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 Pushya and their syllables are: pada 1 - Hu (हू); pada 2 - He (हे); pada 3 - Ho (हो); pada 4 - Da (डा). 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 Pushya.
One thing stated plainly
Pada 4 (डा) is a retroflex akshara. Almost no Sanskrit-derived given name actually begins with the retroflex series, so the tradition - and every published name list - accepts the matching dental letter instead (दा). The lists below rest on that relaxation. We are telling you rather than filing दीपक under डी and hoping you don't check, so you can confirm it with your own priest if it matters to you.
Pada 1 - Hu (हू)
2 names
Boys
- Humayun (हुमायूँ)Fortunate, auspicious
Girls
- Hutashini (हुताशिनी)Consecrated to the sacred fire
Pada 2 - He (हे)
4 names
Boys
- Hemant (हेमंत)Early winter; one of the six seasons
- Hemang (हेमांग)Golden-limbed
Girls
- Hema (हेमा)Golden
- Hetal (हेतल)Friendly, affectionate
Pada 3 - Ho (हो)
2 names
Boys
- Hojas (होजस)Full of vigour
Girls
- Holika (होलिका)Associated with the Holi fire
Pada 4 - Da (डा)
4 names · Listed under the dental दा: almost no name begins with the retroflex form, and the tradition accepts the dental in its place.
Boys
- Daksh (दक्ष)Capable, skilful; a Prajapati
- Darsh (दर्श)Sight; the new moon
Girls
- Darshana (दर्शना)Vision, philosophy
- Dakshita (दक्षिता)Skilfulness
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 Pushya nakshatra baby's name start with?
- It depends on the pada: pada 1 - Hu (हू); pada 2 - He (हे); pada 3 - Ho (हो); pada 4 - Da (डा).
- 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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