.
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Durga | The invincible goddess, worshipped at Durga Puja (দুর্গা) |
| Uma | Parvati; in Bengal, Durga is welcomed home as Uma, the daughter (উমা) |
| Gauri | The fair one; a name of Parvati (গৌরী) |
| Aparna | Parvati, who fasted without even a leaf to eat (অপর্ণা) |
| Shyama | The dark one; a name of Kali (শ্যামা) |
| Tara | A star; also the goddess Tara of Tarapith (তারা) |
| Annapurna | The giver of food; a form of Parvati (অন্নপূর্ণা) |
| Ambika | The mother; a name of Durga (অম্বিকা) |
Tagore wrote many strong, memorable women into his stories, novels, plays and dance dramas, and Bengali parents still choose their names. Satyajit Ray filmed two of these stories, Nastanirh as Charulata (1964) and Ghare Baire (1984), bringing Charulata and Bimala to a wider audience. Other names here honour the women of Tagore's own family.
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Charulata | A beautiful creeper; heroine of Tagore's Nastanirh, filmed by Satyajit Ray as Charulata (চারুলতা) |
| Bimala | Pure; heroine of Tagore's Ghare Baire (বিমলা) |
| Labanya | Grace, charm; heroine of Tagore's Shesher Kobita (লাবণ্য) |
| Nandini | Delight; heroine of Tagore's play Raktakarabi (নন্দিনী) |
| Chitrangada | The warrior princess of Tagore's dance drama (চিত্রাঙ্গদা) |
| Mrinalini | A lotus stalk; also Tagore's wife, Mrinalini Devi (মৃণালিনী) |
| Kadambari | The title of Banabhatta's classic Sanskrit romance; also Kadambari Devi, Tagore's sister-in-law and literary companion (কাদম্বরী) |
The Bengal delta is shaped by great rivers such as the Padma, the main channel of the Ganges in Bangladesh, and the Teesta, which flows down from Sikkim through north Bengal. Flowers like shiuli and bakul are part of everyday Bengali life. The shiuli blooms in early autumn, and its falling flowers are a sign that Durga Puja is near.
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Padma | The great river of Bengal; also the lotus (পদ্মা) |
| Teesta | The river of north Bengal (তিস্তা) |
| Shiuli | The night jasmine, the flower of the Durga Puja season (শিউলি) |
| Bakul | A small, fragrant flower (বকুল) |
| Malati | A jasmine flower (মালতী) |
| Brishti | Rain (বৃষ্টি) |
| Shrabani | Born in Shraban, the month of the monsoon (শ্রাবণী) |
These names were popular through the twentieth century and are still given today. Some are linked to well loved Bengali stars such as the actresses Suchitra Sen and Sharmila Tagore. Others, like Paromita and Sudeshna, come from Buddhist thought and the Mahabharata.
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Sharmila | Modest, shy (শর্মিলা) |
| Suchitra | A beautiful picture; after the actress Suchitra Sen (সুচিত্রা) |
| Mousumi | The monsoon wind (মৌসুমী) |
| Paromita | Perfection; the wisdom that crosses over (পারমিতা) |
| Ananya | Unique, without equal (অনন্যা) |
| Sudeshna | The queen of King Virata in the Mahabharata (সুদেষ্ণা) |
| Rupa | Silver; also form and beauty (রূপা) |
Many modern Bengali girl names are short and soft, often just two or three syllables, and are easy to say in any language. Some, like Hiya and Mohona, are everyday Bengali words, while Ahana, Oishi and Ishani go back to Sanskrit. They suit parents who want a name that is Bengali at heart but modern in sound.
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