Boy · Sanskrit (Bengali usage) · Hindu
Atanu
अतनुSay it O-to-noo
- Meaning today
- Kamadeva, one without a body
- Original meaning
- "not thin, not small; the bodiless one, a name of Kāma" Monier-Williams, p. 12
- Say it
- O-to-noo
- Written
- अतनु
- Other spellings
- Otanu, Athanu
- First sound
- अ · Mesh rashi
Atanu
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Atanu meaning
Atanu (अतनु) is a Hindu boy's name of Sanskrit origin (Bengali usage). By its first sound, अ, it is a Mesh rashi name (Krittika nakshatra) in the North Indian table.
Not thin, not small; the bodiless one, a name of Kāma
Also used to mean: Kamadeva, one without a body
Atanu (अतनु) is Sanskrit a-tanu. Tanu means both "thin" and "body", so Monier-Williams gives two senses: "not thin, not small", and the bodiless one, a name of Kāma, the god of love. The second refers to the story in which Shiva burned Kāma to ashes with the fire of his third eye, after which the god of love lived on without a body; Ananga is another name with the same meaning. Atanu is a well-known Bengali boys' name. The Olympic archer Atanu Das is a prominent bearer.
Source: Monier-Williams, Sanskrit–English Dictionary (1899), p. 12 · entry a-tanu · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Monier-Williams, a-tanu, p. 12 · Wikipedia, Atanu Das
Famous namesakes
- Atanu Das, Indian Olympic archer
Fits your syllable
First sound अ
Krittika nakshatra, pada 1 · Mesh rashi
North Indian table. Tables vary by region and family tradition, so confirm with your priest.
Spellings
Atanu · Otanu · Athanu