10 baby names that mean ‘friend’ or ‘companion’

Posted by

On October 22, 2025

Names that mean “friend” or “companion”: a quick guide

In Sanskrit and the living traditions of Hindu culture, words for “friend” or “companion” are rich with philosophical and devotional resonance. Choosing such a name can evoke Vedic gods, bhakti companions, or spiritual virtues. Below are ten names (with brief etymology, cultural notes and variants) that carry the sense of friend, ally or loving companion. Meanings are drawn from classical Sanskrit roots; note that many terms acquire layered senses across Vedic, epic and Bhakti literature.

Mitra

Meaning: “friend” or “ally.”
Root/gloss: mitra — friend; also a Vedic deity in the Rigveda associated with contracts and companionship.
Cultural note: Mitra appears as a cosmic, social and moral figure in early Vedic hymns; later Sanskrit texts use the term simply as “friend.”
Gender/variants: Typically masculine; feminine forms like Mitrā or Mitraja are sometimes used.

Maitreya

Meaning: “friendly” or “friendly one”; literally one who embodies maitri — friendliness.
Root/gloss: maitri — friendliness, loving-kindness (Sanskrit); Maitreya is well known as the future Buddha in Buddhist literature.
Cultural note: While famous in Buddhist contexts, Maitreya and related forms are used in Sanskrit and vernacular Hindu names to signal compassion and companionship.
Gender/variants: Usually masculine; Maitreyi (female) is an ancient Upanishadic name (a wise woman in the Mahabharata/Upanishads).

Maitri

Meaning: “friendship” or “loving-kindness.”
Root/gloss: maitri — an abstract noun from mitra; used in dharma and yoga texts to describe a quality of universal friendliness.
Cultural note: Gītā commentators and yoga texts speak of maitri as a virtue toward all beings; as a name it emphasizes the quality rather than a personified friend.
Gender/variants: Mostly feminine as a given name (Maitri or Maitree).

Sakhā / Sakhi

Meaning: sakhā — “friend, companion” (masc.); sakhī — “female friend, confidante.”
Root/gloss: sakhā / sakhī — intimate companion or ally.
Cultural note: In Vaiṣṇava bhakti literature, especially Krishna devotion, the term sakhī describes the close companions of the gopis and Radha; in other texts it appears simply as friend.
Gender/variants: Sakhā (masculine), Sakhī (feminine); Sakhya (friendship) can be a gender-neutral abstract name.

Bandhu

Meaning: “kin, friend, companion.”
Root/gloss: bandhu — originally indicates bonds of relationship (kinship), later used for friend/ally.
Cultural note: Bandhu appears as a common epithet in Puranic and classical poetry for kindred or trusted companions.
Gender/variants: Mostly masculine; feminine variants such as Bandhavi or Bandhini occur in literary usage.

Suhrid (Suhṛd)

Meaning: “well-wishing friend” or “good-hearted companion.”
Root/gloss: su- (good) + hṛd (heart) — literally one with a good heart toward others.
Cultural note: Suhrid/Suhṛd appears in the Mahābhārata and later Sanskrit poetry as a model of loyal friendship; Gītā commentarial traditions sometimes cite suhrd as an ethical attribute.
Gender/variants: Suhrid (masculine); Suhrida or Suhrita may be used for females.

Sneha / Snehal

Meaning: “affection, love” — often used to imply friendly warmth or affectional companionship.
Root/gloss: sneha — affection, kindness; snehal (masc.) indicates a person who is affectionate or friendly.
Cultural note: While not literally “friend” in the narrow sense, many Indian families use Sneha/Snehal to signal a warm, friendly temperament.
Gender/variants: Sneha (feminine), Snehal (masculine), Snehi (one who loves) also occurs.

Sahaya / Sahay

Meaning: “helper, aid, companion.”
Root/gloss: sahāya — one who shares or supports; from sah (together) + āya (coming).
Cultural note: Used across India in modern names and surnames; suggests supportive companionship rather than mere acquaintance.
Gender/variants: Sahay (common masculine form), Sahaya or Sahayak (descriptive forms).

Sakhya

Meaning: “friendship” or “companionship” (the state or quality of being a friend).
Root/gloss: sakhya — abstract noun from sakhā meaning fellowship or alliance.
Cultural note: Less common as a modern given name but used in literary and philosophical contexts to denote the ideal of friendly companionship.
Gender/variants: Can be used gender-neutrally; Sakhya or Sakhita are possible variants.

Suhrita

Meaning: “well-wisher” or “female friend/ally.”
Root/gloss: feminine form of Suhrid/Suhṛd — one with a good heart toward others.
Cultural note: Suhrita appears in classical stories and can be an elegant feminine name evoking loyal friendship.
Gender/variants: Suhrita (feminine), Suhrid (masculine).

Picking a name — brief practical notes

When families choose a name drawn from Sanskrit or religious literature, consider pronunciation across regional languages, the gendered sense of the word in classical usage, and local customs for naming ceremonies (nāmakarana). If you want a name with explicit scriptural resonance, check occurrences — for example, Mitra in the Rigveda, Maitreyi in Upanishadic literature, or Maitreya in Buddhist texts. In Śaiva, Vaiṣṇava and Smārta traditions, the same Sanskrit root may be used with different devotional resonances (for instance, sakhī is especially marked in Vaiṣṇava bhakti for Krishna).

On observant caution: If you plan rituals, consider consulting a family priest or a Sanskrit scholar for correct forms and auspicious syllables; also be mindful of regional pronunciation and social context so the name carries the intended sense.

These names span abstract virtues (Maitri, Sakhya), personal epithets (Mitra, Suhrid) and devotional roles (Sakhi). Each carries centuries of use in poetry, scripture and daily life, offering both a linguistic meaning — “friend” or “companion” — and cultural depth for a child’s identity.