Kashmiri Baby Boy Names with Meanings

Kashmiri names come from two old traditions of the valley: the Shaiva faith of the Kashmiri Pandits and the Sufi-shaped Islam of Kashmir's rishis and poets. Kashmiri is written in a Perso-Arabic script, and Pandit families also use Devanagari, so each name below is shown in the script its families use. Here are Kashmiri baby boy names with their meanings, from Shaiva names to the names of kings, poets and the land.

1. Names from Kashmir Shaivism

Kashmir was a great centre of Shaiva philosophy; Abhinavagupta wrote there around the year 1000. Legend says the sage Kashyapa drained the lake that once filled the valley, which is why it is called Kashmir, and every summer pilgrims climb to Shiva's ice lingam at the Amarnath cave.

Names For Boys

Name	Meaning
Shiv	Auspicious; Lord Shiva (शिव)
Amarnath	Lord of the immortals; Shiva of the Amarnath cave (अमरनाथ)
Bhairav	The awe-inspiring one, a fierce form of Shiva (भैरव)
Abhinav	New, fresh; after the philosopher Abhinavagupta (अभिनव)
Kashyap	After the sage Kashyapa, for whom Kashmir is named (कश्यप)

2. Names of Kings, Saints and Poets

Lalitaditya built the Martand Sun Temple in the eighth century, and Kalhana told Kashmir's history in the Rajatarangini in 1148. Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin, remembered as Budshah, the great king, and Sheikh Nooruddin, the Nund Rishi, are loved by Kashmiris of every faith; Yusuf Shah Chak was the last king of independent Kashmir.

Names For Boys

Name	Meaning
Lalitaditya	The lovely sun; after the king who built Martand (ललितादित्य)
Kalhana	After Kalhana, the poet-historian of the Rajatarangini (कल्हण)
Zainul	Ornament of; short for Zain-ul-Abidin, Budshah (زین العابدین)
Nooruddin	Light of the faith; after the Nund Rishi (نورالدین)
Yusuf	He will add; after Yusuf Shah Chak (یوسف)
Mir	A leader, a chief (میر)

3. Classic Kashmiri Pandit Names

Kashmiri Pandit names often end in -nath or -lal, as in Triloki Nath, Som Nath and Makhan Lal. Jawaharlal Nehru's family were Kashmiri Pandits.

Names For Boys

Name	Meaning
Trilok	The three worlds (त्रिलोक)
Somnath	Lord of the moon, Shiva (सोमनाथ)
Pushkar	The blue lotus (पुष्कर)
Makhan	Butter, loved by the child Krishna (मक्खन)
Moti	A pearl (मोती)
Jawahar	A jewel (जवाहर)

4. Names from the Land of Kashmir

The chinar trees turn red in the Kashmiri autumn, saffron blooms purple on the plateau of Pampore, and Kashmiri poetry is full of roses and gardens.

Names For Boys

Name	Meaning
Chinar	The chinar, the great plane tree of Kashmir (چنار)
Kesar	Saffron (केसर)
Zafran	Saffron, from the Arabic and Persian (زعفران)
Gul	A rose, a flower (گل)
Gulshan	A rose garden (گلشن)

5. Muslim Boy Names Popular in Kashmir

These Arabic and Persian names are widely used in Kashmiri Muslim families, from the classic Ghulam and Rashid to modern favourites like Zubair and Owais.

Names For Boys

Name	Meaning
Ghulam	A servant, as in Ghulam Rasool (غلام)
Rashid	Rightly guided (رشید)
Mushtaq	One who longs, an ardent seeker (مشتاق)
Bilal	Moisture, refreshment; after the Prophet's companion (بلال)
Tariq	The morning star (طارق)
Irfan	Knowledge, wisdom (عرفان)
Faisal	A judge who decides between right and wrong (فیصل)
Zubair	Strong, firm (زبیر)
Adil	Just, fair (عادل)
Junaid	A young soldier (جنید)
Owais	A little wolf; after Uwais al-Qarani (اویس)
Burhan	Proof, clear evidence (برہان)