Narayan

Narayan meaning

Narayan (नारायण) is a Hindu boy's name of Sanskrit origin. By its first sound, ना, it is a Vrishchik rashi name (Anuradha nakshatra) in the North Indian table.

Son of the primeval Man; a name of Vishnu

Also used to mean: refuge of all beings, protector

Narayan (नारायण) is Sanskrit nārāyaṇa, a patronymic from nara, the primeval Man or cosmic person, and in the epics Nārāyaṇa is often paired with Nara as a divine twin. Monier-Williams identifies him with Vishnu or Krishna and, in the laws of Manu, with Brahmā. Manu 1.10 gives the classic explanation of the name: the waters are called nārāḥ because they are the offspring of Nara, and because they were his first resting place, ayana, he is called Nārāyaṇa. Name lists build on this, offering "refuge of all beings" or "protector" alongside "Vishnu". The novelist R. K. Narayan, whose stories are set in the imaginary south Indian town of Malgudi, is a famous bearer.

In Hindu tradition this is a name of Vishnu.

Source: Monier-Williams, Sanskrit–English Dictionary (1899), p. 536 · entry nārāyaṇa · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026

References: Monier-Williams, nārāyaṇa, p. 536 · Manusmriti, chapter 1 (Bühler translation), verse 10 · Britannica, R.K. Narayan

Famous namesakes

• Narayana, a name of Vishnu
• R. K. Narayan, novelist of Malgudi

Fits your syllable

First sound ना

Anuradha nakshatra, pada 1 · Vrishchik rashi

North Indian table. Tables vary by region and family tradition, so confirm with your priest.

Spellings

Narayan · Narayana

Related names

Also meaning god

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