Shamala as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Shamala

What is the meaning of the name Shamala ?

The baby name Shamala is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced sha-MAH-lah (IPA: /ʃəˈmɑːlə/).

Shamala is Indian, Sanskrit in Origin.

Shamala is a feminine given name from Sanskrit śyāmala, meaning “dusky, dark-hued” or “deep blue-black,” a color associated with monsoon clouds and the Yamuna river. In Hindu devotional usage it serves as an epithet of several goddesses - most notably Rāja Śyāmala (Shyamala Devi), the eloquent muse of the Śrīvidyā tradition, and also Kali and Saraswati - so the name carries connotations of beauty, artistry, and persuasive speech.

Documented in classical Sanskrit and later regional literatures, the name has been borne across South Asia, especially in South India and Sri Lanka, and spread with the diaspora to Malaysia, Singapore, and beyond. Common variants include Shyamala, Syamala, Syāmala/Śyāmala (transliterated), and the related forms Shyama (f.) and Shyamal/Shyam (m.). In modern usage Shamala blends poetic imagery with devotional heritage, often chosen to invoke a graceful, cultured temperament and the protective favor of the dark-hued goddess.