Boy · Sanskrit · Hindu
Rahul
राहुलSay it RAA-hul
- Meaning today
- Conqueror of all miseries, efficient, able
- Original meaning
- "name of the Buddha's son and of other men" Monier-Williams, p. 880
- Say it
- RAA-hul
- Written
- राहुल
- Other spellings
- Raahul
- First sound
- रा · Tula rashi
Rahul
Stays on your phone. A family name is never required.
Rahul meaning
Rahul (राहुल) is a Hindu boy's name of Sanskrit origin. By its first sound, रा, it is a Tula rashi name (Chitra nakshatra) in the North Indian table.
Meaning today
Conqueror of all miseries, efficient, able
Original Sanskrit meaning
"name of the Buddha's son and of other men"
Source: Monier-Williams, Sanskrit–English Dictionary (1899), p. 880 · entry rāhula · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
Rahul (राहुल) is the Sanskrit and Pali Rāhula, the name of the Buddha's only son. Monier-Williams records it only as a personal name and gives no etymology. Buddhist tradition explains it with words Siddhārtha is said to have spoken on hearing of the birth, "a rāhu is born, a fetter has arisen", so the name is usually taken to mean "fetter" or "bond". Rāhula later became a monk under his father and, Britannica notes, eventually an arhat. Indian baby-name lists usually give "conqueror of all miseries" or "efficient". We could not find these senses in the dictionaries, so they appear to be modern meanings. Well-known bearers include the cricketer Rahul Dravid.
References: Monier-Williams, rāhula, p. 880 · Britannica, Rahula · Narada Thera, The Buddha and His Teachings, ch. VIII (wisdomlib) · Britannica, Rahul Dravid
Famous namesakes
- Rāhula, son of the Buddha
- Rahul Dravid, former India cricket captain and coach
Fits your syllable
First sound रा
Chitra nakshatra, pada 3 · Tula rashi
North Indian table. Tables vary by region and family tradition, so confirm with your priest.
Spellings
Rahul · Raahul