Nala

In the epics

Nala appears in the Mahābhārata as a king: King of the Nishadhas, Virasena's son; defeated Pushkara at dice, then magnanimously released him and granted him a city.

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.

Names with a similar meaning

Names that share a word with “Name of a celebrated king (of the Nala-Damayanti story)”. Meanings are the common reading rather than a ruling — the same name is often glossed differently by different sources.

• Damayanti — Meanings families give: Taming others, wife of Nala, legendary beauty; Subduing, taming, beautiful princess
• Kiratsingh — Famous warrior, celebrated hero
• Jasrawat — Famous warrior, celebrated fighter
• Kalidasa — N. of a celebrated poet
• Parth — Meanings families give: Prince, Arjuna; Arjuna, prince; Son of Pritha, another name for Arjuna the great hero; Arjuna, son of Pritha, earthly; Son of Pritha; name of Arjuna; Arjuna, one who never misses the target; Arjuna, king, prince
• Riaan — Little king, kingly, noble

More boys' names of Sanskrit origin

• Reyansh — Meanings families give: Ray of light; Ray of light, part of God Vishnu
• Aryan — Noble, of high birth
• Krish — Meanings families give: Lord Krishna; Short form of Krishna, dark, attractive
• Aarush — Meanings families give: First ray of sun; First ray of the winter sun, calm radiance
• Arnav — come from the sea
• Viaan — Meanings families give: Full of life, energy; Full of energy, lively, animated

Where this comes from

Nala has no entry in the classical Sanskrit dictionary we check against, which is common for modern and non-Sanskrit names. 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.