10 elegant baby girl names from ancient India

Introduction

Names from ancient India carry layers of language, story and devotion. Many come from the Vedas, Upaniṣads, Purāṇas and the great epics; each text tradition offers its own shades of meaning. Below are ten elegant girl names with short glosses, a note on source or story, pronunciation guidance, common variants, and cultural context. I acknowledge that readings differ by region and by school (Śaiva, Vaiṣṇava, Śākta, Smārta, etc.); where possible I cite the textual tradition associated with a name rather than asserting a single “correct” meaning.

How I selected these names

• Primary sources: Vedic hymns, the Upaniṣads (Upaniṣad — late Vedic philosophical texts), the Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata, and classical Sanskrit poetry and Purāṇic narratives.
• Focus on names attested in older literature or used as epithets of goddesses and women central to those texts.
• Priority to meanings rooted in Sanskrit, with simple pronunciation notes and common variants.

Ten elegant names from ancient India

1. Arundhati

Meaning: “reddish-brown” or associated with the gentle glow of evening; also the name of a star used traditionally in marriage rites.
Sources/notes: Arundhati appears in classical astronomical and ritual contexts; she is paired with Vashishtha’s star (Mizar) in traditional Indian astronomy and is invoked in Hindu marriage ceremonies as a symbol of fidelity. Interpretations vary: in some stories she is a devoted wife in Puranic lore.
Pronunciation: ah-run-DAH-tee. Variants: Arundati.

2. Maitreyi

Meaning: “friendly, kindly.”
Sources/notes: Maitreyi is a prominent interlocutor in the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad (Book 2), where she questions Yājñavalkya on the nature of the self. Her presence marks an early textual example of a learned woman in philosophical dialogue.
Pronunciation: my-TREY-ee. Variants: Maitrī (poetic).

3. Revati

Meaning: may be linked to prosperity or a clan name; in practice associated with a princess in Purāṇic lore.
Sources/notes: In Purāṇic accounts (for example, Śrīmad Bhāgavata traditions) Revati is the wife of Balarāma. She is often evoked in classical stories and regional retellings.
Pronunciation: re-VA-tee. Variants: Rebati (regional forms).

4. Ilā / Ilā

Meaning: a complex name: sometimes read as “earth” or “speech”; in mythic narratives Ilā is an ancestral or gender-fluid figure connected with the lunar line.
Sources/notes: Ilā appears across Vedic and Purāṇic layers and in the Harivaṃśa and Viṣṇu Purāṇa with varying genealogical roles. Some traditions record narratives of transformation and lineage. Because stories differ, this name carries rich mythic resonance rather than a single definitive biography.
Pronunciation: EE-lah. Variants: Ilāh, Ila.

5. Malati

Meaning: “jasmine vine” or “a small fragrant flower.”
Sources/notes: Popular in classical Sanskrit poetry and drama. The name appears in works like Bhavabhūti’s Malatimadhava and in later lyrical traditions, often signifying beauty and poetic charm.
Pronunciation: muh-LAH-tee. Variants: Malathi.

6. Kamalā / Kamala

Meaning: “lotus.”
Sources/notes: Kamalā is an epithet applied to Lakṣmī in devotional and Purāṇic literature; the lotus is a pervasive symbol in Indian aesthetics and spiritual metaphor (purity, unfolding). The name has a long history in Sanskrit and later devotional compositions.
Pronunciation: kuh-MAH-lah. Variants: Kamala, Kamalika.

7. Anasuya

Meaning: “without envy,” “free from malice.”
Sources/notes: In Purāṇic tradition Anasūyā (wife of sage Atri) is celebrated for her chastity and hospitality; some texts present her as mother of divine sages such as Dattātreya. She appears in several Purāṇas with variations across recensions.
Pronunciation: uh-nuh-SOO-yah. Variants: Anasūyā.

8. Sītā

Meaning: commonly linked to “furrow” (from the word sīta) and thus to the earth; also read metaphorically as “coolness.”
Sources/notes: Sītā is the central female figure of the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa (Bāla Kaṇḍa onward) and carries many layers of cultural and religious significance. Etymologies and symbolic readings vary among commentators; for example, in some devotional readings she is an incarnation of Lakṣmī.
Pronunciation: SEE-tah. Variants: Sita, Seetha.

9. Draupadī

Meaning: “daughter of Drupada” (patronymic); the name points to lineage as much as identity.
Sources/notes: Draupadī is a central figure in the Mahābhārata (e.g., Ādi and Sabhā Parvas), known for her complex role in family, polity and dharmic debate. Regional retellings and devotional traditions offer different emphases on her virtues, sufferings and agency.
Pronunciation: drow-PUH-dee. Variants: Draupadi, Draupadī.

10. Vasundharā / Vasudha

Meaning: “bearing wealth,” often used as an epithet of the earth (bhūmi) or as a poetic name for the earth’s generosity.
Sources/notes: Appears in classical Sanskrit poetry and in devotional language as an epithet of Bhūmi or as a feminine personal name. It conveys stabilising, nourishing imagery commonly valued in household and temple contexts.
Pronunciation: vuh-SOON-dhuh-rah or vuh-SOO-dhah. Variants: Vasundhara, Vasudha.

Practical notes for parents

• Discuss family traditions and regional pronunciations with elders; names that are elegant in Sanskrit may change form in local languages.
• Check how a name sounds with your family surname and in daily use—simplicity of pronunciation is often helpful.
• If you consult ritual specialists about naming days or nāmakaraṇa rites, remember that practices and auspicious timings vary by community.

Closing thought

These names carry deep textual and cultural histories. Choosing one is often as much about family memory and regional practice as it is about etymology. Wherever you place emphasis—sound, story, or devotional association—these ancient names offer elegant options rooted in long threads of Indian linguistic and religious life.