A Buddhist name is a lovely choice for your little girl, as many options have positive meanings centering around concepts of beauty, joy, peace, and enlightenment. The broad spread of the spiritual practice across western Eurasia means that names associated with Buddhism can encompass many cultures; though Indian names drawn from Tibetian Buddhism are common, the evolution of Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism have added names from many Asian languages to the lexicon.
Ready to get one step closer to enlightenment on your journey to parenthood?
Let’s dive in.
- Anong – A Thai word for beautiful woman
- Arya – A Sanskrit word for noble or exalted
- Bodhi – A common Buddhist term which refers to awakening and enlightenment; may specifically refer to a state of understanding attained by the Buddha while sitting under the Bodhi tree, a sacred site
- Cahya – An Indonesian name meaning person who is light in the darkness
- Dharma – A common Buddhist term referring to the understanding of the relationship between the laws of nature and human existence
- Duanphen – A Thai name meaning full moon
- Etsudo – A Japanese word referring to children or joy
- Fumiko – A Japanese name meaning beautiful child
- Genji – A name of Japanese origin with multiple meanings; most commonly, one who is most valuable to God
- Hella – Victorious, successful
- Justeene – One who is righteous
- Karma – A common Buddhist belief which has gained much ground in popular culture; refers to the belief that one’s actions, whether positive or negative, will influence their future life and prosperity, even extending beyond one’s current lifespan
- Kathina – A festival which marks the end of Vassa, a twelve week retreat taken by Theravada Buddhists during the season of rain; it marks a period of self-expression and giving
- Lotus – A common symbol in Buddhist spiritual practice, as its growth through the mud and water to bloom can be seen as a metaphorical representation of the human journey from ignorance to enlightenment
- Malivalaya – A Thai word referring to climbing Jasmine
- Mahayana – One of the primary sects of Buddhism, its name was taken from two Sanskrit words which combine to mean ‘great vehicle’, referring to the practice as a vehicle to enlightenment
- Nirvana – A common Buddhist concept referring to the ultimate state of enlightenment, in which the mind is still and desire, resistance, and delusion have been released; achieving this state is the goal of Buddhism
- Samsara – Refers to the concept of continual movement or the cycle of existence, often literally translated as ‘the circle of life’
- Veda – A word referring to ancient Hindu historical texts, considered to be the most sacred of Buddhist literature
- Zen – A term commonly associated with Buddhism which refers to a state of calm and tranquility
