Girl · Sanskrit · Hindu
Gautami
गौतमीSay it GOW-tuh-mee
- Meaning today
- Of Gautama's line, the river Godavari
- Original meaning
- "a woman of Gotama's line; a name of Durga; a river" Monier-Williams, p. 369
- Say it
- GOW-tuh-mee
- Written
- गौतमी
- Other spellings
- Gauthami, Gowthami, Goutami
Gautami
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Gautami meaning
Gautami (गौतमी) is a Hindu girl's name of Sanskrit origin.
A woman of Gotama's line; a name of Durga; a river
Also used to mean: of Gautama's line, the river Godavari
Gautami (गौतमी) is the feminine of Sanskrit gautama, "descended from Gotama", the name of a famous Vedic family of seers. Monier-Williams gives gautamī as a woman of that line, as a name of the goddess Durga, and as the name of a river, identified with the Godavari or the Gomati. In Buddhist tradition the Buddha's aunt and foster mother, who became the first Buddhist nun, is known as Mahaprajapati Gautami. The name is used across India and is usually spelt Gauthami or Gowthami in the South.
In Hindu tradition this is a name of Durga.
Source: Monier-Williams, Sanskrit–English Dictionary (1899), p. 369 · entry gautamī · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Monier-Williams, gautamī, p. 369 · Wikipedia, Mahapajapati Gotami · Wikipedia, Gautami
Famous namesakes
- Mahaprajapati Gautami, the Buddha's foster mother and the first Buddhist nun
- Gautami, Tamil and Telugu film actress
Fits your syllable
First sound गौ
Shatabhisha nakshatra, pada 1 · Kumbh rashi
This exact sound isn't in the table; the closest is गो, which differs only in vowel length. North Indian table. Tables vary by region and family tradition, so confirm with your priest.
Spellings
Gautami · Gauthami · Gowthami · Goutami