Tamil Girl Names
Tamil female names draw primarily from the Tamil language, with many forms shaped by Hindu devotional vocabulary and Sanskrit borrowings. Feminine markers are common, including suffixes such as -selvi (Arivuchelvi), -valli (Amruthavalli, Ekavalli), -nayagi/-nayaki (Balanayagi), -vathi/-vati (Kalavathy), and -shni (Dharshini). Vowel endings like -a/-aa and -i/-ee are frequent (Bharathi, Jayalalithaa, Kaveree). Themes include goddess epithets, virtues (Arivu/“knowledge” in Arivoli), river and nature terms (Kaveri/Kaveree), and month names (Chithirai).
Today, traditional compounds and Sanskritic forms coexist with short given names and nicknames used formally (Ammu, Chithi, Chithu). Spelling variation is common in transliteration (Bharathi/Barathi; Kaveri/Kaveree). Overall structures resemble male naming, but feminine suffixes mark gender more consistently.
Showing 50
of 137 names
| Name | Meaning | Origins | Gender | Popularity (last 10y) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vaani | Speech; voice | Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu | Girl | 483 #1 | |
| Aiya | Varied/uncertain - linked to the Basque place-name Aia; in South Asian contexts related to the honorific 'ayya' (respected elder); often used as a variant of Aya, whose meanings differ by language. | Basque, Tamil | Girl | 358 #2 | |
| Meenakshi | 'Fish-eyed' - literally 'one with fish-like eyes'; name of a form of the Hindu goddess Parvati associated with Madurai. | Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | 202 #3 | |
| Varsha | Rain; rainfall | Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu | Girl | 113 #4 | |
| Amma | Mother (in Dravidian languages); in Akan/Twi, a female day name meaning 'born on Saturday'. | Akan, Malayalam, Tamil, Twi | Girl | 92 #5 | |
| Malai | Thai: garland (flower garland); Tamil: mountain; Hindi/Urdu: cream (milk cream) | Hindi, Tamil, Thai, Urdu | Girl | 81 #6 | |
| Srinidhi | Treasure of prosperity | Hindi, Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | 57 #7 | |
| Karthika | Of the Pleiades | Hindi, Malayalam, Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | 27 #8 | |
| Oviya | Painting | Tamil | Girl | 25 #9 | |
| Abhirami | Pleasing, beautiful, delightful; a name of the goddess Parvati | Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | 5 #10 | |
| Sakthi | Power, energy; the divine feminine force | Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | 5 #11 | |
| Inji | {'Turkish': '“pearl” (from Turkish İnci)', 'Korean': "varies by hanja; commonly formed from elements such as 'benevolence' (仁) and 'wisdom' (智)", 'Arabic (Egyptian usage)': 'a feminine given name (transliterations Injy/Ingi/Engy); origin/adoption from European names or colloquial usage, not an original Arabic lexical meaning', 'Tamil': "means 'ginger' (இஞ்சி) - a common noun sometimes used as a name/word"} | Arabic, Korean, Tamil, Turkish | Girl | 4 #12 | |
| Aarthi | Lamp-offering ritual | Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Adhirah | Likely 'strong, mighty' (Hebrew) or 'moon/lightning' (Sanskrit/Tamil) | Hebrew, Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Ammu | Affectionate pet form of 'Amma' meaning 'mother'; conveys beloved/maternal | Malayalam, Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Amruthavalli | Nectar-like creeper ('Amrutha' = nectar/immortality; 'Valli' = creeper/young woman) | Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Anbumadi | Embraced by love / loving embrace | Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Arivoli | Light of knowledge; enlightenment | Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Arivuchelvi | Beauty of knowledge - an intelligent and beautiful woman | Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Arivuchelvy | Combination of 'arivu' (knowledge/wisdom) and 'chelvi/chelvy' (beautiful girl) - roughly 'wise and beautiful' or 'beauty of knowledge'. | Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Arokia | Health, well-being | Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Balamani | Young gem; precious child | Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Balanayagi | Young queen / youthful heroine (Bala = young/child, Nayagi = leader/lady/heroine); sometimes an epithet of a goddess. | Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Barathi | Eloquent; speech; associated with the goddess Saraswati (goddess of learning and the arts) | Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Bharathi | Eloquence/speech; a name of the goddess Saraswati (goddess of learning and the arts); also associated with 'Bharat' (India). | Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Champakavathi | She who is associated with or adorned by the champaka (fragrant) flower; 'lady of the champaka blossom'. | Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Cheera | Leafy greens; amaranth/spinach | Malayalam, Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Chinni | Little one; darling; (also 'sugar' in Hindi when spelled 'chini') | Hindi, Indian, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu | Girl | — | |
| Chithi | In Tamil, a respectful term for an aunt; in Hindi/Urdu 'chitthi' means a written letter or note. | Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Chithirai | Name of the Tamil month corresponding to mid‑April–mid‑May; associated with spring, brightness and beauty (from Sanskrit 'Chitra' meaning 'bright/beautiful'). | Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Chithra | Picture/painting; bright, beautiful or variegated; also the name of a Vedic nakshatra (Spica). | Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Chithu | Diminutive/nickname of Chitra; 'beautiful, bright, picture' (also related to Sanskrit 'chit' meaning consciousness) | Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Chiti | Tamil: 'paternal aunt'; Sanskrit-root: related to 'chit' meaning 'consciousness/awareness'; also appears as an Italian surname. | Italian, Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Dhanushi | Bow; related to Dhanush (the bow), often interpreted as 'one who has a bow' or 'archer' | Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Dharshini | Vision; she who sees or bestows auspicious sight | Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Ekavalli | One creeper / single vine (from 'eka' = one + 'valli' = creeper/garland; also a name of a goddess) | Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Gangai | Name of the sacred Ganges River; 'holy/pure river'. | Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Gomathi | Possessor of cows; name of a river and a goddess; symbolically wealthy or virtuous. | Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Gomathie | From Sanskrit 'Gomati' - 'full/possessing cows'; name of a river and a goddess, connoting prosperity and auspiciousness. | Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Janithra | Born; produced; related to birth or creation | Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Jayachithraa | Victory + picture/beautiful/art (Jaya = victory; Chithraa/Chitra = picture/beautiful/art) | Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Jayalalithaa | Victorious and graceful | Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Jayithaa | Victorious; one who wins | Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Jyothika | Little light | Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Kalavathy | She who possesses art or talent; an artistic/skillful woman | Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Kanchi | Associated with Kanchipuram; connotes 'gold', 'shining' or 'beautiful' (related to Kanchana, 'gold') | Indian, Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Kantha | Likely from Sanskrit roots meaning 'beloved' or 'beautiful' (from Kānta); alternatively related to Sanskrit kaṇṭha meaning 'throat/neck'. Used as a feminine name in South Asia. | Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Kaver | Derived from the Kaveri (Cauvery) river - a sacred river in southern India; associated with fertility and abundance. | Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Kaveree | Named for the Kaveri (Cauvery) river of southern India; associated with a sacred river/river goddess | Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | — | |
| Kavithaa | Poetry; poem (often interpreted as 'poetess') | Sanskrit, Tamil | Girl | — |
Tamil Girls name popularity over time
Aggregated births across United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany for every Tamil-origin name in our dataset.
137
Names in this origin
7
With data in 2024
191
Births 2024
191
Peak year 2024