Sukanya

Classical Sanskrit origin

सुकन्या (sukanyā): a beautiful girl.

Source: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899), a public-domain scholarly reference — not every popular name today traces to a classical dictionary entry, so this section only appears where a verified match exists.

In the epics

Sukanya appears in the Mahābhārata as a other: Daughter of Sharyati.

Source: Drimigo Scripture KG (CC BY 4.0). Many characters share a name across the epics — this is one notable figure who bore it, not a claim about the name's only meaning.

Traditional associations

In Hindu tradition, names are sometimes chosen by the baby's rashi (moon sign) or nakshatra (birth star). This is cultural tradition, not a rule.

• Rashi: Dhanu
• Nakshatra: Purva Ashadha
• More names starting with S

Names with a similar meaning

Names that share a word with “Beautiful girl, virtuous woman”. Meanings are the common reading rather than a ruling — the same name is often glossed differently by different sources.

• Yuvika — Young girl, youthful
• Yashika — Success, fame, glorious girl
• Nandhini — Joyful girl, daughter of joy
• Alka — Long curly hair, girl with curls
• Gopika — Cowherd girl, devotee of Krishna
• Lathika — A creeper, slender girl

More girls' names of Sanskrit-Telugu origin

• Aaradhya — Worthy of worship, beloved of God
• Priya — Beloved, dear one, darling
• Aishwarya — Prosperity, wealth, Goddess Lakshmi
• Shruti — Heard, sacred scriptures, Vedas
• Harshitha — Happy, joyful, delighted
• Niharika — Dewdrops, morning dew

Other names under Dhanu rashi

• Subhadra — Sister of Lord Jagannath and Balabhadra, auspicious
• Ayyappan — Lord Ayyappa, divine son of Shiva and Vishnu
• Subhashree — Good fortune, beautiful blessing
• Tanushree — One with a beautiful body; graceful woman
• Sowmya — Gentle, calm, mild, Goddess Parvati
• Deepali — A row of lamps, Diwali lights

Traditional association, recorded because families use it when choosing — see all Dhanu names.

Where this comes from

Sukanya's etymology is verified against Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899). Its meaning comes from our compiled name corpus, the least-sourced dataset on this site — we say so plainly on Sources & methodology rather than implying an authority we cannot name.