490+ Bengali Baby Names with Meanings

Calling All Bengali Parents-to-Be: Let's Name That Little Wonder! 

Congratulations on your upcoming bundle of joy! Deciding a Bengali baby name for your young one isn't just about ticking a box on a form. It's a big deal! Whatever name you choose will stick with your little star forever, so you want it to be perfect (and maybe a bit trendy?)—feeling the pressure? No worries, Mom&Tiny will help you tread this incredible journey.

Through our research and conversations with our Bengali friends, we realised that modern parents are all about finding trendy names that still honour their incredibly rich culture. Names inspired by gods and goddesses, beautiful nature, or even influential personalities from Bengal's rich history are extremely popular among Bengali parents nowadays.

Modern Bengali folks are drawn to names that spark creativity and depth in their children. It's like the first step towards raising a future artist, singer, poet or footballer. So, let's find that perfect name from our exhaustive list of 490 Bengali baby names that capture that Bengali magic!

How Bengalis Name their Babies?

In Bengali culture, welcoming a newborn is an extraordinary occasion filled with tradition and love.

The Naamkaran Ceremony

The baby's name is decided during the Namakaran ceremony, usually held on the 21st day after birth. It's a milestone day for both the baby and the parents.

The phrase "Naamkaran" is a sum up of two Sanskrit words: "Naam", meaning name, and "Karan", meaning 'to create' or 'make'. Hence, Naamkaran refers to the creation or giving of a name.

While we were researching and talking to our Bengali friends and colleagues, we found that in traditional Bengali households, the process of choosing names for their newborns during the Bengali naming ceremony is highly unique and exciting: Parents write all the shortlisted Bengali Baby names on small pieces of paper, each with a small diya (oil lamp) beside it. All the diyas are then lit, and the name next to the diya that stays lit the longest is eventually chosen to be the newborn's first name. In a way, the light is guiding the name choice.

Also, an integral aspect of the Naamkaran ceremony is worshipping Goddess Shashti Devi. She is believed to protect and care for children. Bengali families pray to her on the sixth day right after birth to keep the baby safe, and then again during the Namakaran on the 21st day for good health and long life. They even honour her when the baby eats real food for the first time!

Families and friends not only get together for rituals, but they also play a lot of fun games with the newborn! One special ritual is "Suryadarshan," which involves the baby's first exposure to the sun to bring good luck and a bright future.

After the puja and rituals are complete, the Namakaran ceremony culminates in a grand feast. This feast symbolizes the sharing of happiness with everyone. As guests enjoy the delicious spread, they bond over love and togetherness, making everyone feel like a true part of the joyous occasion. The family then distributes sweets to extended family members, friends, neighbors, and colleagues to further share their joy and happiness.

The Namakaran ceremony is more than just a series of rituals. It's an occasion that brings families and friends closer. It's a way to welcome the baby with a name full of love, history, and good luck, setting them up for a happy life.