Baby name letters by nakshatra and rashi
This free tool gives the baby name letters by nakshatra and rashi that Indian families traditionally use when choosing a first name. From the date, time and place of birth it finds the Moon’s nakshatra and pada (quarter), then reads the matching first syllable from the classical Avakahada table — the namakshar. It also lists the letters of the baby’s rashi (Moon sign), for families who follow the rashi rather than the exact pada.
Below the letters it lists Indian names that start with those sounds, each with its meaning and origin, so you can go straight from “La” or “Ni” to real choices. You can also start from a nakshatra or rashi you already know from a priest or a horoscope. The custom is a tradition; this page is for tradition and entertainment, not prediction or advice.
How to use the Baby Name Letters by Nakshatra & Rashi
- Choose Birth details, Nakshatra or Rashi at the top.
- With birth details, enter the Date of birth, Time of birth (from the hospital record) and Birth place; tick Birth time unknown if needed.
- Read the nakshatra and pada, the name syllable and the rashi in the panel; the strip below lights the syllable of the birth pada.
- Under Names that start with these sounds, pick List names for the pada’s syllable, all four syllables of the nakshatra, or all the rashi letters, and filter by Boy or Girl.
- Tick Show every name to see the full lists, and press Copy letters and names to share them with family.
Baby Name Letters by Nakshatra & Rashi features
Exact syllable from the Moon
The Moon’s sidereal position (Lahiri ayanamsa) gives the nakshatra and pada, and the pada gives one syllable — the namakshar.
Rashi letters too
All nine syllables of the Moon sign, the wider rule many families use.
From a known star or rashi
Start from a nakshatra (with or without the pada) or a rashi when that is all you have.
Real names with meanings
Indian names from this site’s baby name list, matched by their first syllable rather than by first letter.
Unknown birth time
Every pada the Moon passed through on the date is listed with its times, so you can see which syllables were possible.
How the letters are worked out
The zodiac’s 27 nakshatras are 13°20′ each and each has four padas of 3°20′, 108 in all. Each pada carries one starting sound. The tool converts the birth time to Universal Time, computes the Moon’s position, subtracts the Lahiri ayanamsa, and divides: the 108 padas run in order from Ashwini 1 at 0° Aries. A Moon at 8°48′ of Scorpio, for example, is in Anuradha pada 2, whose syllable is “Ni”; the Vrishchika rashi letters are To, Na, Ni, Nu, Ne, No, Ya, Yi and Yu.
Names are matched by sound, not just by first letter: “Nikhil” and “Nisha” fall under Ni, while “Naveen” starts with “Na”, the first pada of the same nakshatra. Long vowels are folded together (Aa = A, Ee = I) and clusters such as Pr- and Shr- count by their first consonant. Roman spelling cannot tell dental from retroflex consonants (त and ट), so such names appear under both readings.
Nakshatra name letters at a glance
The syllables of all 27 nakshatras, pada 1 to 4. The full rashi letter table is in the rashi calculator.
| Nakshatra | Syllables | Nakshatra | Syllables |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashwini | Chu Che Cho La | Swati | Ru Re Ro Ta |
| Bharani | Li Lu Le Lo | Vishakha | Ti Tu Te To |
| Krittika | A I U E | Anuradha | Na Ni Nu Ne |
| Rohini | O Va Vi Vu | Jyeshtha | No Ya Yi Yu |
| Mrigashira | Ve Vo Ka Ki | Mula | Ye Yo Bha Bhi |
| Ardra | Ku Gha Nga Chha | Purva Ashadha | Bhu Dha Pha Dha |
| Punarvasu | Ke Ko Ha Hi | Uttara Ashadha | Be Bo Ja Ji |
| Pushya | Hu He Ho Da | Shravana | Ju Je Jo Gha |
| Ashlesha | Di Du De Do | Dhanishta | Ga Gi Gu Ge |
| Magha | Ma Mi Mu Me | Shatabhisha | Go Sa Si Su |
| Purva Phalguni | Mo Ta Ti Tu | Purva Bhadrapada | Se So Da Di |
| Uttara Phalguni | Te To Pa Pi | Uttara Bhadrapada | Du Tha Jha Na |
| Hasta | Pu Sha Na Tha | Revati | De Do Cha Chi |
| Chitra | Pe Po Ra Ri |
Where the names come from
The names and meanings are the 1,198 names marked popular in India or of Indian-language origin in the baby name generator, which has 4,566 names in all and filters by origin, length and syllables. A few traditional sounds, such as Nga and Gha, have no names in the list, and 18 names (Bala, Bindu and others starting with Ba or Bi, which the table lacks) cannot be placed; families then usually take the rashi letters. To check which nakshatra an existing name suits, the nakshatra finder has a name mode.
Baby Name Letters by Nakshatra & Rashi FAQ
How do I find baby name letters by nakshatra?
Enter the baby’s date, time and place of birth. The tool finds the Moon’s nakshatra and pada and shows the traditional first syllable for that pada, with names that start with it.
What if I only know the nakshatra, not the pada?
Choose Nakshatra and leave Pada on Not known: all four syllables of that nakshatra are shown and names are listed for each.
Should I use the nakshatra syllable or the rashi letters?
Customs vary. The pada syllable is the stricter rule; many families accept any of the nine rashi letters. Switch List names for to see both.
Is this a baby name nakshatra calculator for any birth time?
Yes. Without a time, the tool lists every pada the Moon passed through on that date and their syllables.
Why does another site give a different letter?
Usually a time-zone slip or a different ayanamsa, or a table variant — Shravana is given as Ju, Je, Jo, Gha here and as Khi, Khu, Khe, Kho in some tables.
Does the name letter affect a child’s future?
No evidence says so. It is a naming custom; this page is for tradition and entertainment, not prediction or advice.