Girl · Sanskrit · Hindu
Menaka
मेनकाSay it MAY-nuh-kaa
- Meaning today
- Celestial dancer, apsara
- Original meaning
- "name of an Apsaras, a celestial nymph; wife of Himavat" Monier-Williams, p. 833
- Say it
- MAY-nuh-kaa
- Written
- मेनका
- Other spellings
- Maneka, Menka
- First sound
- मे · Simha rashi
Menaka
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Menaka meaning
Menaka (मेनका) is a Hindu girl's name of Sanskrit origin. By its first sound, मे, it is a Simha rashi name (Magha nakshatra) in the North Indian table.
Name of an Apsaras, a celestial nymph; wife of Himavat
Also used to mean: celestial dancer
Menaka (मेनका) is the name of one of the most famous Apsaras, the celestial dancers of Indra's court. Monier-Williams records Menakā as an Apsaras and as the wife of Himavat, the Himalaya, in the Mahabharata and classical poetry, and as a daughter of Vṛṣaṇaśva in a Vedic text; he does not explain the word itself. In the Mahabharata Menaka is sent to distract the sage Vishvamitra, and their daughter is Shakuntala. Name lists give celestial dancer or apsara. Maneka is an alternative spelling.
Source: Monier-Williams, Sanskrit–English Dictionary (1899), p. 833 · entry menakā · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Monier-Williams, menakā, p. 833 · Menaka (Wikipedia)
Famous namesakes
- Menaka, the Apsaras who was mother of Shakuntala in the Mahabharata
Fits your syllable
First sound मे
Magha nakshatra, pada 4 · Simha rashi
North Indian table. Tables vary by region and family tradition, so confirm with your priest.
Spellings
Menaka · Maneka · Menka