Babies born with the Moon in Purva Bhadrapada get a name beginning with the syllable of their pada: Se (से), So (सो), Da (दा), Di (दी).
Pada 1 — Syllable “Se (से)”
Boys · 1 name
Boys
Meaning
Snehil
Affectionate
Girls · 2 names
Girls
Meaning
Sevati
White rose
Sneha
Affection
Pada 2 — Syllable “So (सो)”
Boys · 6 names
Boys
Meaning
Som
Moon
Somesh
Lord of the moon
Sohan
Handsome
Soham
I am that
Saumitra
Lakshmana
Saurabh
Fragrance
Girls · 3 names
Girls
Meaning
Sonal
Golden
Sonali
Golden
Saumya
Gentle; calm
Pada 3 — Syllable “Da (दा)”
Boys · 5 names
Boys
Meaning
Daksh
Skilful; able
Dayanand
Compassionate and joyful
Darsh
Sight; vision
Darshan
Divine sight
Damodar
Lord Krishna
Girls · 6 names
Girls
Meaning
Dakshina
Sacred offering
Damayanti
Wife of King Nala
Daya
Compassion
Darshana
Vision
Dakshayani
Goddess Sati
Damini
Lightning
Pada 4 — Syllable “Di (दी)”
Boys · 6 names
Boys
Meaning
Digvijay
Conqueror of all directions
Dinesh
Sun
Dilip
A king of the solar dynasty
Divakar
Sun
Divyansh
Divine part
Deepak
Lamp
Girls · 7 names
Girls
Meaning
Diya
Lamp
Divya
Divine
Disha
Direction
Deepa
Lamp; light
Dipali
Row of lamps
Deepika
Little lamp
Deepti
Brightness
Meanings are the commonly accepted ones; many names have more than one. The namakshar custom is a tradition, not a rule — many families also consider the family deity, the grandparents' names or the rashi letter.
Frequently asked questions
What is namakshar?
Namakshar is the auspicious first syllable for a name, taken from the pada (quarter) of the nakshatra the Moon was in at birth. Each of the 27 nakshatras has four padas, giving 108 syllables.
How do I find my baby's nakshatra?
Enter the date, exact time and place of birth in the finder above. The Moon's position at that moment gives the nakshatra and pada, and from it the syllable.