Rudra as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Rudra

What is the meaning of the name Rudra ?

The baby name Rudra is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced RUH-druh or ROO-drah; IPA: /ˈrʊdrə/ (Sanskrit/Hindi), /ˈruːdrə/ (common English).

Rudra is Hindu, Sanskrit in Origin.

Rudra is a Sanskrit given name drawn from the Rigvedic deity of storms and the wild, later identified with Shiva. Its etymology traces to the root rud-, “to howl/cry,” yielding the sense “the Roarer,” with secondary associations of redness and fierceness. Vedic hymns portray Rudra as both terrifying archer and compassionate healer, a paradox that shaped later Shaiva devotion; titles like Ekadasha Rudra (the Eleven Rudras) and epithets in the Puranas cemented the name’s sacred stature.

As a personal name it is widely used across India and Nepal and in the South Asian diaspora. Regional and stylistic variants include Rudro (Bengali), Rudran/Rudhran (Tamil), Rudraa (orthographic), and compounds such as Rudradev, Rudransh (Rudraansh). Feminine forms appear as Rudrani and Rudrika. The name carries connotations of power, protection, and transformative energy while remaining succinct and easily recognized in multilingual contexts.