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About this tool
Search Buddhist baby names from Pali, Sanskrit and Tibetan sources with literal meanings and the canonical figure or term each name refers to.
The Buddhist Baby Name Finder searches a curated library of names drawn from Pali, Sanskrit and Tibetan Buddhist sources, showing the literal meaning of each word alongside the disciple, bodhisattva or doctrinal term it refers to. Filter by gender, source language, starting letter, name length or by the meaning itself — searching "compassion" surfaces Karuna, Avalokita and Tara. Useful for parents who want a name with a traceable source rather than an invented one.
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Each entry gives the literal sense of the Pali, Sanskrit or Tibetan word, not a marketing gloss.
Names tied to a disciple, a brahmavihara or a bodhisattva carry a short note saying who or what.
Cap the letter count, fix the starting letter or search the meaning text to narrow a long list fast.
Metta (loving-kindness), Karuna (compassion), Mudita (sympathetic joy) and Upekkha (equanimity) are the four brahmaviharas, and all four are used as given names. The Sanskrit forms are Maitri, Karuna, Mudita and Upeksha.
Theravada communities in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia use Pali forms such as Dhamma, Panna and Siddhattha, while Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions in India, Nepal, Tibet and East Asia use the Sanskrit forms Dharma, Prajna and Siddhartha. Both refer to the same word; pick the tradition your family follows.
Many are not. Abstract-quality names such as Bodhi, Khema, Samadhi, Ratna and the Tibetan Tenzin, Sonam, Karma and Tashi are used for any gender, while names of specific figures — Rahula, Sariputta, Yasodhara, Visakha — follow the gender of that person.
Practice varies by community. Naming after disciples, qualities and bodhisattvas is common everywhere, but some families avoid using Buddha, Gautama or Shakyamuni directly as a personal name out of respect. If you are unsure, ask a monastic or teacher in your own tradition rather than relying on a general list.