Vayu

Classical Sanskrit origin

वायु (vāyu): the god of the wind.

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

Vayu appears in the Rāmāyaṇa as a character: Saw Anjana's beautiful form on the mountain.

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: Kanya
• Nakshatra: Uttara Phalguni
• More names starting with V

Names with a similar meaning

Names that share a word with “Wind, god of the winds and vital breath”. Meanings are the common reading rather than a ruling — the same name is often glossed differently by different sources.

• Mausumi — Seasonal; of the monsoon winds
• Vyan — One of the five vital airs
• Jeevan — Life, living and the vital force
• Rayan — Gate to paradise, soft wind
• Samara — Guarded by God, wind
• Pavan — Wind, breeze, pure, holy

More boys' names of Vedic origin

• Ritwik — Priest, one who performs sacred Vedic rituals
• Agni — Sacred fire, the Vedic god of fire and energy
• Yajur — The Yajur Veda, sacred knowledge of sacrifice
• Brahma — The creator god, the first of the holy trinity

Other names under Kanya rashi

• Dhruv — Pole star, constant
• Parth — Arjuna, one who never misses the target
• Prisha — Beloved, darling
• Priyanka — Favourite, dear one, lovable
• Pihu — Sweet sound, chirping of birds
• Pooja — Prayer, worship, adoration

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

Where this comes from

Vayu'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.