10 baby girl names that mean ‘night’ or ‘dusk’

Introduction

Choosing a baby name that evokes the night — its quiet, mystery and liminal power — is a long-standing practice in many Indian traditions. Below are ten girl names from Sanskrit, Hindi and related registers that carry meanings connected to “night” or “dusk.” Each entry gives a brief meaning, linguistic origin and a note on cultural or scriptural associations. I try to be precise about senses and respectful of varied interpretations across Śaiva, Vaiṣṇava, Śākta and Smārta contexts.

Ten names that mean “night” or “dusk”

1. Ratri

• Meaning: Night.
• Origin/usage: Sanskrit Ratri — the ordinary word for night and also the name of a personified goddess in Vedic literature.
• Scriptural/cultural note: The Rigveda contains hymns addressing Ratri as a protective, luminous presence in darkness. Different commentators read this figure poetically or theologically; she appears as a feminine power in early Vedic thought.
• Variants/pronunciation: Rātri / Ratri. Common as a feminine given name.

2. Nisha

• Meaning: Night.
• Origin/usage: Sanskrit and Prakrit root widely carried into modern Indic languages; used as a simple, popular female name.
• Scriptural/cultural note: Nisha appears often in classical poetry and devotional songs as the time when moon, stars and nāyikā images come alive. The aesthetic of night in bhakti and Sanskrit poetry is rich and multi-layered.
• Variants/pronunciation: Nisha (Ni-sha).

3. Nishita (Niṣīṭha)

• Meaning: Midnight; the deep or dead of night.
• Origin/usage: Classical Sanskrit term niṣīṭha used for the middle of the night; adapted as the modern name Nishita or Nishitha.
• Scriptural/cultural note: In classical meters and later poetry, niṣīṭha evokes stillness and the focal point of nocturnal events (e.g., secret meetings, divine revelations). Different authors shade the sense from “deep night” to “time of awakening.”
• Variants/pronunciation: Nishita / Nishitha (Ni-shee-ta).

4. Sandhya

• Meaning: Twilight, dusk; the junction of day and night.
• Origin/usage: Sanskrit sandhyā — “the joining” or twilight time; also a customary name for girls.
• Scriptural/cultural note: Sandhyā names the ritual periods for Vedic prayers (sandhyavandanam) and is personified in some texts. In many traditions the twilight juncture is auspicious and liminal, a time for prayer and contemplation.
• Variants/pronunciation: Sandhya (San-dhya).

5. Shyama (Śyāma / Śyāmā)

• Meaning: Dusky, dark-blue or blackish — often used poetically for dusk or the dark colouring of the night sky.
• Origin/usage: Sanskrit adjective rendered as a feminine name; also an epithet of goddesses and of Krishna in devotional literature.
• Scriptural/cultural note: In Śākta and devotional contexts, the adjective carries both aesthetic and theological senses — darkness as beauty, depth and creative power. Usage and connotations vary by region and community.
• Variants/pronunciation: Shyama / Shyamala (common feminine forms).

6. Tara

• Meaning: Star (and by extension, a transient light in the night sky).
• Origin/usage: Sanskrit tārā; widely used across Hindu and Buddhist traditions as a name and the name of a goddess.
• Scriptural/cultural note: Tara is a major goddess in both Hindu Śākta and Buddhist tantric contexts. As a name it evokes guidance, protection and the nocturnal sky.
• Variants/pronunciation: Tara / Tārā (Ta-ra).

7. Chandni / Jyotsna

• Meaning: Moonlight; luminous night.
• Origin/usage: Hindi Chandni and Sanskrit jyotsnā both mean the light cast by the moon, an image central to nocturnal aesthetics.
• Scriptural/cultural note: Moonlight features prominently in poetry and devotional imagery — from romantic shringara to meditative symbolism in bhakti and later classical works.
• Variants/pronunciation: Chandni (Chan-dni), Jyotsna (Jyot-sna).

8. Saaya (Saya)

• Meaning: Shadow, shade — often used poetically for the evening or the soft shadows of dusk.
• Origin/usage: Common in modern Hindi/Urdu usage; appealing as a short, evocative name.
• Scriptural/cultural note: While not classical Sanskrit, saaya captures dusk’s softer, protective mood. It’s widely accepted in contemporary naming practice.
• Variants/pronunciation: Saaya / Saya (Sa-ya).

9. Pradosha

• Meaning: Dusk, the twilight period.
• Origin/usage: Sanskrit pradosha specifically names the evening twilight; used in ritual contexts and occasionally as a given name.
• Scriptural/cultural note: In Hindu ritual calendars, Pradosha (the twilight of Trayodashi) is an auspicious time for Shiva worship (Pradosha vrata). The term thus links dusk to devotional observance in many communities.
• Variants/pronunciation: Pradosha (Pra-dosh).

10. Kali (Kālī)

• Meaning: The black or dark one; associated with darkness, time and transcendence.
• Origin/usage: Name of the goddess Kālī in Śākta tradition; linguistically from kāla (time/black).
• Scriptural/cultural note: Kālī’s imagery includes night and darkness as profound, transformative powers. The name is theologically heavy and widely revered; families choose it for devotional reasons and must be mindful of its sacred associations.
• Variants/pronunciation: Kali / Kālī (Ka-lee).

Notes on choosing a name

When selecting a name that evokes night or dusk, consider sound, family and community preferences, and any devotional significance (for example, ties to particular deities or observances such as Sandhyavandanam or Pradosha worship). Some names are neutral and poetic (Nisha, Chandni), while others carry strong religious identity (Ratri, Kālī, Tara). If astrological (janma nakshatra) or ritual considerations matter in your family, consult the appropriate practitioner; different families interpret these traditions in different ways.

These names draw on an ancient vocabulary of time, light and darkness. Across Hindu thought, night is lyrical, sacred and liminal — a fitting source of names for a child.