Baby Name Calculator by Nakshatra: Find the Naming Syllable

The result also lists the other three syllables of the same nakshatra and the letters of the Moon sign, so a family has a wider choice when one sound gives no name they like.

How the naming syllable is chosen

At birth the Moon stands in one of 27 nakshatras. Each nakshatra spans 13 degrees and 20 minutes of the zodiac and divides into four padas of 3 degrees and 20 minutes. The 108 padas each carry one syllable, the akshara, in the avakahada chakra of the classical texts.

The syllable of the pada the Moon occupied is the first sound of the name. A child born with the Moon in Ashwini pada 1 takes Chu, so a name such as Chudamani fits. A child born a few hours later, in pada 2, takes Che.

The birth time decides the pada. The Moon moves through one pada in about six hours, so an error of an hour on the birth record can shift the syllable to the next one. When the time is uncertain, the Nakshatra Calculator shows the Moon's degree, and a degree near a pada boundary is worth a second look.

Naming syllables for all 27 nakshatras

The table gives the four syllables of every nakshatra in the order of its padas, in Roman letters with the Devanagari beside each. The nakshatra names link to their articles.

#	Nakshatra	Pada 1	Pada 2	Pada 3	Pada 4
1	Ashwini	Chu चु	Che चे	Cho चो	La ला
2	Bharani	Li ली	Lu लू	Le ले	Lo लो
3	Krittika	A अ	I ई	U उ	E ए
4	Rohini	O ओ	Va वा	Vi वी	Vu वु
5	Mrigashira	Ve वे	Vo वो	Ka का	Ki की
6	Ardra	Ku कु	Gha घ	Nga ङ	Chha छ
7	Punarvasu	Ke के	Ko को	Ha हा	Hi ही
8	Pushya	Hu हु	He हे	Ho हो	Da डा
9	Ashlesha	Di डी	Du डू	De डे	Do डो
10	Magha	Ma मा	Mi मी	Mu मू	Me मे
11	Purva Phalguni	Mo मो	Ta टा	Ti टी	Tu टू
12	Uttara Phalguni	Te टे	To टो	Pa पा	Pi पी
13	Hasta	Pu पु	Sha ष	Na ण	Tha ठ
14	Chitra	Pe पे	Po पो	Ra रा	Ri री
15	Swati	Ru रू	Re रे	Ro रो	Ta ता
16	Vishakha	Ti ती	Tu तू	Te ते	To तो
17	Anuradha	Na ना	Ni नी	Nu नू	Ne ने
18	Jyeshtha	No नो	Ya या	Yi यी	Yu यू
19	Mula	Ye ये	Yo यो	Bha भा	Bhi भी
20	Purva Ashadha	Bhu भू	Dha धा	Pha फा	Dha ढा
21	Uttara Ashadha	Bhe भे	Bho भो	Ja जा	Ji जी
22	Shravana	Khi खी	Khu खू	Khe खे	Kho खो
23	Dhanishta	Ga गा	Gi गी	Gu गु	Ge गे
24	Shatabhisha	Go गो	Sa सा	Si सी	Su सू
25	Purva Bhadrapada	Se से	So सो	Da दा	Di दी
26	Uttara Bhadrapada	Du दू	Tha थ	Jha झ	Nya ञ
27	Revati	De दे	Do दो	Cha चा	Chi ची

Letters by Moon sign

A Moon sign holds nine padas, so it holds nine syllables. Families who name by rashi use any of these. The first sound of each syllable gives the short list the tradition quotes, such as A, L and Ch for Aries.

Moon sign	Letters	Syllables	Padas
Aries	Ch, L, A	Chu, Che, Cho, La, Li, Lu, Le, Lo, A	Ashwini 1 to Krittika 1
Taurus	I, U, E, O, V	I, U, E, O, Va, Vi, Vu, Ve, Vo	Krittika 2 to Mrigashira 2
Gemini	K, Gh, Ng, Chh, H	Ka, Ki, Ku, Gha, Nga, Chha, Ke, Ko, Ha	Mrigashira 3 to Punarvasu 3
Cancer	H, D	Hi, Hu, He, Ho, Da, Di, Du, De, Do	Punarvasu 4 to Ashlesha 4
Leo	M, T	Ma, Mi, Mu, Me, Mo, Ta, Ti, Tu, Te	Magha 1 to Uttara Phalguni 1
Virgo	T, P, Sh, N, Th	To, Pa, Pi, Pu, Sha, Na, Tha, Pe, Po	Uttara Phalguni 2 to Chitra 2
Libra	R, T	Ra, Ri, Ru, Re, Ro, Ta, Ti, Tu, Te	Chitra 3 to Vishakha 3
Scorpio	T, N, Y	To, Na, Ni, Nu, Ne, No, Ya, Yi, Yu	Vishakha 4 to Jyeshtha 4
Sagittarius	Y, Bh, Dh, Ph	Ye, Yo, Bha, Bhi, Bhu, Dha, Pha, Dha, Bhe	Mula 1 to Uttara Ashadha 1
Capricorn	Bh, J, Kh, G	Bho, Ja, Ji, Khi, Khu, Khe, Kho, Ga, Gi	Uttara Ashadha 2 to Dhanishta 2
Aquarius	G, S, D	Gu, Ge, Go, Sa, Si, Su, Se, So, Da	Dhanishta 3 to Purva Bhadrapada 3
Pisces	D, Th, Jh, Ny, Ch	Di, Du, Tha, Jha, Nya, De, Do, Cha, Chi	Purva Bhadrapada 4 to Revati 4

When to use the rashi letter instead

The pada syllable is the classical choice, and the nakshatra's other three syllables are the next. Some families name by the Moon sign, and some by the family deity or a grandparent's name. All three are old customs. A name chosen by rashi still sits within the Moon's own field, since the sign is made of the same padas.

A syllable such as Nga or Nya gives few usable names. In that case the tradition takes the nearest syllable of the same nakshatra, or a name whose first letter matches the pada's consonant. For twins, read each birth time on its own, since the second child can fall in the next pada.

The naming ceremony

Namakarana, the naming rite, is one of the sixteen samskaras. Most families hold it on the eleventh or twelfth day after birth, and some on a later auspicious day chosen by muhurta. The father or a priest whispers the name into the child's ear, and the syllable from the nakshatra is the seed of that name.

The astrological name and the everyday name can differ. Many families keep the nakshatra name for rituals and horoscope matching and use another name at home and school. Both are recorded, and the nakshatra name is the one an astrologer asks for.

Related tools and reading

• Nakshatra Calculator: the Moon's nakshatra, pada and degree.
• Moon Sign Calculator: the rashi the name letters belong to.
• Create Birth Chart: the full chart for the naming muhurta.
• Nakshatra and Alphabets: the naming custom explained in full.
• Moon in the 27 Nakshatras: what each birth star gives the child.

Questions about naming by nakshatra