Boy · Sanskrit (Telugu and Malayalam usage) · Hindu
Manikanta
मणिकंठSay it MUN-ee-kun-ta
- Meaning today
- One with a bell around his neck, Lord Ayyappa
- Original meaning
- "the blue jay; also the name of a Naga" Monier-Williams, p. 774
- Say it
- MUN-ee-kun-ta
- Written
- मणिकंठ
- Other spellings
- Manikantha, Manikanth
Manikanta
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Manikanta meaning
Manikanta (मणिकंठ) is a Hindu boy's name of Sanskrit origin (Telugu and Malayalam usage).
Meaning today
One with a bell around his neck, Lord Ayyappa
Original Sanskrit (Telugu and Malayalam usage) meaning
"the blue jay; also the name of a Naga"
Source: Monier-Williams, Sanskrit–English Dictionary (1899), p. 774 · entry maṇi-kaṇṭha · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
Manikanta (मणिकंठ) is best known as a name of Ayyappa, the deity of Sabarimala. In the Pandalam legend the king found the infant in the forest with a bell, a mani, tied around his neck, and so named him Manikanta, and name lists follow that story. In Sanskrit, maṇi means a jewel or gem rather than a bell, so maṇikaṇṭha is literally "jewel-throated", and Monier-Williams gives it as a word for the blue jay and as the name of a serpent deity. The "bell" sense comes from the Malayalam and Tamil word mani. The name is used mainly in the Telugu states, and Tamil families use the form Manikandan.
References: Monier-Williams, maṇi-kaṇṭha, p. 774 · Monier-Williams, maṇi, p. 774 · Wikipedia, Ayyappan
Fits your syllable
First sound म
Magha nakshatra, pada 1 · Simha rashi
This exact sound isn't in the table; the closest is मा, which differs only in vowel length. North Indian table. Tables vary by region and family tradition, so confirm with your priest.
Spellings
Manikanta · Manikantha · Manikanth