Girl · Sanskrit · Hindu
Purva
पूर्वाSay it POOR-vaa
- Meaning today
- East, first, elder
- Original meaning
- "the east; collective name of the three Pūrva nakshatras" Monier-Williams, p. 643
- Say it
- POOR-vaa
- Written
- पूर्वा
- Other spellings
- Poorva
- First sound
- पू · Kanya rashi
Purva
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Purva meaning
Purva (पूर्वा) is a Hindu girl's name of Sanskrit origin. By its first sound, पू, it is a Kanya rashi name (Hasta nakshatra) in the North Indian table.
The east; collective name of the three Pūrva nakshatras
Also used to mean: first, elder
Purva (पूर्वा) is the feminine of Sanskrit pūrva, whose first sense is "being in front" or "first in place or time". From there the adjective spreads into a family of related ideas: eastern, former, prior, first in a series, ancient and traditional, and, as a masculine noun, an ancestor or an elder brother. As a feminine noun, pūrvā means the east, and it is also a collective name for three nakshatras, Pūrva-phalgunī, Pūrvāṣāḍhā and Pūrvabhādrapadā. That is why name lists give Purva as "east", "first" or "elder", all of which have dictionary support. It is used as a girl's name and is sometimes spelled Poorva.
Source: Monier-Williams, Sanskrit–English Dictionary (1899), p. 643 · entry pūrvā · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Monier-Williams, pūrva and pūrvā, p. 643
Fits your syllable
First sound पू
Hasta nakshatra, pada 1 · Kanya rashi
North Indian table. Tables vary by region and family tradition, so confirm with your priest.
Spellings
Purva · Poorva