Girl · Sanskrit · Hindu
Chhaya
छायाSay it CHHAA-yaa
- Meaning
- Shade, shadow; shelter; play of light, lustre Monier-Williams, p. 406
- Say it
- CHHAA-yaa
- Written
- छाया
- Other spellings
- Chaya, Chhaaya
Chhaya
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Chhaya meaning
Chhaya (छाया) is a Hindu girl's name of Sanskrit origin.
Shade, shadow; shelter; play of light, lustre
Chhaya (छाया) is the Sanskrit chāyā, "shade, shadow, a shady place". Monier-Williams adds several gentler senses: shelter or protection, the play of light and lustre, the colour and features of a face, and a reflected image, a sense found as early as the Rigveda. In mythology Chāyā, "Shadow", is personified as a wife of the Sun and the mother of the planet Saturn, Śani, a story told in the Harivaṃśa and several Purāṇas. Name lists give Chhaya as "shadow" or "shade", in line with the dictionary. Chāyā is also the ordinary word for shade and shadow in Hindi and many other Indian languages, so the name is instantly understood.
Source: Monier-Williams, Sanskrit–English Dictionary (1899), p. 406 · entry chāyā · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Monier-Williams, chāyā, p. 406
Famous namesakes
- Chhaya, wife of the Sun and mother of Shani in the Puranas
Fits your syllable
First sound छा
Ardra nakshatra, pada 4 · Mithun rashi
This exact sound isn't in the table; the closest is छ, which differs only in vowel length. North Indian table. Tables vary by region and family tradition, so confirm with your priest.
Spellings
Chhaya · Chaya · Chhaaya