Kanya

Kanya meaning

Kanya (कन्या) is a Hindu girl's name of Sanskrit origin.

A girl, maiden, daughter; Virgo; a name of Durga

Also used to mean: young girl

Kanya (कन्या) is the Sanskrit word for a girl, a maiden or a daughter. Monier-Williams also gives it as the zodiac sign Virgo, which Indian astrology still calls Kanyā, and as a name of the goddess Durgā. The goddess worshipped at the southern tip of India is Kanyakumari, "the virgin goddess", and young girls are honoured as kanyās during Navratri. Name lists give "young girl" or "maiden", matching the dictionary. The same name is also used in Thailand, from the same Sanskrit word.

In Hindu tradition this is a name of Durga.

Source: Monier-Williams, Sanskrit–English Dictionary (1899), p. 249 · entry kanyā · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026

References: Monier-Williams, kanyā, p. 249

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

Kanya · Kanyaa

Related names

Also meaning goddess

Also starting with Kan-

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