Girl, occasionally used for boys, mostly in compounds such as Tulsidas · Sanskrit · Hindu
Tulsi
तुलसीSay it TOOL-see
- Meaning today
- Holy basil, sacred plant
- Original meaning
- "holy basil, the shrub venerated by Vaishnavas" Monier-Williams, p. 451
- Say it
- TOOL-see
- Written
- तुलसी
- Other spellings
- Tulasi, Thulasi
Tulsi
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Tulsi meaning
Tulsi (तुलसी) is a Hindu girl's name of Sanskrit origin.
Holy basil, the shrub venerated by Vaishnavas
Also used to mean: sacred plant
Tulsi (तुलसी) is the holy basil, Sanskrit tulasī, the small fragrant shrub that grows in a raised pot in the courtyard of many Hindu homes. Monier-Williams notes that it is venerated by Vaiṣṇavas, and that the Purāṇas tell different stories of its birth: from the ocean when it was churned, or from the hair of the goddess Tulasī. Each year in the month of Kārttika the plant, seen as a form of Lakshmi, is ceremonially married to Viṣṇu in the rite of Tulsi Vivah. Name lists give Tulsi as "holy basil" or "sacred plant". Tulasi and Thulasi are spellings used in the south.
Source: Monier-Williams, Sanskrit–English Dictionary (1899), p. 451 · entry tulasī · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Monier-Williams, tulasī, p. 451 · Wikipedia, Tulsi Vivah · Wikipedia, Tulsi Gabbard
Famous namesakes
- Tulsi Gabbard, American politician
Fits your syllable
First sound तु
Vishakha nakshatra, pada 2 · Tula rashi
This exact sound isn't in the table; the closest is तू, which differs only in vowel length. North Indian table. Tables vary by region and family tradition, so confirm with your priest.
Spellings
Tulsi · Tulasi · Thulasi