Girl · Hindi, from Sanskrit · Hindu
Neelam
नीलमSay it NEE-lum
- Meaning today
- Blue sapphire
- Original meaning
- "a sapphire" Platts, p. 1168
- Say it
- NEE-lum
- Written
- नीलम
- Other spellings
- Nilam
- First sound
- नी · Vrishchik rashi
Neelam
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Neelam meaning
Neelam (नीलम) is a Hindu girl's name of Hindi origin (from Sanskrit). By its first sound, नी, it is a Vrishchik rashi name (Anuradha nakshatra) in the North Indian table.
A sapphire
Also used to mean: blue sapphire
Neelam (नीलम) is the everyday Hindi and Urdu word for the sapphire. Platts traces it to Sanskrit nīla-maṇi, "blue jewel", which Monier-Williams also gives as "a sapphire", and notes that Persian uses the same form. Name lists give Neelam as "blue sapphire", matching the dictionaries. The name is used in North India, including in Punjabi families. The actress Neelam Kothari is a well-known bearer.
Source: Platts, A Dictionary of Urdu, Classical Hindi, and English (1884), p. 1168 · entry nīlam · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Platts, nīlam, p. 1168 · Monier-Williams, nīla-maṇi, p. 566 · Wikipedia, Neelam Kothari
Famous namesakes
- Neelam Kothari, Hindi film actress
Fits your syllable
First sound नी
Anuradha nakshatra, pada 2 · Vrishchik rashi
North Indian table. Tables vary by region and family tradition, so confirm with your priest.
Spellings
Neelam · Nilam