Ten Buddhism Inspired Names - from Anicca to Zen

Photo courtesy of Beloved Photography

In recent months I have covered a couple of names with connections to Buddhism. The first - Avici (adapted to Avicii) - was adopted as a stage name for a young Swedish DJ whose star is currently on the rise. The second was Bodhi, a rising, relatively well-known option that was recently bestowed on two celebrity babies.

This got me thinking about names with Buddhist connections. In times when some are attracted to bold, energetic names like Dash and Blaze; or weaponry associated names like Colt and Cannon, it makes sense that others would be drawn to names with peaceful, spiritual meanings and connections.

Such names can create a great first impression. If balanced against feeling a little too “new agey” or “hippie” (sorry Dharma and Karma), they can set other people at ease, making their wearer seem friendly, relaxed and approachable. Less overt than traditional virtue names, they still hint at an attitude that the wearer can aspire to.

I need to preface this list by saying that I am not (and have never been) a Buddhist, so my knowledge of Buddhist terms that would make for great names is by no means exhaustive. However, I've chosen ten in particular that feel very usable - other than Bodhi and Avici. I'd love to hear further suggestions in the comments below.

Anicca

Anicca is a term meaning 'inconstancy' or 'impermanence', referring to the Buddhist teaching that all things are in a constant state of change – an inevitable cycle of birth, growth, decay and death. Pronounced uh-NIK-uh, visually and verbally Anicca doesn't seem very far removed from names such as Anita or Annika, which makes it feel quite usable, particularly for a girl.

Arya

Most people would recognise Arya as the name of the young rebellious tomboy daughter of the Stark family in 'Game of Thrones'. The show has certainly boosted its popularity as a girls name. But Arya actually has a history as a name used by both genders, and skewed male in the U.S until 2010. Arya (or Ariya) means 'noble' or 'exalted' in Sanskrit, and is frequently used in Buddhism to describe some of the main tenets – mainly the Four Noble Truths (catvary arya satyani) or The Noble Eightfold Path (arya marga).

Kathina

Kathina is a Buddhist festival that is held at the end of Vassa, the three month rainy season retreat for Theraveda Buddhists. It is a time of giving, for people to express their thanks to monks by bringing donations – particularly new robes - to the temples. It is rarely used as a name, but is seen as a girls name. It feels like an exotic blend of Katrina and Katherine and would make for a spiritual, celebratory name.

Lotus

The lotus is an important Buddhist icon, as Buddha is typically depicted sitting on a lotus. It is symbolic of the path from ignorance to enlightenment, as it rises from the mud of materialism, through the waters of experience, and into the sunshine of enlightenment. Pronounced LOH-tuhs, as a flower name it is definitely one of the more exotic and rarer choices. It is also a luxury sports car brand, which seems quite at odds with it's Buddhist symbolism. But that does little to detract from the elegant beauty of this name.

Mahayana

Lyrical sounding, it's pronounced mah-huh-YAH-nuh and is one of the main branches of Buddhism. It comes from the Sanskrit words maha meaning 'great' and yana meaning 'vehicle'. Mahayana is a more liberal type of Buddhism, and the most popular. Followers believe that anyone - not just monks and nuns - can attain enlightenment. It has never charted in the U.S as a name, but Mahayana would be a very pretty choice for a girl.

Nirvana

Nirvana literally means 'blown out', as in a candle, which when applied to a Buddhist context refers to “the imperturbable stillness of mind after the fires of desire, aversion and delusion have been finally extinguished”. Buddhists aim to reach this state of mind or consciousness to be free of individual desires or suffering. The name was chosen by Kurt Cobain for his rock/grunge band, who said that he wanted a beautiful, nice and pretty name. It seems namers agree with this impression, as Nirvana has only ever been bestowed on girls in the U.S. If Haven, Elysia or Nevaeh are on your list, this is another worthy option to consider.

Om

Perhaps due to it's short length, Om has to date been used as a boys name in the U.S. Om is sometimes referred to as the sacred syllable, used as a mantra when meditating. It means 'creation' in Sanskrit, and as a representation of the three most important deities in Hindu religions – Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma – it ultimately refers to the essence of life. It may be short, but it is loaded with meaning and has a relaxing sound.

Samsara

You may recognise Samsara as the title of a visually poetic 2011 Documentary. It means 'continuous movement' or 'cyclic existence', often translated as 'the circle of life'. By following the Buddhist path, one can liberate themselves from the endless cycling through the six realms, but one must first understand the nature of Samsara in order to be liberated from it. Samsara has a lovely, liquid velvet feel to it, pronounced suhm-SAHR-uh. It's rare use has so far been for girls, which may have been influenced by the fact that it is also the name of a perfume by Guerlain. Familiar nicknames Sam or Sara and it's similarity to Samara makes it easier to wear.

Veda

The Vedas are the most ancient and important of Hindu sacred literature, believed to be an eternal revelation of divine origin. Veda (pronounced VEY-duh or VEE-duh) means 'knowledge' or 'wisdom' – Theravada is the oldest surviving branch of Buddhism, meaning 'the Teaching of the Elders'. Veda has a long history of use as a girls name in the U.S, particularly popular at the beginning of the 20^th century accompanied by Vida and Vera. It has a vintage feel and spiritual quality.

Zen

Zen is synonymous with calmness and tranquillity. Many people most immediately associate it with Buddhism. Meaning 'absorption' or 'meditative state', Zen is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that advocates the use of sitting meditation for realising Buddhist truths such as no-self, emptiness, and the uncreated mind. Zen has been getting some small use in the U.S in recent decades and is so far proving to be more popular for boys than girls. This name has a fantastic energy – it feels unexpected, yet cool and stylish.

Jeanne, Coco and Lucie

"On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me, three French hens"

There are plenty of birds that make for pretty names, but hens and chickens don't really make that list. Instead, I thought I'd look at the names of three famous French women. But how to choose? If you look at French history three are a lot of women who have done great things. So back to those three French hens. Some say that the carol 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' is actually full of religious symbolism, the three French hens representing the three theological virtues of faith, hope and charity. Although this theory has been debunked, I thought I'd look at some women who display these virtues.

Jeanne
She's better known as the heroine Joan of Arc, but her actual name was Jeanne (pronounced ZHAHN). Her name means 'God is gracious' and she was devoted in her faith to both God and the French people. Both Jeanne and Joan have a long history of use in the U.S., although Joan has been much more popular, probably because she is more intuitive for non French speakers to pronounce properly, whereas Jeanne would more likely be pronounced like a pair of denim pants. Neither are very popular currently (Joan peaked in 1949), but there's no denying that Jeanne D'Arc remains an inspirational figure.

Coco
Coco Chanel came from very humble beginnings to become one of the most iconic designers and influential people of the 20th century. Born Gabrielle, it's thought that she adopted the name Coco in her earlier years as an entertainer. It's said to be inspired either by one of two popular songs she was associated with, or as an allusion to her being considered a cocotte (a French term for a kept woman). When it turned out her voice was not strong enough, Coco turned to fashion and achieved her hope of fame through design instead.

For a long time people inspired by Coco Chanel were much more likely to use Chanel - a French name meaning 'dweller by the canal' - as a name for their child. It's been a top 1000 name much more often than not since the 70's, the decade when the designer passed away. Coco on the other hand was seen as nickname only territory, a name only suitable for pets. The tide is slowly turning on that though, largely helped when Courtney Cox chose Coco for her daughter in 2004. She chose it because it was a nickname of hers when she was a child. With an example to look to, it seems a lot less silly and a lot more chic these days. It's still a long way from the top 1000 in the U.S. but things are looking up for this cute, spunky nickname come birth name.

Lucie
Many French women were quite active members of the French Resistance during World War II, working for the benefit of their country. Lucie Aubrac was one such woman. She was a Resistance leader and founder of the underground newspaper 'Liberation'. Lucy has long been the much more popular spelling in the western world, but this French variation certainly has its charm. Lucie covers a lot of styles - it's old fashioned yet modern sounding, soft and girlish yet strong and assertive, sweet yet sassy. Meaning 'light', Lucy is a top 100 name, while Lucie is still slowing inching her way towards the top 1000 in the U.S.


Jeanne, Coco and Lucie all have alternatives that have so far proven to be more popular in the U.S. to date. But as we become more of a global community our search for and acceptance of different names becomes much wider. Maybe one day these three French "hens" will overtake their more popular counterparts.