Collection
Sibling names with a shared or paired theme
How we chose them: each pair is from the same tradition, and each name's main checked meaning is either the same theme (light, flowers) or one of two themes that go together (the sun and the moon, stars and sky, rivers and water, strength and courage). The two names start with different letters so they don't blur together when called out. Genders are mixed; swap in any name from the theme's page to suit your family.
Worth knowing: these are suggestions built from meanings, not a ranking. Say both names aloud with your surname, and check that the initials work.
The sun and the moon
- Ravikumar Son of the sun; Sanskrit ravi + kumāra + Chandra "The moon", from a word for "shining" · Hindu
- Suryansh "A portion of the sun" + Chandrabhan "Moonlight"; in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa, a son of Krishna · Hindu
- Bhaskar The sun; literally "light-maker" + Poorna "Full, complete" · Hindu
- Aftab The sun; Persian āftāb + Mahpara "Piece of the moon", lovely; Persian māh-pāra · Muslim
- Bazgha "Rising", of the sun or moon; Arabic bāzigha + Mahlaqa "Moon-faced"; Persian māh-liqā · Muslim
- Shams Sun; Arabic shams + Afra "White, fair"; Arabic ʿafrāʾ, also the bright 13th night of the month · Muslim
- Ravleen "Absorbed in the sun's light"; rav, sun, with leen, absorbed + Mehtab "Moonlight" · Sikh
- Samson "Sunlight", from Hebrew Shimshon and shemesh, "sun" + Cynthia "Of Mount Cynthus", an epithet of the moon goddess Artemis · Christian
Light
- Shivprakash Light of Shiva + Tejaswini "Brilliant, radiant"; a woman full of tejas · Hindu
- Deepti "Brightness, light, splendour" + Rashmika "A ray of light", from Sanskrit raśmi · Hindu
- Satyaprakash Light of truth + Lochana "Eye" · Hindu
- Azhar Shining, luminous, bright + Darakhshan "Shining, bright"; Persian darakhshān · Muslim
- Inara "Illumination, light"; Arabic ināra + Zia Light, radiance; Arabic ḍiyāʾ · Muslim
- Noori Luminous, of light; Arabic nūrī + Tanveer Illumination, enlightenment; Arabic tanwīr, from nūr, "light" · Muslim
- Taranjot Taran, "crossing over, deliverance", with jot, "light" + Paramjot "Supreme light"; param, highest, with jot, divine light · Sikh
- Ikjot "The One Light"; ik, one, with jot, divine light + Karandeep Karan, "doer" or Karna, with deep, "lamp" · Sikh
- Mandeep "Light of the mind"; man, mind, with deep, lamp + Deepinder Deep, lamp, with Inder, Indra or "chief" · Sikh
- Albert "Noble and bright"; Old High German Adalbert + Lucia "Light"; Latin Lucia, from lux · Christian
- Gilbert "Bright pledge", from Germanic Gisilberht + Clara "Bright, clear"; also "famous", from Latin clarus · Christian
- Helen "The bright one"; Greek Helenē + Abner "Father of light", from Hebrew ab and ner · Christian
Rivers and water
- Tapti "Warming"; daughter of the Sun and the Tapti river + Rimjhim "The patter of gentle rain" · Hindu
- Bhagirathi The river Ganga, named after King Bhagiratha + Nirjhar Waterfall, mountain stream; Sanskrit nirjhara · Hindu
- Sarita "River"; Sanskrit sarit + Mehul Rain, rain cloud; from Sanskrit megha via Gujarati meh · Hindu
- Kausar Abundance; al-Kawthar, a river in Paradise (Quran 108:1) + Sadaf Mother-of-pearl shell; popularly "pearl" · Muslim
- Jafar Stream, small river; Arabic jaʿfar + Sahil "Shore, coast"; Arabic sāḥil · Muslim
- Jordan "Flowing down"; Hebrew Yarden, the River Jordan + Adrian "From Hadria", the Italian town that named the Adriatic Sea · Christian
Flowers
- Padmavati "Full of lotuses"; a name of the goddess Lakshmi + Ambuj Lotus; Sanskrit ambuja, "born in water" · Hindu
- Krishnakali "A dark flower bud"; the krishnakali flower + Mrinalini "Lotus" or "a cluster of lotuses" · Hindu
- Padma "Lotus"; also a name of the goddess Lakshmi + Ketaki The fragrant screw-pine flower · Hindu
- Shamim "Fragrance, scent"; Arabic shamīm + Areej "Fragrance"; Arabic arīj, a sweet scent that spreads · Muslim
- Gul "Rose, flower"; Persian gul + Banafsha "Violet", the flower; Persian banafsha · Muslim
- Nargis The narcissus flower + Gulbahar "Spring flower"; Persian gul and bahār · Muslim
- Jacinta "Hyacinth"; Latin hyacinthus, the flower and gem + Susan "Lily", from Hebrew shoshannah · Christian
- Rose "Rose", the flower; from Latin rosa + Jasmine The jasmine flower; from Persian yāsaman · Christian
- Rosa "Rose"; Latin rosa + Susanna "Lily", from Hebrew shoshannah · Christian
Stars and sky
- Nayantara "Star of the eye" + Divij "Born in heaven" · Hindu
- Arundhati Arundhati, the star Alcor and wife of the sage Vasishtha + Gagana "Sky"; Sanskrit gagana · Hindu
- Anuradha Anuradha, one of the 27 nakshatras of Indian astronomy + Paridhi "Circle" or "boundary"; also a halo and the horizon · Hindu
- Akhtar Star; Persian akhtar + Rubab White cloud; also the rebab, a stringed instrument · Muslim
- Sohaila "Canopus" star; also "gentle, easy"; Arabic Suhayla + Arooj "Rising, ascent"; Arabic ʿurūj · Muslim
- Najam Star; Arabic najm + Falak "Sky, the heavens"; Arabic falak · Muslim
Strength and courage
- Pratishtha "Standing, renown"; also "foundation" + Raghuveer Hero of the Raghus, a name of Rama · Hindu
- Kunti Kunti, mother of the Pandavas in the Mahabharata + Nirbhay Fearless; Sanskrit nirbhaya · Hindu
- Pranshu "Tall, lofty"; Sanskrit prāṃśu + Yudhishthir Steady in battle; the eldest Pandava, Sanskrit yudhiṣṭhira · Hindu
- Hafeez Protector, preserver; al-Hafeez is one of the names of God + Ghazi Warrior; Arabic ghāzī, "one who goes out to fight" · Muslim
- Qaim Standing firm, steadfast; Arabic qāʾim + Tahmina Rustam's wife in the Shahnameh; popularly "strong, brave" · Muslim
- Hussam Sharp sword; Arabic ḥusām + Rustam A hero; Rustam, champion of the Persian Shahnameh · Muslim
- Balbir "Strong and brave" + Satbir "True warrior"; sat, truth, with bir, brave warrior · Sikh
- Balwinder "Mighty Indra"; bal, strength, with inder + Harveer "Brave warrior of God" · Sikh
- Baldev Balarama, Krishna's elder brother; literally "god of strength" + Gurveer "The Guru's brave one"; vīr also means brother · Sikh
- Ethan "Enduring, firm"; Hebrew ʾĒytān + Bernard "Bold as a bear", from Old High German Bernhard · Christian
- Valentine "Strong, healthy", from Latin Valentinus and valens + Gerard "Brave with the spear", from Germanic Gerhard · Christian
- Valentina "Strong, healthy"; from Latin valens + Alphonsa "Noble and ready", from the Gothic roots of Alphonsus · Christian