151 Nepali Baby Names With Meanings

You can guess a lot about Nepali people from their name, including their caste, profession, ethnic group, and place of birth. Sherpa and Gurung are both place names and ethnic surnames. Surnames such as Pant and Bista indicate that the person is a Brahmin, originally belonging to western Nepal. Names such as Pande, Thapa, and Bhasnet reveal that the individual belongs to the Rana ruling family. Shrestha is a higher class surname while Kami is the Nepalese equivalent of Smith.

Some Nepalese, especially those residing on the rural side, name their children after the day he/she was born. Dawa indicates the child was born on a Monday; Phurba indicates the child being born on Thursday, and Nyima indicates that the child was born on Sunday.

The Nepalese naming convention is a lot similar to Indian naming customs. After the baby is born, his or her horoscope, along with the chosen letter from the Devanagari, is given to the astrologer. The astrologer then has to find a suitable beginning sound from the particular letter according to the child’s horoscope. Some parents do not select any letter, leaving the naming responsibility entirely on the astrologer.

If you’re looking for a unique Nepali name for your son or daughter, check out MomJunction's list below. We have some of the beautiful and traditional Nepali baby boy and girl names with meanings.