How We Research Baby Name Meanings

Where our name data comes from

Kids Names started from a large database of names compiled from public naming references, covering Indian, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Jewish and international traditions. Older entries vary in quality: some meanings are short, some list several unrelated senses, and some genders or origins are wrong.

Since September 2026 we have been re-researching that database name by name. For each name we trace the word back to its root language (for example a Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian or Hebrew word), write a fuller meaning, and correct the gender, origin and religion where they were wrong. This work is AI-assisted: an AI model drafts the etymology from its knowledge of these languages, and the result is written into the database through a fixed set of rules rather than free text. Names that have been through this pass show a longer meaning that names the source word.

Not every name has been re-researched yet. Pages for names that have not are still live, and their meaning comes from the original database.

What we leave out

We do not invent meanings. If a name cannot be traced to a real word or an established naming tradition, we leave the original entry alone rather than guess. We also skip coined words, fictional names, surnames and place names used as given names, names built on inauspicious roots, and the names of villains and asuras from the epics, and we keep the weakest of those pages out of search results.

Rashi and nakshatra

For Hindu names we show the rashi (moon sign) and nakshatra traditionally associated with the name’s first syllable, using the standard nama-akshara table (the Avakahada chakra) that pairs each of the 27 nakshatras with its starting sounds. Latin spelling cannot always tell retroflex from dental sounds (ṭa/ta, ḍa/da, ṇa/na), so where a spelling is ambiguous we use the dental reading, which is the more common one in Indian names.

This is the naming convention, not a horoscope. A child’s actual janma rashi and nakshatra come from the moon’s position at birth, and many families choose a name whose first syllable matches the birth nakshatra. We do not show rashi or nakshatra for names from traditions that do not use them.

Numerology

The numerology number on each page uses the Chaldean system: each letter has a value from 1 to 8, the values are added up, and the total is reduced to a single digit. It is calculated from the spelling shown on the page, so a different spelling of the same name can give a different number. We include it for families who use it; it does not predict anything about a child.

Gender and origin

Each name is listed as a boy, girl or unisex name and tagged with the languages or traditions it comes from. Many names cross traditions (Aria, Zara and Maya are used in several), so the tags list every tradition we could confirm rather than a single one.

Corrections

If a meaning, gender, origin or spelling is wrong, please tell us through the contact page with the name and what should change. We check every report, and corrections are reflected on the name page, which shows when it was last updated.