Dharma as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Dharma

What is the meaning of the name Dharma ?

The baby name Dharma is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced IPA: /ˈdɑːrmə/; common respelling: DAR-muh.

Dharma is Sanskrit in Origin.

From Sanskrit dharma, built on the verbal root dhr- "to support/hold," this unisex name denotes the sustaining principle of the universe: law, duty, righteousness, and right conduct. In Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Sikh traditions it signifies moral order; in Buddhism it also means the Buddha’s teaching and, in philosophical contexts, individual phenomena ("dharmas"). As a given name, Dharma carries connotations of integrity, balance, and living in accordance with one’s purpose.

Used across South Asia (India, Nepal, Sri Lanka) both alone and in compounds - Dharmendra, Dharmaraj, Dharmapala - it has long been a masculine or gender-neutral choice. Mid-20th-century Western interest in Eastern philosophies, and the TV series Dharma and Greg, encouraged occasional feminine use in English-speaking countries. Regional and linguistic variants/spellings include Dharam (Hindi/Punjabi), Dhamma (Pali/Sinhala contexts), and Darma (Indonesian/Balinese). Related forms often use the combining element Dharm-/Dharma- to express "virtuous" or "righteous."