Boy · Sanskrit · Hindu
Nirad
नीरदSay it NEE-rud
Nirad meaning
Nirad (नीरद) is a Hindu boy's name of Sanskrit origin. By its first sound, नी, it is a Vrishchik rashi name (Anuradha nakshatra) in the North Indian table.
A cloud, 'water-giver'
Nirad (नीरद) is Sanskrit nīrada, "water-giver", from nīra, "water", and da, "giving": in other words, a rain cloud. Monier-Williams cites it from classical poetry, where the monsoon cloud is a favourite image. Name lists give "cloud", matching the dictionary; readings such as "waterless" split the word wrongly. The name is used mainly in Bengal and Odisha. Nirad C. Chaudhuri, the Bengali writer, wrote The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian.
Source: Monier-Williams, Sanskrit–English Dictionary (1899), p. 566 · entry nīrada · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Monier-Williams, nīrada, p. 566 · Britannica, Nirad C. Chaudhuri
Famous namesakes
- Nirad C. Chaudhuri, Indian writer in English and Bengali
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
Nirad · Neerad