Discover and Shortlist Your Perfect Baby Names!

Nandi as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Nandi

Add to my Name List

The baby name Nandi is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈnɑːndi/ or /ˈnændi/ (NAHN-dee or NAN-dee).

Nandi is Sanskrit, Zulu in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Sanskrit, Zulu
Pronunciation: /ˈnɑːndi/ or /ˈnændi/ (NAHN-dee or NAN-dee)

What is the meaning of the name Nandi ?

The baby name Nandi is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈnɑːndi/ or /ˈnændi/ (NAHN-dee or NAN-dee).

Nandi is Sanskrit, Zulu in Origin.

With roots in two traditions, Nandi is widely used across Africa and South Asia. In Zulu and Xhosa, it derives from the adjective mnandi, "pleasant," "sweet," or "delightful," and is borne most famously by Queen Nandi (c. 1760–1827), mother of the Zulu king Shaka. In Sanskrit, nandi means "joy" or "rejoicing" and names the sacred bull and gatekeeper of the god Shiva; the form appears in temple inscriptions and devotional literature. The name is unisex, typically feminine in Southern Africa and often masculine in India.

Variants and related forms include Nandhi (Tamil transliteration), and the Sanskrit-based Nanda (m/f), Nand, Nandu, Nandini, Nandita/Nanditha, and Anandi; in Nguni contexts, Nandi may also function as a short form of Nandipha. Meanings cluster around "sweetness," "delight," "joy," and auspiciousness, supporting the name's cross-cultural appeal.

Nandi has the following similar or variant Names

Nandi – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
BF Girls 0 #17 1 315
BN 0 #32 1 2,297
MV Boys 0 #79 1 3,375
SD 0 #102 1 2,130
HU 0 #115 1 1,675
CY Boys 0 #131 1 3,473
BW Girls 0 #132 17 4,216
ID Boys 0 #134 2 4,130
BN Boys 0 #139 1 6,332
Sweden Girls 2006 #162 2 1,276
PR Girls 0 #167 1 3,171
HU Boys 0 #170 5 3,954
HR 0 #181 1 2,081
Sweden Boys 2018 #185 2 1,584
AE 0 #187 1 10,220
NA Girls 0 #208 17 7,146
SI Boys 0 #211 1 3,402
AO Girls 0 #217 1 4,575
AL Girls 0 #227 1 4,141
BD 0 #241 1 5,992
GH 0 #247 2 5,396
AO Boys 0 #249 1 5,568
JP Girls 0 #251 1 6,592
NA Boys 0 #252 2 6,830
HR Boys 0 #256 4 3,997
TW Boys 0 #256 1 7,111
AL Boys 0 #267 32 5,122
GR Boys 0 #269 5 6,912
NG 0 #271 2 5,926
JM Girls 0 #273 6 7,507
Canada Girls 2023 #275 5 2,824
SG 0 #282 1 11,010
TW Girls 0 #288 2 8,139
JM Boys 0 #292 2 6,876
CN Boys 0 #330 2 9,639
SD Girls 0 #330 16 7,678
KZ Girls 0 #331 2 5,862
DK Boys 0 #332 1 7,401
GH Girls 0 #336 2 6,973
GT 0 #338 1 5,948
JO Girls 0 #339 1 7,570
QA Girls 0 #340 4 15,378
ZA 0 #347 101 14,421
CN Girls 0 #357 3 8,829
MU Girls 0 #360 3 8,539
GH Boys 0 #361 1 8,138
PL Girls 0 #364 1 5,096
ZA Girls 0 #368 1,603 25,928
JO Boys 0 #388 2 7,057
BD Girls 0 #403 4 8,413
France Girls 2019 #407 5 3,279
BO 0 #408 1 6,868
UY Boys 0 #413 1 5,922
OM Girls 0 #417 8 15,987
PT Girls 0 #467 5 7,952
GT Boys 0 #499 1 7,625
KW Girls 0 #502 14 19,177
PA Boys 0 #503 3 9,305
CR Boys 0 #507 4 10,188
PA Girls 0 #518 1 9,861
RU Girls 0 #523 1 11,913
UY Girls 0 #533 4 6,731
AE Girls 0 #537 17 20,968
GT Girls 0 #540 2 7,500
PS Girls 0 #546 2 10,981
CM Girls 0 #556 5 11,671
BD Boys 0 #559 18 10,045
CR Girls 0 #571 3 11,342
CM Boys 0 #574 2 12,054
BH 0 #585 3 17,937
IN Girls 0 #603 29 13,121
AR Girls 0 #630 1 8,289
IL Girls 0 #644 2 11,648
HK Girls 0 #648 3 16,104
BO Girls 0 #649 3 9,488
LB 0 #686 5 13,263
QA Boys 0 #695 13 18,093
CL Boys 0 #700 1 13,390
NG Girls 0 #717 70 15,093
Finland Girls 2026 #734 5 3,895
SG Boys 0 #737 3 17,960
BR Boys 0 #780 6 12,213
KW Boys 0 #798 9 18,755
Spain Girls 0 #808 177 5,561
Spain Boys 0 #840 91 5,610
TN 0 #865 1 13,765
OM Boys 0 #869 13 17,948
United States Girls 2024 #908 9 8,487
CL Girls 0 #910 6 14,098
CO Boys 0 #911 10 15,656
NL Girls 0 #912 44 5,933
PE Boys 0 #922 5 14,506
EG Boys 0 #925 1 15,035
SA Girls 0 #926 10 25,931
NG Boys 0 #930 22 16,906
IN Boys 0 #937 65 16,750
BR Girls 0 #990 3 12,708
PE Girls 0 #1,004 7 14,861
EG Girls 0 #1,008 2 14,742
MX Boys 0 #1,026 8 16,355
MY Girls 0 #1,067 6 24,821
AE Boys 0 #1,077 16 22,615
MY Boys 0 #1,094 18 25,439
ZA Boys 0 #1,102 77 25,619
CO Girls 0 #1,149 4 16,140
MX Girls 0 #1,173 11 17,781
MA 0 #1,195 5 20,986
DZ 0 #1,231 4 20,130
TR 0 #1,254 1 19,440
IT Girls 0 #1,436 11 9,415
IT Boys 0 #1,437 35 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,570 45 28,008

Nandi is popular in 68 countries — most recent births per country:

United States
France
Sweden
AE
AL

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Nandi

Nandi is predominantly a girl's name.
Nandi is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈnɑːndi/ or /ˈnændi/ (NAHN-dee or NAN-dee).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Nandini, Nandhi, Nandy, Nandita and Nand (masculine).
Across languages, Nandi has these equivalents: Joy (English), Letitia (Latin-derived, 'joy'), Felicity (Latin-derived, 'happiness'), Anand/Ananda (Sanskrit, 'joy'), Nanda (Sanskrit, 'joy').
Yes — Nandi ranked #162 in Sweden in 2006, and appears in official birth registries across 5 countries.
Nandi ranks highest in Sweden (#162 in 2006).
Nandi's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #925 in 2014 to #908 in 2024 in United States.