Top 200 Indian Baby Boy Names 2023

I have three kids but 11 names for them, because each one of them has approximately three nicknames assigned by different members of the family. Do we actually call them by the names given to them at birth? Not as much. And yet, choosing a baby name is one decision parents often belabor and debate for months.

My husband and I scoured the internet searching for inspiration for a name for my son. And ironically enough, I found it offline. If you're looking for an Indian baby boy name, I've shared my research to get you started.

You might have a checklist of naming criteria similar to mine if you're a parent to Indian American kids like I am. I was looking for a name that's easy to pronounce, sounded American yet ethnic and was somehow meaningful. Not all of the names on this list below meet this criteria, but they’re the most popular Indian baby boy names of 2021.

In addition to referencing the Social Security Administration (SSA), which provides a list of top 1,000 baby names, this list was also curated from a few hidden gems I looked to when searching for my son's name: small businesses who sell South Asian-inspired baby products that can be personalized with names. These include Modi Toys, the maker of mantra-singing plush toys; Her Sun & Stars Co., which sells personalized minky blankets and Creative Crafty Mom, who provides personalized rakhis for Raksha Bandhan. (I also used these as sources for Indian baby girl names for my two daughters.) As you go through these Indian baby boy names, you may notice many of them fall into one of three categories of inspiration: Hindu theology, Bollywood movies and popular culture.

Just remember, no matter how many lists you browse and what you name your child, you will likely call him anything but that. Trust me.

Indian Boy Baby Names Inspired by Hindu Theology

Given the vast number of gods and goddesses in Hinduism — and with each deity carrying multiple alternative names — there is no shortage of inspiration found here.

Arjun
Aum
Ishan
Krish
Moksh
Nitin
Parin
Rishi
Shankar
Veer

Indian Baby Boy Names Inspired by Bollywood

While Bollywood’s scripts are no match for Hindu scriptures, the one benefit of having a prolific movie industry are the countless movie titles hitting the screens.

Akshay
Ajay
Anil
Ashok
Dilip
Hrithik
Laksh
Moksh
Rajesh
Ranbir
Ranveer
Sajan
Samay
Siddh
Veer

SUJIT JAISWAL//Getty Images

Akshay Kumar, one of the biggest stars in Bollywood.

Indian Baby Boy Names in Pop Culture

From The Green Knight star Dev Patel to The Namesake's Kal Penn, these are the Indian names you might hear on the radio or see splashed across the screen.