Girl · Sanskrit · Hindu
Nayantara
नयनताराSay it nuh-yun-TAA-raa
- Meaning
- Star of the eye; also the pupil of the eye Monier-Williams, p. 528, 443
- Say it
- nuh-yun-TAA-raa
- Written
- नयनतारा
- Other spellings
- Nayanthara, Nayanatara
Nayantara
Stays on your phone. A family name is never required.
Nayantara meaning
Nayantara (नयनतारा) is a Hindu girl's name of Sanskrit origin.
Star of the eye; also the pupil of the eye
Nayantara (नयनतारा) joins two Sanskrit words: nayana, "eye", and tārā, "star". Monier-Williams adds that tārā also means the pupil of the eye, especially at the end of a compound, so the name can be read both as "star of the eye" and as "pupil of the eye", the apple of someone's eye. Name lists give it as "star of the eyes", which fits the parts. The writer Nayantara Sahgal made the name well known, and in the South it is often spelled Nayanthara, as by the film actress.
Source: Monier-Williams, Sanskrit–English Dictionary (1899), p. 528, 443 · entry nayana; tārā · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Monier-Williams, nayana, p. 528 · Monier-Williams, tārā, p. 443 · Wikipedia, Nayantara Sahgal · Wikipedia, Nayanthara
Famous namesakes
- Nayantara Sahgal, novelist and Sahitya Akademi Award winner
- Nayanthara, Tamil and Malayalam film actress
Fits your syllable
First sound न
Anuradha nakshatra, pada 1 · Vrishchik rashi
This exact sound isn't in the table; the closest is ना, which differs only in vowel length. North Indian table. Tables vary by region and family tradition, so confirm with your priest.
Spellings
Nayantara · Nayanthara · Nayanatara