Boy · Sanskrit · Hindu
Rajnikant
रजनीकांतSay it ruj-nee-KAANT
- Meaning today
- Moon, king of the night
- Original meaning
- "beloved of the night: rajanī 'night' + kānta 'beloved'; the moon" Monier-Williams, p. 863
- Say it
- ruj-nee-KAANT
- Written
- रजनीकांत
- Other spellings
- Rajanikant, Rajinikanth, Rajnikanth
Rajnikant
Stays on your phone. A family name is never required.
Rajnikant meaning
Rajnikant (रजनीकांत) is a Hindu boy's name of Sanskrit origin.
Beloved of the night: rajanī 'night' + kānta 'beloved'; the moon
Also used to mean: king of the night
Rajnikant (रजनीकांत) joins Sanskrit rajanī, "night", with kānta, "desired, beloved, lovely". Monier-Williams also lists kānta as a name of the moon, so the whole reads "beloved of the night", the moon, in the same way as rajanī-pati, "lord of night". Name lists give "moon" or "king of the night"; the "king" reading comes from mistaking rajanī for rāja. The name is used across India and is famous through the Tamil film star Rajinikanth, whose screen name uses the southern spelling.
Source: Monier-Williams, Sanskrit–English Dictionary (1899), p. 863 · entry rajanī · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Monier-Williams, rajanī, p. 863 · Monier-Williams, kānta, p. 270 · Monier-Williams, rajanī-pati, p. 863 · Wikipedia, Rajinikanth
Famous namesakes
- Rajinikanth, Tamil film star
Fits your syllable
First sound र
Chitra nakshatra, pada 3 · Tula rashi
This exact sound isn't in the table; the closest is रा, which differs only in vowel length. North Indian table. Tables vary by region and family tradition, so confirm with your priest.
Spellings
Rajnikant · Rajanikant · Rajinikanth · Rajnikanth