Lord Shiva Names for Baby Boy (and Girl), with Meanings

Lord Shiva has many names, each describing one side of him: the fierce Rudra, the kind Bholenath, the blue-throated Nilkanth, the dancer Nataraj. They make strong, meaningful names for a baby boy. Here are the most-loved names of Shiva with their meanings, modern names drawn from them, and girl names of Goddess Parvati.

1. Classic Names of Lord Shiva

Traditional names of Shiva used across India.

Names For Boys

Name	Meaning
Shiva	Auspicious, kind; the destroyer in the Hindu trinity (शिव)
Rudra	The fierce one, the roarer; a Vedic form of Shiva (रुद्र)
Shankar	One who brings welfare and joy (शंकर)
Mahesh	The great lord, from maha (great) + isha (lord) (महेश)
Mahadev	The great god (महादेव)
Shambhu	Abode of joy, giver of happiness (शंभु)
Ishwar	The supreme lord (ईश्वर)
Ishaan	The lord, ruler; Shiva as guardian of the north-east (ईशान)

2. Names from Shiva's Stories

Each of these names remembers a story from the Puranas.

Names For Boys

Name	Meaning
Nilkanth	Blue-throated, after Shiva drank the halahala poison to save the world (नीलकंठ)
Gangadhar	Bearer of the Ganga, which he caught in his hair (गंगाधर)
Chandrashekhar	One who wears the moon on his head (चंद्रशेखर)
Trinetra	The three-eyed one (त्रिनेत्र)
Tripurari	Destroyer of Tripura, the three demon cities (त्रिपुरारी)
Nataraj	Lord of dance (नटराज)
Mrityunjay	Conqueror of death (मृत्युंजय)
Bholenath	The simple, kind-hearted lord (भोलेनाथ)

3. Names from Shiva's Abodes and Temples

Names of Shiva's mountain home and his famous shrines.

Names For Boys

Name	Meaning
Kailash	Mount Kailash, Shiva's home (कैलाश)
Girish	Lord of the mountain (गिरीश)
Shailesh	Lord of the mountains (शैलेश)
Umesh	Lord of Uma (Parvati) (उमेश)
Vishwanath	Lord of the universe; Shiva at Kashi (Varanasi) (विश्वनाथ)
Somnath	Lord of the moon; the Jyotirlinga in Gujarat (सोमनाथ)
Kedar	Shiva as Kedarnath, the Himalayan Jyotirlinga (केदार)
Pashupati	Lord of all living beings (पशुपति)

4. Modern Names Inspired by Shiva

Newer names built from Shiva's names, popular with today's parents.

Names For Boys

Name	Meaning
Shivam	Auspicious, kind (शिवम)
Shivansh	A part of Shiva (शिवांश)
Rudransh	A part of Rudra (रुद्रांश)
Omkar	The sacred sound Om (ओंकार)

5. Names of Goddess Parvati for Girls

Shiva's consort Parvati has many names that suit a baby girl.

Names For Girls

Name	Meaning
Parvati	Daughter of the mountain (पार्वती)
Uma	Light, splendour; a name of Parvati (उमा)
Gauri	The fair, radiant one (गौरी)
Shivani	Belonging to Shiva; Parvati (शिवानी)
Girija	Born of the mountain (गिरिजा)
Shailaja	Daughter of the mountain (शैलजा)
Aparna	One who fasted without even a leaf to win Shiva (अपर्णा)
Bhavani	Giver of life; a form of Parvati (भवानी)
Ambika	Mother; a name of Parvati (अंबिका)
Shambhavi	Consort of Shambhu (Shiva) (शांभवी)