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 Revati and their syllables are: pada 1 - De (दे); pada 2 - Do (दो); pada 3 - Cha (चा); pada 4 - Chi (ची). 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 Revati.
Pada 1 - De (दे)
6 names
Boys
- Dev (देव)God, divine being
- Devansh (देवांश)Part of the divine
- Devendra (देवेंद्र)King of the gods
Girls
- Devika (देविका)Little goddess
- Deepika (दीपिका)A small lamp
- Devanshi (देवांशी)Divine in part
Pada 2 - Do (दो)
2 names
Boys
- Dorai (दोराई)Leader, chief
Girls
- Dolika (दोलिका)A swing; the Dol festival
Pada 3 - Cha (चा)
6 names
Boys
- Chaitanya (चैतन्य)Consciousness; the Bengali saint
- Chandra (चंद्र)The Moon
- Chaman (चमन)A garden
Girls
- Charvi (चार्वी)A beautiful woman
- Chandni (चाँदनी)Moonlight
- Chaitali (चैताली)Born in the month of Chaitra
Pada 4 - Chi (ची)
4 names
Boys
- Chirag (चिराग)A lamp; light
- Chinmay (चिन्मय)Full of consciousness
Girls
- Chitra (चित्रा)A picture; a nakshatra
- Chinmayi (चिन्मयी)Full of awareness
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 Revati nakshatra baby's name start with?
- It depends on the pada: pada 1 - De (दे); pada 2 - Do (दो); pada 3 - Cha (चा); pada 4 - Chi (ची).
- 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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