(Over 160 Names!)
A few months ago, I embarked on a fun journey on Instagram, inviting the community to share their favorite names of Krishna. The response was overwhelming! Every day, the list grew, overflowing with beautiful names and their meanings.
To preserve this collaborative effort, I’ve meticulously compiled a master list of over 162 names (and counting!) gleaned from your insightful comments. This list removes duplicates and includes meanings wherever you provided them, or where I could find reliable sources.
Our favorite names of Krishna
Here’s the best part: Is your favorite name of Krishna on this list? It likely is! I spent countless hours compiling this resource, fueled by your vibrant contributions.
Ready to explore the multifaceted world of Krishna’s names? This list is presented in alphabetical order for easy navigation.
Bonus: If you discover a name I missed, feel free to share it in the comments below! Let’s keep this list growing together.
A –Names of Krishna
Achala: Immutable
Achyuta: Imperishable, infallible
Adidev: The Original Lord
Aditya: The Son of Aditi
Aghadamana: Crusher of Aghasura, a demon
Ajaya: The Conqueror of Life and Death
Akshara: Indestructible Lord
Amrut: Heavenly nectar (A (no) + Mrut (Death))
Anaadih: Beginningless
Ananda Sagar: Ocean of Transcendental Bliss
Ananta: The Endless Lord
Anantajit: Ever Victorious Lord
Aniruddha: Invincible
Anmol: Priceless, invaluable
Anaya: One Who Has No Leader
Arun Nayana: Lotus-eyed
Avyukt: Inexpressible, beyond comprehension
B –Names of Krishna
Bal Gopal: Child Krishna
Balakrishna: The Child Krishna
Banke Bihari: The playful one
Bihari: The Traveling Lord
Brajchanda: Moon of Braj
Bhuvan Sundar: Beautiful to the whole universe
C –Names of Krishna
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu: A spiritual teacher considered an incarnation of Krishna
Chaturbhuj: Four-armed
Chaturbhuja: Four-Armed Lord
D –Names of Krishna
Damodar: Bound by a rope around the waist
Danavendra: Granter of Boons
Dayalu: Repository of Compassion
Dayanidhi: Compassionate Lord
Devakinandan: Son of Devaki
Devesha: Lord of the Demigods
Dharmadhyaksha: The Lord of Dharma
Dinabandhu: Friend of the poor
Dwarkadheesh: Lord of Dwarka
Dvarkapati: Protector of Dwarka
G –Names of Krishna
Ghanshyam: Dark-complexioned
Giridhari: One who lifts Govardhan Hill
Gopala: One Who Plays With the Cowherds
Gopalpriya: Lover of Cowherds
Gopīnāth: Lord of the Gopīs
Govind: One who delights the cows, the land, and the entire nature
Guru: Teacher
H – Names of Krishna
Hari: A general epithet for Vishnu
Hrishikesh: Lord of the senses
J – Names of Krishna
Jagadguru: Preceptor of the Universe
Jagadisha: Lord of the Universe
Jagannath: Lord of the universe
Janardana: Savior of the world
Jayantah: Conqueror of all Enemies
Jyotiraaditya: The Resplendence of the Sun
K – Names of Krishna
Kanha: A beloved friend
Kanjalochana: The Lotus-Eyed God
Kamalanatha: The Lord of Goddess Lakshmi
Kamalanayana: The Lord With Lotus Shaped Eyes
Kanaknayanam: Golden-eyed
Keshava: One Who Has Long, Beautiful Black Matted Locks
Krishna: All-attractive, dark-complexioned
Krishn: A shorter form of Krishna
Krishnabhakta: Devotee of Krishna
Kum: A diminutive form of Kumar
Kleshnashaye: Destroyer of sorrow
L – Names of Krishna
Leeladhar: The Divine Lover
Leeladhar: The Divine Lover
Lokadhyaksha: Lord of All the Three Lokas (Worlds)
Lohitaksha: Red-eyed
M- Names of Krishna
Madhava: Husband of Lakshmi
Madan: God of love
Madanmohan: One who captivates the mind
Madhusudan: Slayer of Demon Madhu
Manmohana: Bewildering the Mind
Manohara: Beautiful Lord
Mohan: Enchanter
Murali: The Flute Playing Lord
Muralidhar: One Who Holds the Flute
Muralimanohara: The Lord who enchants with flute play
Mukunda: Liberator
N – Names of Krishna
Nand Gopal: Son of Nanda
Nand Kumar: Son of Nanda
Nandanandan: Son of Nanda
Narayana: The Refuge of Everyone
Nityanand: Eternally blissful
Natraj: Divine dancer
Natkhat: Mischievous
Navanitachora: Thief of Butter
Neel Madhav: Dark-blue Madhav
P – Names of Krishna
Palanhar: Protector or sustainer
Palanhar: Protector
Parabrahmana: The Supreme Absolute Truth
Parbrahma: Supreme Brahman
Parampurusha: Supreme Enjoyer
Parthasarathi: Charioteer of Partha (Arjuna)
Pitambar Dhari: Wearer of yellow robes
Pitavasan: One who wears yellow robes
Prajapati: Lord of all creatures
Priyakant: Beloved
Purushottama: The Supreme Soul
Purn Purushottam Parmeswar: The supreme and perfect being
R – Names of Krishna
Radhakrishna: A combined name signifying the divine couple
Radhavallabh: Beloved of Radha
Radheshyam: Lover of Radha
Rasbihari: The lover of divine rasa (love)
Ranchod: Playful
Ravilochan: Sun-eyed
Raajeshwar: King of the Universe
Ras Rachaiya: The one who organizes the Raas Leela
Radharamana: Beloved of Radha
S – Names of Krishna
Sahasrajita: One Who Vanquishes Thousands
Sahasraakasah: Thousand-Eyed Lord
Sakshi: All Witnessing Lord
Sanatana: The Eternal Lord
Sarvajana: Omniscient Lord
Sarvapalaka: Protector of All
Sarveshwara: Master of All
Satyavachana: One Who Speaks Only the Truth
Satyavrata: The Truthful Vow
Shantah: Peaceful Lord
Shreshhtha: The Most Glorious Lord
Shrikanta: Beautiful Lord
Shyam: Dark-Complexioned Lord
Shyamasundara: Lord of the Beautiful Evenings
Sudarshana: Handsome Lord
Sumedha: Intelligent Lord
Suresham: Lord of All Demi-Gods
Svargapati: Lord of Heavens
T – Names of Krishna
Taranhara: Savior
Tribhanga Murari: The one who dances in three bends, referring to Krishna’s graceful dance poses
Trivikrama: Conqueror of All the Three Worlds
U– Names of Krishna
Upendra: Brother of Indra
Unni: A diminutive form of Krishna, often used affectionately
V – Names of Krishna
Vallabh: Beloved
Vardhamaanah: The Formless Lord
Varijlochan: Lotus-eyed
Vasudevaputra: Son of King Vasudeva
Venu Gopal: Flute-playing
Vishal: Vast, immense
Vishnu: All-prevailing Lord, Lord of the Universe
Vishwakarma: Creator of the Universe
Vishwarupa: One Who Displays the Universal Form
Vishwatma: Soul of the Universe
Vishwadakshinah: Skillful and Efficient Lord
Vishweshwar: Lord of the Universe
Vrajeshwar: Lord of Vrindavan
Vrajavallabh: Beloved of Vrindavan
Vrajapati: Lord of Vrindavan
Vrajachandra: Moon of Vrindavan
Vrindavanachandra: Moon of Vrindavan
Y- Names of Krishna
Yadavendra: King of the Yadav Clan
Yadunandan: Son of Yadu
Yogeshwar: Lord of yoga
Yoginampati: Lord of the Yogis
Yasodananda: Son of Yashoda
Yadukulanandana/Yadukulachandra: Son of the Yadu clan
Z – Names of Krishna
Note on names that start with Z – the letter “z” is not part of the traditional Sanskrit alphabet. The Sanskrit script (Devanagari) has its own set of sounds and letters, but “z” is not one of them. While some Sanskrit words may be transliterated using “z” in modern languages, it doesn’t appear in the original Sanskrit phonetics. The closest sound is often represented by the letter “ज” (ja), but “z” itself is not used in the Sanskrit alphabet. So if you want a Z name, the closest could be J names, like Jagganath.
So, why are we gathering all these wonderful names of our dear Krishna?
Well, for starters, they can be a great source of inspiration when naming our children or pets. Even reading for pleasure, each name is a window into Krishna’s divine nature, a glimpse into his infinite love, playfulness, and power. And let’s not forget the beautiful names of his eternal consort, Shri Radha. I’m excited to share that list with you soon!
Particularly interesting to me is that when I am working on new deities of Krishna, I love to think about His MOOD and what name best suits the way He is appearing in that form, ready to be worshipped.