Girl · Sanskrit · Hindu
Uma
उमाSay it OO-maa
- Meaning
- The goddess Pārvatī, wife of Śiva; also flax and turmeric Monier-Williams, p. 217
- Say it
- OO-maa
- Written
- उमा
- Other spellings
- Umaa
- First sound
- उ · Vrishabh rashi
Uma
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Uma meaning
Uma (उमा) is a Hindu girl's name of Sanskrit origin. By its first sound, उ, it is a Vrishabh rashi name (Krittika nakshatra) in the North Indian table.
The goddess Pārvatī, wife of Śiva; also flax and turmeric
Uma (उमा) is one of the oldest names of the goddess Pārvatī, daughter of the mountain king Himavat and wife of Śiva. Monier-Williams records a traditional explanation of the name from the exclamation u mā, "O child, do not", with which her mother tried to stop her from practising severe austerities; Kālidāsa tells this in the Kumārasambhava (1.26). The name appears earlier still in the Kena Upaniṣad, where Umā Haimavatī, daughter of the Himālaya, appears to the god Indra and reveals that the gods' power comes from Brahman. MW also gives the plant senses flax and turmeric, and lexicon senses of splendour, fame, tranquillity and night. Uma is used across India.
In Hindu tradition this is a name of Parvati.
Source: Monier-Williams, Sanskrit–English Dictionary (1899), p. 217 · entry umā · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Monier-Williams, umā, p. 217 · Kena Upaniṣad (shlokam.org)
Famous namesakes
- Umā Haimavatī, who teaches Indra in the Kena Upaniṣad
- Umā, the goddess Pārvatī of the Kumārasambhava
Fits your syllable
First sound उ
Krittika nakshatra, pada 3 · Vrishabh rashi
North Indian table. Tables vary by region and family tradition, so confirm with your priest.
Spellings
Uma · Umaa