Nepali Name Endings and What They Mean

Why endings matter

Most Nepali names come from Sanskrit, where words are often joined together to make a new one. A name like Suresh (सुरेश) is sura (god) joined to isha (lord), giving lord of the gods. Once you know a handful of endings, you can read the meaning of hundreds of names at a glance.

Endings also help when you are choosing. If you love the sound of -endra or -ika, you can browse every name with that ending and pick the first part for its meaning. Where a name only looks like it has an ending but comes from a different word, we say so.

Boys: -esh and -ishwar / -ishwor (lord)

The ending -esh comes from the Sanskrit isha (ईश), meaning lord or ruler. When a word ending in a meets isha, the two vowels merge into e, so gana + isha becomes Ganesh (गणेश), lord of the ganas. In the same way, maha (great) gives Mahesh (महेश), great lord, and sura (god) gives Suresh (सुरेश), lord of the gods.

Other examples: Dinesh (दिनेश), lord of the day, meaning the sun; Umesh (उमेश), lord of Uma, a name of Shiva; and Ramesh (रमेश), lord of Rama, which here means Lakshmi, so the name refers to Vishnu. See all boy names ending in -esh and the shorter -ish, as in Manish (मनिष).

A related ending is -ishwar, from ishvara (ईश्वर), also lord or god. Maheshwor (महेश्वर) means great lord, and Parameshwor (परमेश्वर) means supreme lord. In Nepal it is usually spelled -wor, following everyday speech. Browse -wor and -war names.

Boys: -endra (Indra, chief) and -raj (king)

The ending -endra comes from Indra, king of the gods. At the end of a name it means chief of or best of. Again a and i merge into e: sura + indra gives Surendra (सुरेन्द्र), lord of the gods, and nara (man) + indra gives Narendra (नरेन्द्र), king of men.

Other popular examples are Mahendra (महेन्द्र), great Indra; Devendra (देवेन्द्र), lord of the gods; Rajendra (राजेन्द्र), king of kings; and Gyanendra (ज्ञानेन्द्र), lord of knowledge. Upendra (उपेन्द्र) means younger brother of Indra, a name of Vishnu. See all names ending in -endra.

The ending -raj is simply raja, king. Yuvraj (युवराज) is young king, or crown prince; Devraj (देवराज) is king of the gods; and Nawaraj (नवराज) is new king. Browse -raj names.

Boys: -nath, -kar, -deep, -jit and -anand

These five endings each add a clear idea to the first part of the name:

• -nath (नाथ): lord, master or protector. Jagannath (जगन्नाथ) is lord of the universe, Taranath (तारानाथ) is lord of the stars, meaning the moon, and Amarnath (अमरनाथ) is immortal lord. See -nath names.
• -kar (कर): maker or doer. Prabhakar (प्रभाकर) is maker of light, Diwakar (दिवाकर) is maker of the day, both names of the sun, and Shankar (शंकर) is giver of welfare. Names like Sudhakar (सुधाकर) and Ratnakar (रत्नाकर) end in a different word, akara, a mine or treasure house: mine of nectar (the moon) and mine of jewels (the ocean). See -kar names.
• -deep (दीप): lamp or light. Sandeep (सन्दीप) is a lit lamp, Pradeep (प्रदीप) is a lamp or light, and Kuldeep (कुलदीप) is lamp of the family. Also spelled -dip, as in Sudip. See -deep names.
• -jit (जित्): victorious, conqueror of. Biswajit (विश्वजित) is conqueror of the world, Indrajit (इन्द्रजित) is conqueror of Indra, and Abhijit (अभिजित) means victorious. Ajit (अजित) is the opposite idea: unconquered, invincible. See -jit names.
• -anand (आनन्द): bliss or joy. Paramanand (परमानन्द) is supreme bliss, and Sachidanand (सच्चिदानन्द) joins existence, consciousness and bliss. See -anand names.

Girls: -ika, -ita and -ti

The ending -ika (इका) often turns a word into a girl's name, sometimes with a sense of little or dear. Deepika (दीपिका), from dipa, lamp, means little lamp, and Bhumika (भूमिका) is related to bhumi, earth. Radhika (राधिका) is another name of Radha. Browse -ika names.

The ending -ita (इता) usually describes a quality, like an English word ending in -ed. Sushmita (सुस्मिता) is su (good) + smita (smiling), one with a lovely smile. Ankita (अंकिता) means marked or distinguished, and Namita (नमिता) means one who bows, humble. Sunita (सुनिता) means well-behaved or well led. See -ita names.

The ending -ti (ति) makes abstract nouns, the way -ness or -tion does in English. Shanti (शान्ति) is peace, Kirti (कीर्ति) is fame, Preeti (प्रीति) is love, Smriti (स्मृति) is memory, and Sristi (सृष्टि) is creation. See -ti names.

Girls: -ima, -ja and -ati

The ending -ima (इमा) turns a describing word into a quality. Garima (गरिमा) comes from guru, weighty, and means dignity. Mahima (महिमा) comes from the word for great and means greatness or glory. Nilima (निलिमा) comes from nila, blue, and means blueness. Not every -ima name works this way: Pratima (प्रतिमा, image) and Sima (सीमा, boundary) just happen to end the same way. See -ima names.

The ending -ja (ज) means born of. Girija (गिरिजा) is born of the mountain, a name of Parvati, and Shailaja (शैलजा) means the same. Saroja (सरोजा) is born of a lake, meaning the lotus. Boys' names use it too: Pankaj (पंकज), born of mud, is also a lotus, and Manoj (मनोज), born of the mind, is a name of the god of love. See -ja names.

The ending -vati or -wati (वती) means possessing or full of. Gunawati (गुणवती) is full of good qualities, Kalawati (कलावती) is skilled in the arts, and Bhagwati (भगवती) is blessed, a name of Durga. Some names only look similar. Sumati (सुमति) ends in mati, mind, and means good mind. Parvati (पार्वती) comes from parvata, mountain, and means daughter of the mountain. See -ati names.

Girls: -ya and -ana

The ending -ya (य) often forms a describing word meaning of or like something. Divya (दिव्या) means divine, heavenly, and Saumya (सौम्य) means gentle, from soma, the moon. Many other names simply end in -ya without this sense, such as Priya (प्रिया, beloved) and Sandhya (सन्ध्या, twilight). See -ya names.

The ending -ana (अना) turns an action into a noun. Archana (अर्चना) is the act of worship, Kalpana (कल्पना) is imagination, Rachana (रचना) is creation or composition, and Bandana (वन्दना) is salutation or prayer. The pattern works in Nepali too: Samjhana (सम्झना), from samjhanu, to remember, means remembrance. See -ana names.

Using endings to choose a name

If you like a particular ending, start with its list and then choose the first part for its meaning. For example, -endra names let you pick a theme, such as knowledge in Gyanendra or the gods in Devendra, while keeping a strong traditional sound. Endings can also link siblings: two brothers named with -esh, or sisters with -ika, sound like a family without being alike.

You can also explore Sanskrit-origin names, names by meaning, or names linked to deities. For more help, read how to choose a Nepali baby name and our guide to sibling and twin names.