Bengali Names: Daak Naam, Bhalo Naam and Meanings
How Bengalis traditionally have two names, a pet name and a formal name, plus common given names, their meanings and typical surnames.
A distinctive feature of Bengali naming is that many people have two names: one for the family and one for the world.
Two names: daak naam and bhalo naam
- ডাক নাম (daak naam) — "calling name", the affectionate pet name used at home and among friends. Examples include Tublu, Mithu, Bubai, Khuku and Babu.
- ভালো নাম (bhalo naam) — "good name", the formal name used at school, on documents and in public life.
A person might be called Mithu at home and Sumit Kumar Roy in an official register. Many people are known by their daak naam even into adulthood.
Common given names and meanings
Many Bengali names are ordinary words with lovely meanings:
- আকাশ (Akash) — sky
- সাগর (Shagor) — sea
- নীলা (Nila) — blue
- ঝর্না (Jhorna) — spring, stream
- ঋতু (Ritu) — season
- শান্ত (Shanto) — calm
- মিতা (Mita) — friend
- অপর্ণা (Aparna) — a name of the goddess Durga
- পলাশ (Polash) — a red flowering tree
- শিউলি (Shiuli) — night jasmine, a flower of autumn
- সুমন (Shumon) — good heart
- তানভীর (Tanvir) — enlightening (from Arabic)
Surnames
Hindu Bengali surnames often include Chatterjee (from Chattopadhyay), Banerjee (Bandyopadhyay), Mukherjee (Mukhopadhyay), Ghosh, Bose, Dutta, Sen and Roy. The anglicised spellings of the first three date from the colonial period, and the original forms are longer.
Muslim Bengali surnames often include Khan, Chowdhury, Rahman, Hossain, Islam and Ahmed.
Honorifics
Bengalis often use respectful suffixes:
- বাবু (babu) — Mr (traditional)
- শ্রী (Shri) — Mr
- শ্রীমতী (Shrimoti) — Mrs
- জনাব (jonab) — Mr (formal, more common in Bangladesh)
- বেগম (begum) — Mrs, lady
Naming ceremonies
Many families hold a naming ceremony, নামকরণ (namkoron), some weeks after birth. For Bengali Hindus, a rice-feeding ceremony, অন্নপ্রাশন (annaprashan), around six months, is also an important occasion.
Transliteration variation
Spellings differ widely because Bengali sounds do not map neatly onto Roman letters. Names such as Sumon, Shumon and Suman may refer to the same name. For official documents, always use the spelling on your passport.
Naming and sound
Bengali names are often chosen for their musical quality and poetic meaning. Parents may consult poems, the calendar or family tradition.
Practice
- Look up the meanings of five names of people you know.
- Write your own name in Bengali script.
- Find the daak naam of a friend or relative.
- Check unknown names in a dictionary.
Look up names and words in Bengali script with English Bangla Dictionary →
English Bangla Dictionary
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