Rashi name letters (naam akshar) for all 12 rashis
Every rashi has nine traditional starting sounds for a baby's name. Here they are for all twelve, with how the letter is chosen.
What are rashi name letters?
In Hindu tradition a baby's name often starts with a sound linked to the Moon's position at birth. The zodiac has 27 nakshatras, each split into four quarters called padas, which makes 108 padas. Every pada has one starting sound, called the naam akshar. A rashi (Moon sign) holds nine padas, so each rashi has nine sounds.
Starting letters for all 12 rashis
Open any rashi to see the nakshatra pada behind each letter, and boys' and girls' names with their meanings.
| Rashi | Starting letters |
|---|---|
| Mesh (Aries) | Chu, Che, Cho, La, Li, Lu, Le, Lo, A |
| Vrishabh (Taurus) | I, U, E, O, Va, Vi, Vu, Ve, Vo |
| Mithun (Gemini) | Ka, Ki, Ku, Gha, Nga, Chha, Ke, Ko, Ha |
| Kark (Cancer) | Hi, Hu, He, Ho, Da, Di, Du, De, Do |
| Simha (Leo) | Ma, Mi, Mu, Me, Mo, Ta, Ti, Tu, Te |
| Kanya (Virgo) | To, Pa, Pi, Pu, Sha, Na, Tha, Pe, Po |
| Tula (Libra) | Ra, Ri, Ru, Re, Ro, Ta, Ti, Tu, Te |
| Vrishchik (Scorpio) | To, Na, Ni, Nu, Ne, No, Ya, Yi, Yu |
| Dhanu (Sagittarius) | Ye, Yo, Bha, Bhi, Bhu, Dha, Pha, Dha, Bhe |
| Makar (Capricorn) | Bho, Ja, Ji, Khi, Khu, Khe, Kho, Ga, Gi |
| Kumbh (Aquarius) | Gu, Ge, Go, Sa, Si, Su, Se, So, Da |
| Meen (Pisces) | Di, Du, Tha, Jha, Nya, De, Do, Cha, Chi |
Which rashi should you use?
Use the Moon sign at the moment of birth, not the Sun sign you read in magazines. The Moon changes sign about every two and a quarter days, and moves to the next pada roughly every six hours. If the baby was born close to a change, the exact birth time decides the letter.
The free Moon sign calculator gives the rashi, the nakshatra and the pada from the date, time and place of birth.
Is it compulsory to start the name with this letter?
No. It is a tradition that many families follow, and families differ on how strictly. A letter does not decide a child's character or future. Some families use the letter for the formal name and a different one for daily use. Choose a name that you love and that is easy to say in every language your family speaks.
Spelling differences
The same sound can be written in more than one way in English, such as Kh and Kha, or Bh and Bha. Match by the Hindi sound, not by the English spelling.
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