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Shiva as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Shiva

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The baby name Shiva is a Boy name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced SHEE-vah.

Shiva is Sanskrit in Origin.

Gender: Boy
Syllables: 2
Origin: Sanskrit
Pronunciation: SHEE-vah

What is the meaning of the name Shiva ?

The baby name Shiva is a boy name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced SHEE-vah.

Shiva is Sanskrit in Origin.

Shiva is the Anglicized spelling of Sanskrit शिव, transliterated Śiva or Vedic śivá in older scholarly style. The root language is Sanskrit, where śiva began as an adjective meaning auspicious, benign, gracious, or kind; it is formed with the -a adjectival ending from a base associated with welfare and favor. As a personal name it names the deity rather than a separate compound.

In Hindu tradition, Shiva is one of the principal gods, closely linked with Rudra in Vedic religion and later central to Shaiva theology as destroyer, ascetic, lord of dance, and consort of Parvati. The name is common in India and the diaspora, especially among Hindu families, with Siva frequent in South Indian transliteration and Shiv in modern Indo-Aryan use. Persian Šivā is a separate feminine name meaning graceful or eloquent.

Shiva has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Shiva

Shiva Rajkumar Actor · Born 1961 · India Shiva Rajkumar is a well-known Indian actor, primarily recognized for his work in Kannada cinema. He gained fame with films like 'Anand', 'Om', and 'Jogi', showcasing his versatility and talent. Born in 1961, he continues to be a prominent figure in the Indian film industry.

Shiva – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
IN 0 #48 23 2,963
MO 0 #51 2 2,706
MV Boys 0 #67 11 3,375
JP 0 #75 3 4,057
CN 0 #86 1 3,857
IN Boys 0 #90 5,061 16,750
QA 0 #91 10 7,011
AF Girls 0 #92 3 2,402
IR Girls 0 #101 1,266 8,334
TW 0 #102 2 4,523
OM 0 #107 10 6,215
GE Girls 0 #108 1 1,564
PH 0 #109 2 5,607
KW 0 #115 7 5,216
CY Boys 0 #131 1 3,473
IQ 0 #133 1 3,533
BN Boys 0 #135 5 6,332
QA Boys 0 #136 1,085 18,093
MU 0 #137 1 3,613
AE 0 #149 29 10,220
BW Girls 0 #151 1 4,216
LT Boys 0 #151 1 2,166
BW Boys 0 #154 1 4,685
MT Boys 0 #179 1 4,064
HR 0 #181 1 2,081
LU Girls 0 #186 5 4,850
Sweden Girls 2018 #187 2 1,665
IR 0 #189 41 4,221
KW Boys 0 #192 998 18,755
RU 0 #194 1 3,641
DK 0 #204 3 5,198
MO Boys 0 #207 17 5,842
LU Boys 0 #219 2 4,970
HU Girls 0 #220 6 3,308
PS 0 #226 1 5,692
BD 0 #237 5 5,992
GR Girls 0 #249 1 6,293
TW Boys 0 #256 1 7,111
SG 0 #258 12 11,010
HR Boys 0 #259 1 3,997
QA Girls 0 #259 58 15,378
MO Girls 0 #263 1 7,056
JP Boys 0 #274 24 7,909
BH 0 #277 306 17,937
Canada Girls 2024 #280 6 2,795
SA 0 #280 16 10,560
IL 0 #282 1 6,291
TW Girls 0 #285 5 8,139
AE Boys 0 #292 1,609 22,615
JM Boys 0 #293 1 6,876
Canada Boys 2024 #299 8 2,588
DK Girls 0 #303 14 7,429
CZ Boys 0 #305 1 6,530
MU Boys 0 #307 51 8,477
CN Boys 0 #310 10 9,639
MY 0 #314 17 12,352
PE 0 #328 2 6,350
DK Boys 0 #329 4 7,401
KZ Girls 0 #332 1 5,862
GH Girls 0 #336 2 6,973
JO Girls 0 #338 2 7,570
PL Boys 0 #339 2 6,459
OM Boys 0 #342 770 17,948
PT Boys 0 #349 19 7,951
CZ Girls 0 #350 2 5,378
HK 0 #355 3 8,483
GH Boys 0 #357 5 8,138
Finland Boys 0 #358 70 2,041
MU Girls 0 #358 5 8,539
SD Girls 0 #358 1 7,678
CN Girls 0 #359 1 8,829
JO Boys 0 #360 18 7,057
OM Girls 0 #360 37 15,987
PL Girls 0 #363 2 5,096
IN Girls 0 #364 298 13,121
Finland Girls 0 #382 10 1,368
France Boys 2019 #391 4 2,886
YE 0 #394 5 8,639
PH Boys 0 #403 6 11,440
France Girls 2013 #404 3 3,238
BD Girls 0 #405 2 8,413
Austria Girls 0 #407 14 1,885
SA Boys 0 #418 2,848 28,008
PH Girls 0 #424 6 13,098
Germany 0 #425 13 2,542
SG Boys 0 #432 274 17,960
MX 0 #445 1 8,339
KW Girls 0 #452 64 19,177
SD Boys 0 #458 9 10,523
PT Girls 0 #470 2 7,952
ZA 0 #474 1 14,421
IQ Girls 0 #480 25 11,303
AE Girls 0 #491 63 20,968
RU Boys 0 #495 11 12,621
PA Boys 0 #505 1 9,305
CR Boys 0 #509 2 10,188
CO 0 #510 1 7,768
HK Boys 0 #511 17 12,905
RU Girls 0 #520 4 11,913
IR Boys 0 #522 31 10,162
UY Girls 0 #533 4 6,731
PS Girls 0 #544 4 10,981
PS Boys 0 #556 6 10,655
LY 0 #557 3 12,703
CM Girls 0 #559 2 11,671
BD Boys 0 #561 16 10,045
SG Girls 0 #568 19 18,916
CR Girls 0 #573 1 11,342
MY Boys 0 #579 617 25,439
IL Girls 0 #605 13 11,648
IL Boys 0 #620 6 10,983
AR Girls 0 #628 3 8,289
IQ Boys 0 #632 36 13,071
HK Girls 0 #647 4 16,104
Finland Boys 2026 #676 7 3,552
LB 0 #689 2 13,263
CL Boys 0 #700 1 13,390
IT 0 #704 11 4,183
Finland Girls 2026 #724 15 3,895
SY 0 #764 4 11,684
Germany Girls 0 #775 64 4,949
SA Girls 0 #814 122 25,931
TN 0 #863 3 13,765
EG Boys 0 #870 17 15,035
NL Boys 0 #870 82 5,873
United States Boys 2024 #876 17 7,044
NL Girls 0 #905 51 5,933
United States Girls 2024 #910 7 8,487
Spain Boys 0 #913 18 5,610
CL Girls 0 #914 2 14,098
PE Boys 0 #925 2 14,506
MY Girls 0 #932 63 24,821
NG Boys 0 #938 14 16,906
Spain Girls 0 #962 22 5,561
CO Boys 0 #981 1 15,656
BR Girls 0 #988 5 12,708
PE Girls 0 #1,003 8 14,861
EG Girls 0 #1,008 2 14,742
MX Boys 0 #1,027 7 16,355
TR 0 #1,145 67 19,440
CO Girls 0 #1,151 2 16,140
ZA Boys 0 #1,166 13 25,619
MX Girls 0 #1,168 16 17,781
MA 0 #1,196 4 20,986
DZ 0 #1,229 6 20,130
ZA Girls 0 #1,233 4 25,928
IT Girls 0 #1,381 66 9,415
IT Boys 0 #1,411 61 10,046

Shiva is popular in 74 countries — most recent births per country:

United States
France
Canada
Sweden
AE

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

People also ask about Shiva

Shiva is a unisex name, given to both boys and girls.
Shiva is a 2 syllable name, pronounced SHEE-vah.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Śiva, Siva, Shiv, Shib and Sivan.
Yes — Shiva ranked #187 in Sweden in 2018, and appears in official birth registries across 5 countries.
Shiva ranks highest in Sweden (#187 in 2018).
Yes — 1 notable people named Shiva are in our database, including Shiva Rajkumar (Actor).