Boy · Sanskrit · Hindu
Harihar
हरिहरSay it hu-ree-HUR
- Meaning today
- Vishnu and Shiva combined
- Original meaning
- "the deity uniting Viṣṇu and Śiva in one form" Monier-Williams, p. 1291
- Say it
- hu-ree-HUR
- Written
- हरिहर
- Other spellings
- Harihara, Hariharan
Harihar
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Harihar meaning
Harihar (हरिहर) is a Hindu boy's name of Sanskrit origin.
The deity uniting Viṣṇu and Śiva in one form
Also used to mean: Vishnu and Shiva combined
Harihar (हरिहर) joins Hari, a name of Vishnu, and Hara, a name of Shiva. Monier-Williams records hari-hara as a form of the deity in which Vishnu and Shiva are united, and as Vishnu and Shiva together, citing the Harivaṃśa; Harihara images show one figure, half Vishnu and half Shiva. It has long been a personal name: Harihara I co-founded the Vijayanagara Empire in the fourteenth century. In Tamil Nadu and Kerala the name is usually Hariharan.
Source: Monier-Williams, Sanskrit–English Dictionary (1899), p. 1291 · entry hari-hara · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Monier-Williams, hari-hara, p. 1291 · Wikipedia, Harihara I · Wikipedia, Harihara
Famous namesakes
- Harihara I, co-founder of the Vijayanagara Empire
Fits your syllable
First sound ह
Punarvasu nakshatra, pada 3 · Mithun rashi
This exact sound isn't in the table; the closest is हा, which differs only in vowel length. North Indian table. Tables vary by region and family tradition, so confirm with your priest.
Spellings
Harihar · Harihara · Hariharan