The rule
By tradition the child's name begins with the syllable assigned to the pada (quarter) of the nakshatra the Moon occupied at birth. The four padas of Mrigashira and their syllables are: pada 1 - Ve (वे) / Be (बे); pada 2 - Vo (वो) / Bo (बो); pada 3 - Ka (का); pada 4 - Ki (की). Each nakshatra spans 13°20′ and each pada 3°20′, so the pada is astronomy - but the syllable attached to it is convention carried in the jyotisha literature, not something the sky tells you.
Finding your pada
You need the birth time and place, not just the date - the Moon crosses a pada in roughly six hours, so a few hours' error moves the syllable. Use the free nakshatra calculator to get your nakshatra and pada, then read the matching list below. If the pada is genuinely unknown, any of the four lists still keeps the name within Mrigashira.
Pada 1 - Ve (वे) / Be (बे)
7 names
Boys
- Vedant (वेदांत)The end of the Vedas; ultimate knowledge
- Ved (वेद)Sacred knowledge
- Venkat (वेंकट)A name of Vishnu at Tirupati
- Bejoy (बेजॉय)Victory
Girls
- Vedika (वेदिका)An altar; consciousness
- Vedanti (वेदांती)One versed in Vedanta
- Bela (बेला)The jasmine flower; a moment in time
Pada 2 - Vo (वो) / Bo (बो)
3 names
Boys
- Bodhi (बोधि)Awakening, enlightenment
- Bodhan (बोधन)Awakening; instruction
Girls
- Bodhika (बोधिका)One who awakens understanding
Pada 3 - Ka (का)
6 names
Boys
- Kabir (कबीर)Great; the poet-saint
- Karan (कर्ण)The Mahabharata hero; the ear
- Kartik (कार्तिक)Son of Shiva; a lunar month
Girls
- Kavya (काव्य)Poetry
- Kamna (कामना)Wish, desire
- Kanika (कणिका)A tiny particle; atom
Pada 4 - Ki (की)
4 names
Boys
- Kiran (किरण)A ray of light
- Kishan (किशन)A form of Krishna
Girls
- Kirti (कीर्ति)Fame, renown
- Kimaya (किमाया)Divine, miraculous
Find your nakshatra, free
Enter your birth details to get your Moon's nakshatra and pada - where a traditional name starts.
Frequently asked
- Which letter should a Mrigashira nakshatra baby's name start with?
- It depends on the pada: pada 1 - Ve (वे) / Be (बे); pada 2 - Vo (वो) / Bo (बो); pada 3 - Ka (का); pada 4 - Ki (की).
- Is the naming syllable compulsory?
- It's a custom, not an obligation. Many families follow it for the formal namakaran name and use something else at home. Nothing in the practice requires the everyday name to match.
- Why do different sources give different syllables?
- For a few padas the traditions genuinely differ - व versus ब in Rohini and Mrigashira, ख versus ज in Shravana. Where that happens this page shows both readings rather than silently picking one.
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