Priti, Pritika

  • Origin: Sanskrit प्रीति
  • Assamese/Bengali: প্রীতি
  • Hindi/Marathi/Maithili/Nepali/Sanskrit: प्रीति, प्रीती
  • Gujurati: પ્રીતિ
  • Kannada: ಪ್ರೀತಿ
  • Malayalam: പ്രീതി
  • Punjabi: ਪ੍ਰੀਤੀ
  • Western Punjabi: پریتی
  • Tamil: பிரீத்தி
  • Telugu: ప్రీతి
  • Meaning: “love; joy; kindness; pleasure; favor; affection; sweetheart.”
  • Gender: feminine
  • Pronunciation: (PREE-tee; PREE-tee-kah)

The name is derived from the Sanskrit प्रीति (prīti), which means, “love; joy; kindness; pleasure; favor; affection; sweetheart.” Another form is Pritika.

It is sometimes transliterations as Preeti & Preetika.

A notable bearer is British Secretary of State for the Home Department, Priti Patel (b. 1972).

Sources

Fuad

  • Origin: Arabic فُؤاد
  • Meaning: “heart.”
  • Gender: masculine
  • Pronunciation: foo-AD

The name comes directly from the Arabic word for heart. It is used equally among Arab- Muslims & Christians. Among Christians, particularly Palestinians, Chaldeans and Lebanese Christians who profess Roman Catholicism, it is used in reference to the Sacred Heart of Jesus or the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in the same way the Spanish name Corazón is used in the Spanish-speaking world, though in the Arabic case, the name is strictly masculine.

Among Muslims, the term fu’ad is used at least 5 times in the Quran. The name is used throughout the Islamic world.

It is even used among Non-Arab groups in the Middle East, such as Mizrachi Jews.

The name was borne by two Egyptian kings.

Other forms include:

  • Fuad (Amharic, Azeri, Bosnian, Indonesian)
  • Fouad (Maghrebi)
  • Fuat (Turkish)
  • Fawad (Urdu)

A feminine form is Fuada(h).

Sources

Sariyah – meaning, origin & history of the first name

  • Origin: Arabic سارية
  • Urdu: سریا
  • Hindi:  सरिया
  • Bengla: সারিয়া
  • Meaning: “clouds at night.”
  • Gender: Female

Sariyah سارية is from an Arabic word that means “clouds at night.”

It is derived from the Arabic root S-R-A, and can be associated with “night rain” or “night travel.”

Saria and Sarya is the Urdu transliteration and is popular in Pakistan and India among Muslims.

Other forms include:

  • Sarija Сария (Abkhazian, Albanian, Azeri, Bashkir, Bosnian, Chechen, Circassian, Dagestani, Kazakh, Ossetian, Tajik)
  • Sәrija Сәрия (Tatar)

Sources

Siddhi

  • Origin: Sanskrit सिद्धि
  • Marathi: सिद्धि
  • Meaning: “perfection, attainment, completion; accomplishment; success.”
  • Gender: feminine
  • Pronunciation: SID-dee; SIT-tee (depending on language & dialect)

The name comes from the Sanskrit noun सिद्धि (siddhi), meaning “perfection, attainment, accomplishment,” which is a concept that refers to the attainment of magical, paranormal or psychic abilities through meditation and yoga. It is a concept found in Yoga, Buddhism and Hinduism.

In Hinduism, it is the name of one of Lord Ganesha’s wives, the other being named Riddhi.

Sources

Tulsi

  • Origin: Sanskrit तुलसी
  • Hindi/Nepali: तुलसी; Bengali টালসি
  • Meaning: “holy basil.”
  • Gender: unisex
  • Pronunciation: TULL-see

The name is derived from the Sanskrit तुलसी (holy basil). It is the name of a type of perennial plant in the family Lamicae and is endemic to the Indian subcontinent.

Tulsi is considered sacred plant in Hinduism, it is worshipped as an avatar for the goddess Lakshmi and the plant is traditionally planted in the center of courtyards to Hindu houses or next to Hanuman temples.

It is worshipped in Vaishnavism and holds an importance in Ayuverda traditions.

A notable bearer is American politician Tulsi Gabbard (b. 1981).

Sources

Asvika, Ashvika

  • Origin: Sanskrit अश्विका
  • Meaning: “little mare; drawn by horses; equestrian”
  • Gender: feminine
  • AHSH-vee-ka

The name comes from the Sanskrit अश्विका (azvika) meaning, “little mare; drawn by horses” or “equestrian.”

Sources

Elika

The name can be of several different origins and meanings.

It is a Biblical male name that occurs in 2 Samuel 23:25 as the name of Elika the Harodite, one of David’s 37 special warriors. In this case, אֵַליקָא (Eli’ka), may mean “vomit of God” or “Congregation of God.” Some sources also list this as meaning “pelican of God.” In English, the name would be pronounced ee-LYE-kuh.

Pronounced, EH-lee-KAW الیکا, it is a Persian female name that derives from the Mazanderani language, meaning, “wild cherry.” However, it’s use in Iran may be influenced by an identical sounding Indian female name, which is derived from the Sanskrit एलीका (Elika), meaning “small cardamom.” It is also the name of a village in northern Iran of the same aforementioned Mazanderani etymology.

Elika is also a Nordic female name of uncertain etymology, it’s earliest use is recorded in 18th-century Iceland. It may derive from the the Frisian diminutive name, Alike, which is a diminutive form of any name beginning in the Adal- element, or the Frisian unisex diminutive name Elike, which is a short form of any name beginning in the EGG- element.

It may also be linked with a Greenlandic female name of uncertain etymology.

It’s Nordic form has been in use in Finland & Estonia, as well as all of Scandinavia & Iceland. It should be noted that Elike has occurred in use as a unisex name in Norway and Friesland.

Swedish and Frisian female variations include Eliko & Eliken.

Alternately, it is a Mari female name, but is of uncertain meaning, it may be a variation of Evika, meaning “slender.”

It is also the Hawaiian translation of Elisa, Eliza, Erica & Eric.

Sources

Megha

  • Origin: Sanskrit मेघ, Hindi मेघपुंज
  • Meaning: “cloud.”
  • Gender: feminine
  • MAY-gah

The name comes directly from the Sanskrit word for “cloud.”

It is also the name of a raga in the Hindustani classical music tradition.

Sources

Niharika

niharika

Actress, Niharika Singh

  • Origin: Hindi नीहारिका
  • Meaning: “nebula.”
  • Gender: feminine
  • (NEE-har-e-kah)

The name comes directly from the Hindi word नीहारिका (nikarika) meaning “nebula.”

The name is borne by actress, Niharika Singh (b. 1982).

Sources