Boy · Sanskrit · Hindu
Salil
सलिलSay it suh-LEEL
- Meaning
- Flowing, surging; (as a noun) flood, waves, water; rain Monier-Williams, p. 1189
- Say it
- suh-LEEL
- Written
- सलिल
- Other spellings
- Saleel
Salil
Stays on your phone. A family name is never required.
Salil meaning
Salil (सलिल) is a Hindu boy's name of Sanskrit origin.
Flowing, surging; (as a noun) flood, waves, water; rain
Salil (सलिल) is Sanskrit salila. In the Rig Veda and Atharva Veda the word is an adjective for something flowing or surging; as a noun Monier-Williams gives flood, surge and waves, and then simply water, including rainwater and even tears. Hindi keeps salil as a literary word for water. Indian name lists give the name as "water", which matches the dictionary. It is a short, quiet name used in north India, Bengal and Maharashtra, carried by the Bengali composer Salil Chowdhury and the Infosys chief executive Salil Parekh.
Source: Monier-Williams, Sanskrit–English Dictionary (1899), p. 1189 · entry salila · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Monier-Williams, salila, p. 1189 · Wikipedia, Salil Chowdhury · Wikipedia, Salil Parekh
Famous namesakes
- Salil Chowdhury, Bengali and Hindi film composer
- Salil Parekh, chief executive of Infosys
Fits your syllable
First sound स
Shatabhisha nakshatra, pada 2 · Kumbh rashi
This exact sound isn't in the table; the closest is सा, which differs only in vowel length. North Indian table. Tables vary by region and family tradition, so confirm with your priest.
Spellings
Salil · Saleel