Goddess Parvati Names for Baby Girl (and Boy), with Meanings

Goddess Parvati is the daughter of the Himalaya, the wife of Shiva and the mother of Ganesha and Kartikeya. She is gentle as Gauri and fierce as Durga, and she is worshipped in great temples from Madurai to Varanasi. Here are the most-loved names of Parvati for a baby girl, with their meanings, and boy names of her two sons.

1. Names of the Daughter of the Mountain

Parvati was born to Himavan, king of the Himalaya, and Mena, so many of her names mean 'of the mountain' or 'of the snows'.

Names For Girls

Name	Meaning
Parvati	Daughter of the mountain (पार्वती)
Girija	Born of the mountain (गिरिजा)
Shailaja	Daughter of the mountain (शैलजा)
Himani	Of the snows (हिमानी)
Haimavati	Daughter of the Himalaya (हैमवती)
Uma	Light, calm; a name of Parvati (उमा)
Gauri	The fair, radiant one (गौरी)

2. Names from Parvati's Story

In her earlier life Parvati was Sati, daughter of Daksha. Born again, she won Shiva through hard penance: she fasted so strictly that she did not eat even leaves, and was called Aparna. As Annapurna, she is the goddess who feeds the world.

Names For Girls

Name	Meaning
Sati	The true one; Shiva's first wife (सती)
Dakshayani	Daughter of Daksha (दाक्षायणी)
Aparna	Without even a leaf, after her penance (अपर्णा)
Annapurna	Full of food; giver of nourishment (अन्नपूर्णा)

3. Names from Parvati's Temples

Parvati is worshipped under many names in famous temples: Meenakshi at Madurai, Kamakshi at Kanchipuram, Vishalakshi at Varanasi and Lalita in the Lalita Sahasranama.

Names For Girls

Name	Meaning
Meenakshi	Fish-eyed; the goddess of Madurai (मीनाक्षी)
Kamakshi	Loving-eyed; the goddess of Kanchipuram (कामाक्षी)
Vishalakshi	Wide-eyed; the goddess of Varanasi (विशालाक्षी)
Lalita	Graceful, playful; the Divine Mother (ललिता)
Akhila	Complete, whole (अखिला)

4. Names as Shiva's Consort

Many of Parvati's names simply mean 'wife of Shiva', built from his names Shiva, Shambhu, Isha, Maheshwara, Shankara, Rudra and Sharva.

Names For Girls

Name	Meaning
Shivani	Wife of Shiva (शिवानी)
Shambhavi	Belonging to Shambhu, Shiva (शांभवी)
Ishani	Wife of Ishana, Shiva (ईशानी)
Maheshwari	Wife of Maheshwara (माहेश्वरी)
Shankari	Wife of Shankara (शंकरी)
Rudrani	Wife of Rudra (रुद्राणी)
Sharvani	Wife of Sharva (शर्वाणी)

5. Names of Parvati's Sons for Boys

Parvati's sons are Ganesha, the remover of obstacles, and Kartikeya, the god of war, known in Tamil Nadu as Murugan. Their names are strong choices for a baby boy.

Names For Boys

Name	Meaning
Ganesh	Lord of the ganas; Ganesha (गणेश)
Vinayak	The leader; a name of Ganesha (विनायक)
Kartik	Kartikeya, Parvati's elder son (कार्तिक)
Skanda	A name of Kartikeya (स्कंद)
Kumar	The young prince; Kartikeya (कुमार)
Murugan	Kartikeya as worshipped in Tamil Nadu (मुरुगन)
Shanmukh	Six-faced; Kartikeya (षण्मुख)