Boy · Sanskrit · Hindu
Rudra
रुद्रSay it ROO-druh
- Meaning today
- Fierce, remover of sorrow
- Original meaning
- "roaring, terrible; the Vedic god of storms" Monier-Williams, p. 883
- Say it
- ROO-druh
- Written
- रुद्र
Rudra
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Rudra meaning
Rudra (रुद्र) is a Hindu boy's name of Sanskrit origin.
Roaring, terrible; the Vedic god of storms
Also used to mean: fierce, remover of sorrow
Rudra (रुद्र) is the name of a Vedic god. Monier-Williams takes the word as probably "crying, howling, roaring", hence "dreadful, terrible", and glosses the god as the Roarer or Howler, lord of tempests and father of the Maruts. Other derivations have been proposed, among them "red, shining", "strong" and, from Indian authorities, "driving away evil", which is close to the popular gloss "remover of sorrow". In the Veda Rudra's arrows bring death or disease, yet he is also a healer and already bears the epithet śiva, "kind"; in later mythology Śiva became his main name. Eleven Rudras are counted as lesser forms of Śiva, and Rudra also guards the north-east.
In Hindu tradition this is a name of Shiva.
Source: Monier-Williams, Sanskrit–English Dictionary (1899), p. 883 · entry rudra · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Monier-Williams, rudra, pp. 883–884
Famous namesakes
- Rudra, the Vedic storm god, later identified with Shiva
Popularity abroad
- #585 England and Wales, boys 2025
Office for National Statistics
Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.
Fits your syllable
First sound रु
Swati nakshatra, pada 1 · Tula rashi
This exact sound isn't in the table; the closest is रू, which differs only in vowel length. North Indian table. Tables vary by region and family tradition, so confirm with your priest.