Category Archives: Khmer Names

Padma

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  • Origin: Sanskrit
  • Kannada: ಪದ್ಮಾ (Kanada)
  • Sanskrit, Hindi: पद्म, पद्मा
  • Tamil: பத்மா
  • Telugu: పద్మా
  • Tibetan: པདྨ
  • Gender: Unisex
  • Meaning: “lotus.”
  • (PUD-mah); (pəd̪.mə/)

The name Padma (पद्म) is derived from Sanskrit, meaning “lotus.” In South Asian tradition, the lotus is one of the most sacred flowers, symbolizing purity, beauty, spiritual awakening, and transcendence — a blossom that rises pristine from muddy waters.

Religious & Mythological Significance

Lakshmi: In Hindu texts, Padma is used as a by-name of the goddess Lakshmi, goddess of wealth, fortune, and prosperity. She is often depicted standing or seated upon a lotus, holding lotus flowers in her hands.

Vishnu: The lotus is also associated with Vishnu, Lakshmi’s consort, and the cosmic lotus from which the universe springs.

Attributes: The padma is one of the four attributes (ayudhas) often shown in iconography of deities — symbolizing purity, enlightenment, and divine perfection.

Buddhism & Jainism: The lotus also holds deep meaning in Buddhist and Jain traditions, where it represents spiritual liberation and the blossoming of wisdom.

The name is technically unisex but more commonly bestowed on females. A notable bearer is American author, Padma Lakshmi (b. 1970).

It is also the name of a major river in Bangladesh and in the Harry Potter series, Padma Patil is the twin of Parvati Patil.

International Variations

  • Padmé (f) – a pop-culture invention from the Star Wars franchise, which is based on the Sanskrit name.
  • Badma Бадма (u) (Buryat, Kalmyk)
  • Pema པད་མ (u) (Bhutanese)
  • Padmi (f), Padmo (m) (Javanese)
  • Bhotum បទុម (u) (Khmer)
  • Badmaa Бадмаа (f) (Mongolian)
  • Badam Бадам (u) (Mongolian)
  • Padam पद्म (u) (Nepali)
  • Patthama ปัทมา (Thai) (f)

Sources

Rishi

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In Eastern Religions, a rishi is an accomplished or enlightened person or a yogi who has composed hymns or Vedas. In the Vedas, it also refers to an inspired poem or hymn. In Buddhism, it may refer to a monk of high rank or a Buddha. The word itself may be derive from the Sanskrit root ṛṣ meaning “to move; to flow.”

Rishi is currently a common Indian male name, it is born by the current British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak.

In the U.S., it currently ranks in as the 968th most popular male name (2023) and the 790th most popular in the U.K. and Wales (2021).

The feminine form is Rishika.

Other forms include:

  • Ruesi តាឥសី (Khmer); ฤๅษี (Thai) ລືສີ (Lao).

Transcriptions

  • ऋषि (Hindi, Nepali)
  • ऋषी (Marathi)
  • ऋषी (Bengali)

Sources

Rose

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: English/French

The name was originally a Norman form of the Germanic name Rohese/Roese, which was composed of the elements hrod meaning “fame” and heid meaning “kind, sort, type.”

The name was revived in the 19th-century by which time it was associated with the flower. In the floral case, the word is derived from the Latin rosa.

Consequently, it is also the word for pink in several European languages.

In the United States, Rose is probably one of the most common middle names given to baby girls, but as a first name, it is rather unusual. Currently, Rose only ranked as the #343rd most popular female name, (2008).

Her rankings in other countries are as follows:

  • # 92 (Australia, 2008)
  • # 91 (France, 2006)

In the Netherlands, Rosa was the 89th most popular female name (2008); and in Ireland, its vernacular form of Róisin ranked in as the 28th most popular female name, (2008).

Other forms of the name include:

  • Arrosa (Basque)
  • Ruža (Bosnian/Croatian/Slovene: common diminutive is Ružica)
  • Rozenn (Breton)
  • Roza Роза (Bulgarian/Croatian/Serbian/Slovene/Russian)
  • Ruzha Ружа (Bulgarian/Macedonian)
  • Rosa (Catalan/Dutch/English/Finnish/Galician/German/Italian/Portuguese/Romanian/Scandinavian/Spanish)
  • Rosen (Cornish)
  • Růže (Czech)
  • Roos (Dutch/Limburgish/Estonian: ROWS)
  • Roosje (Dutch: originally a diminutive form, occasionally used as an independent given name. RO:-shə)
  • Rohesia (English/Latin: Latinized version of Rohese. ro-HEE-zee-uh; ro-HEE-zhuh)
  • Rose (English/French/Scandinavian)
  • Royse (English: a Medieval Cognate, the name was actually a feminine given name, but due to its associations with Royce, it is often mistaken for a male name)
  • Roosa/Ruusa/Ruusu (Finnish)
  • Roseline (French)
  • Roselle (French)
  • Rosette (French)
  • Rosine (French)
  • Róza (Hungarian)
  • Rozina (Hungarian)
  • Rozita (Hungarian)
  • Rózsa (Hungarian: RO;jaw: Rózsi is the diminutive)
  • Rós (Icelandic)
  • Róis/Róise (Irish-Gaelic)
  • Róisin (Irish-Gaelic: ro-SHEEN; ROSH-een; ROW-sheen)
  • Rosella/Rossella (Italian)
  • Rosellina/Rossellina (Italian)
  • Rosetta (Italian)
  • Rosina (Italian)
  • Rosinella (Italian)
  • Rožė (Lithuanian: ROO-zhey)
  • Róža (Polish: ROO-zhah)
  • Rosita (Spanish: originally a diminutive form, occasionally used as an independent given name)
  • Rhosyn (Welsh)
  • Raisa (Yiddish: RYE-zah)
  • Raisel (Yiddish)

Common Italian compound names include: Annarosa, Mariarosa, Rosangela, Rosanna and Rosamaria.

Common English/French compounds are: Rosanne, Rosemary and Rosemarie.

A common English pet form is Rosie.

Italian masculine forms include: Roso, Rosello, Rosino and Rosetto.

Vernacular forms

These are names found in other languages that literally mean “rose” but which are also not related to the Latin/Germanic form of Rose/Rosa.

  • Qızılgül (Azeri)
  • Gul (Farsi)
  • Vardo (Georgian)
  • Vered וֶרֶד (Hebrew)
  • Mawar (Indonesian)
  • Kolab (Khmer)
  • Kulap (Thai)
  • Gül (Turkish)
  • Hòng (Vietnamese)
  • Huòng (Vietnamese: can also mean pink)

An Armenian masculine form is Vartan.

The name is also borne by a few Catholic saints.

The designated name-days are: August 23 (France), July 2 (Sweden).

Sources

  1. http://www.behindthename.com/namedays/search.php?terms=rosa
  2. http://www.askoxford.com/firstnames/rose?view=uk

Tola

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The name can either be a Polish diminutive form of Antonina, a Sanskrit name meaning “balance” or a Khmer name meaning “October.” Coincidentally, spelled Tóla, it is an Irish male name meaning “flood” or “abundance” and is the name of a Saint, also known as Tolanus or Thola.