Sahni as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Sahni

What is the meaning of the name Sahni ?

The baby name Sahni is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced SAH-nee (IPA: /ˈsɑːni/).

Sahni is Punjabi in Origin.

Sahni is a Punjabi–Hindustani name used both as a surname and a modern given name. As a family name it is longstanding among Khatri and Arora communities of Punjab. Etymologies proposed by scholars connect it to the mercantile honorific sahu/sahukār (banker, trader) from Prakrit/Sanskrit, influenced by Persian shah, conveying a sense of “merchant” or “esteemed.” In contemporary given-name use, many associate it with Punjabi sohni “beautiful,” so Sahni is often interpreted to mean “beautiful/pleasing.”

Documented as a surname since at least the Mughal era, Sahni’s use as a first name has risen in the late 20th–21st centuries, particularly in the South Asian diaspora. It is generally unisex, though slightly more frequent for girls because of the “sohni” echo. Variants and related forms include Sawhney, Sahney, Sahani, and, by association, Sohni and Soni. Spellings vary with regional pronunciation and English transliteration.