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Shankar as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Shankar

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The baby name Shankar is a Boy name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced SHUNG-kar.

Shankar is Sanskrit in Origin.

Gender: Boy
Syllables: 2
Origin: Sanskrit
Pronunciation: SHUNG-kar

What is the meaning of the name Shankar ?

The baby name Shankar is a boy name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced SHUNG-kar.

Shankar is Sanskrit in Origin.

Shankar is the common modern Indo-Aryan spelling of Sanskrit Śaṅkara, written शङ्कर or शंकर. The earliest form is the masculine Sanskrit stem Śaṅkara-, an epithet of Rudra-Shiva in Hindu religious literature. It joins śam, an indeclinable noun/adverb expressing welfare, blessing, or auspiciousness, with -kara, maker or doer, from the verbal root kṛ, to make. Its literal sense is therefore beneficent, one who brings auspicious welfare.

As a given name and surname, Shankar is familiar across Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Nepali, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam naming, often reflecting devotion to Shiva. Sanskritizing Shankara and Sankara coexist with spellings such as Sankar, Shanker, and Shankaran. Associated with Adi Shankara, the eighth-century Advaita Vedanta philosopher, it is borne in modern public life by musicians Ravi Shankar, Anoushka Shankar, and Shankar Mahadevan, and remains chiefly diasporic outside South Asia.

Shankar has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Shankar

Shankar Dayal Sharma Politician · Born 1918 · India Shankar Dayal Sharma was an Indian politician best known for serving as the 9th President of India from 1992 to 1997. Before his presidency, he was the Vice President of India and the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. His tenure as President was marked by his commitment to upholding the Indian Constitution. Shankar Mahadevan Actor · Born 1967 · India Shankar Mahadevan is a well-known Indian playback singer and composer, most famous for his work in the music trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. He gained widespread recognition with the song 'Breathless' and has contributed to numerous Bollywood soundtracks, including hits like 'Kal Ho Naa Ho' and 'Jhoom Barabar Jhoom'. Born in 1967, he has also ventured into acting and music education, further showcasing his versatility in the Indian entertainment industry. S. Shankar Actor · Born 1963 · India Shankar Shanmugam is best known as one of India’s most prominent film directors, especially for his blockbuster work in Tamil cinema. He has directed major films like Enthiran, Sivaji, and Indian, and has also worked in Hindi and Telugu cinema as a producer and screenwriter.

Shankar – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
MV Girls 0 #35 1 2,021
MO 0 #52 1 2,706
IN 0 #59 12 2,963
MV Boys 0 #67 11 3,375
JP 0 #76 2 4,057
IN Boys 0 #78 5,565 16,750
AF Girls 0 #94 1 2,402
QA 0 #100 7 7,011
OM 0 #105 12 6,215
PH 0 #110 1 5,607
KW 0 #118 4 5,216
EE Boys 0 #125 1 2,087
QA Boys 0 #125 1,168 18,093
CY Boys 0 #131 1 3,473
IQ 0 #131 3 3,533
BN Boys 0 #135 5 6,332
AE 0 #153 25 10,220
BW Boys 0 #154 1 4,685
KW Boys 0 #180 1,068 18,755
DK 0 #204 3 5,198
BD 0 #206 22 5,992
MO Boys 0 #208 16 5,842
BH 0 #209 438 17,937
OM Boys 0 #220 1,237 17,948
AE Boys 0 #221 2,077 22,615
PS 0 #226 1 5,692
PT 0 #250 1 4,161
SG 0 #256 14 11,010
TW Boys 0 #256 1 7,111
QA Girls 0 #269 48 15,378
GR Boys 0 #272 2 6,912
AF Boys 0 #273 2 3,535
SA 0 #275 21 10,560
IL 0 #282 1 6,291
JP Boys 0 #282 16 7,909
JM Boys 0 #293 1 6,876
KZ Boys 0 #296 1 6,578
Canada Boys 1995 #299 5 1,834
CZ Boys 0 #305 1 6,530
MY 0 #319 12 12,352
CN Boys 0 #324 8 9,639
DK Boys 0 #326 7 7,401
JO Girls 0 #339 1 7,570
PL Boys 0 #339 2 6,459
BD Boys 0 #341 270 10,045
Finland Boys 0 #347 81 2,041
OM Girls 0 #347 50 15,987
PT Boys 0 #356 12 7,951
HK 0 #357 1 8,483
JO Boys 0 #357 21 7,057
GH Boys 0 #360 2 8,138
MU Boys 0 #361 9 8,477
MU Girls 0 #362 1 8,539
SA Boys 0 #379 3,389 28,008
YE 0 #391 8 8,639
BD Girls 0 #398 9 8,413
SG Boys 0 #400 322 17,960
IN Girls 0 #444 192 13,121
SD Boys 0 #458 9 10,523
ZA 0 #473 2 14,421
KW Girls 0 #479 37 19,177
AR Boys 0 #483 1 7,628
AE Girls 0 #484 70 20,968
CR Boys 0 #508 3 10,188
HK Boys 0 #516 12 12,905
IQ Girls 0 #519 7 11,303
RU Boys 0 #521 6 12,621
MY Boys 0 #528 712 25,439
PS Boys 0 #553 9 10,655
LY 0 #555 5 12,703
IR Boys 0 #562 4 10,162
IQ Boys 0 #570 98 13,071
IL Boys 0 #619 7 10,983
SG Girls 0 #629 4 18,916
HK Girls 0 #650 1 16,104
Finland Boys 2026 #678 5 3,552
LB 0 #690 1 13,263
SY 0 #767 1 11,684
BR Boys 0 #784 2 12,213
SA Girls 0 #795 141 25,931
TN 0 #865 1 13,765
United States Boys 2018 #879 6 7,242
EG Boys 0 #920 6 15,035
PE Boys 0 #922 5 14,506
NG Boys 0 #939 13 16,906
NL Boys 0 #940 12 5,873
Germany Boys 0 #943 10 5,697
MY Girls 0 #964 31 24,821
PE Girls 0 #1,010 1 14,861
ZA Boys 0 #1,165 14 25,619
MA 0 #1,194 6 20,986
DZ 0 #1,229 6 20,130
TR 0 #1,249 6 19,440
MX Girls 0 #1,267 1 17,781
IT Boys 0 #1,433 39 10,046

Shankar is popular in 60 countries — most recent births per country:

United States
AE
AF
AR
BD

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People also ask about Shankar

Shankar is a unisex name, given to both boys and girls.
Shankar is a 2 syllable name, pronounced SHUNG-kar.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Śaṅkara, Shankara, Sankara, Sankar, Shanker and Shankaran.
Yes — Shankar ranked #299 in Canada in 1995, and appears in official birth registries across 3 countries.
Shankar ranks highest in Canada (#299 in 1995).
Yes — 3 notable people named Shankar are in our database, including Shankar Dayal Sharma (Politician), Shankar Mahadevan (Actor), S. Shankar (Actor).