Girl · Sanskrit · Hindu
Shyamala
श्यामलाSay it SHYAA-muh-laa
- Meaning
- Dark-coloured, dusky; a form of Durgā Monier-Williams, p. 1094
- Say it
- SHYAA-muh-laa
- Written
- श्यामला
- Other spellings
- Shyamla, Syamala
Shyamala
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Shyamala meaning
Shyamala (श्यामला) is a Hindu girl's name of Sanskrit origin.
Dark-coloured, dusky; a form of Durgā
Shyamala (श्यामला) is the feminine of Sanskrit śyāmala, a longer form of śyāma, "dark". Monier-Williams gives the adjective as dark-coloured, citing the Harivaṃśa and classical poetry, and records śyāmalā in the old lexicons as a form of Durgā and the name of several plants. Name lists give Shyamala as "dark" or "dusky", the dictionary meaning. The name is used in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. Its best-known modern bearer is the biomedical scientist Shyamala Gopalan, mother of the American politician Kamala Harris.
In Hindu tradition this is a name of Durga.
Source: Monier-Williams, Sanskrit–English Dictionary (1899), p. 1094 · entry śyāmala, śyāmalā · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Monier-Williams, śyāmala / śyāmalā, p. 1094 · Wikipedia, Shyamala Gopalan
Famous namesakes
- Shyamala Gopalan, Indian-American biomedical scientist (1938–2009)
Spellings
Shyamala · Shyamla · Syamala