Boy · Hindi (from Sanskrit) · Hindu
Kanhaiya
कन्हैयाSay it kun-HAI-yaa
- Meaning today
- Little Krishna, beloved Krishna
- Original meaning
- "a name of Krishna; a proper name" John T. Platts, p. 857
- Say it
- kun-HAI-yaa
- Written
- कन्हैया
- Other spellings
- Kanhaiyya, Kanaiya
Kanhaiya
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Kanhaiya meaning
Kanhaiya (कन्हैया) is a Hindu boy's name of Hindi origin (from Sanskrit).
A name of Krishna; a proper name
Also used to mean: little Krishna, beloved Krishna
Kanhaiya (कन्हैया) is an affectionate Hindi name for Krishna. Platts' Hindustani dictionary gives it as a name of Krishṇa and as a proper name, and traces it through Prakrit to Sanskrit kṛṣṇaka, a fuller form of kṛṣṇa, "dark", which Monier-Williams records as the name of the celebrated incarnation of Viṣṇu. The ending gives it the affectionate tone of "little Krishna", which is how name lists often gloss it, alongside "beloved Krishna". It is the name used for the child Krishna of Vrindavan in many devotional songs. Kanha is the shorter form.
In Hindu tradition this is a name of Krishna.
Source: John T. Platts, A Dictionary of Urdu, Classical Hindi, and English (1884), p. 857 · entry kanhaiyā · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Platts, kanhaiyā, p. 857 · Monier-Williams, kṛṣṇa, p. 306
Famous namesakes
- Kanhaiya Kumar, Indian politician
Fits your syllable
First sound क
Mrigashira nakshatra, pada 3 · Mithun rashi
This exact sound isn't in the table; the closest is का, which differs only in vowel length. North Indian table. Tables vary by region and family tradition, so confirm with your priest.
Spellings
Kanhaiya · Kanhaiyya · Kanaiya