The baby name Kanha is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /kɑːn.hɑː/ (KAHN-haa).
The baby name Kanha is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /kɑːn.hɑː/ (KAHN-haa).
Kanha is Hindi, Sanskrit in Origin.
Kanha is an Indo-Aryan given name rooted in the Prakrit/Pali form Kaṇha, “dark, black,” an epithet that became closely associated with the Hindu deity Krishna (Sanskrit Kṛṣṇa). In North Indian vernaculars such as Braj Bhasha and Hindi, Kanha/Kanhaa functions as an affectionate diminutive for Krishna, evoking the playful cowherd child of Vraj; the name appears as कन्हा in Devanagari and is common in Hindi- and Marathi-speaking regions.
Usage is documented in medieval Bhakti poetry (e.g., Surdas and other Vaishnava lyrics), temple songs, and household devotion, and it remains a popular masculine choice today, sometimes perceived as devotional yet familiar. Variants and related forms include Kanhaa, Kanhaiya/Kanhaiyaa, Kanhaiyalal/Kanhiyalal, Kanhu (Odia), and Marathi Kanho; cognates and epithets of Krishna include Krishna, Kishan, Gopal, Keshav, and Shyam. The core meaning centers on “the dark/dusky one,” with connotations of beauty and charm attached to Krishna’s persona.
Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.
| Country | Gender | Year | Rank | Born | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LU | Girls | 0 | #189 | 2 | 4,850 |
| BD | 0 | #241 | 1 | 5,992 | |
| JP | Girls | 0 | #251 | 1 | 6,592 |
| QA | Girls | 0 | #343 | 1 | 15,378 |
| HK | 0 | #357 | 1 | 8,483 | |
| SD | Girls | 0 | #358 | 1 | 7,678 |
| PH | Girls | 0 | #429 | 1 | 13,098 |
| SD | Boys | 0 | #466 | 1 | 10,523 |
| PT | Girls | 0 | #471 | 1 | 7,952 |
| IN | Boys | 0 | #552 | 508 | 16,750 |
| KW | Girls | 0 | #560 | 2 | 19,177 |
| PS | Boys | 0 | #561 | 1 | 10,655 |
| BH | 0 | #584 | 4 | 17,937 | |
| IN | Girls | 0 | #608 | 24 | 13,121 |
| IL | Boys | 0 | #625 | 1 | 10,983 |
| SG | Girls | 0 | #631 | 2 | 18,916 |
| QA | Boys | 0 | #742 | 2 | 18,093 |
| KW | Boys | 0 | #758 | 12 | 18,755 |
| OM | Boys | 0 | #911 | 8 | 17,948 |
| MY | Girls | 0 | #1,072 | 1 | 24,821 |
| AE | Boys | 0 | #1,073 | 20 | 22,615 |
| MA | 0 | #1,199 | 1 | 20,986 | |
| TR | 0 | #1,254 | 1 | 19,440 | |
| SA | Boys | 0 | #1,603 | 12 | 28,008 |
Kanha is popular in 20 countries — most recent births per country:
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