Nandini

Meaning of Nandini

The name Nandini is a feminine appellation of Sanskrit derivation, originating from the root √nand- (“to rejoice”) and conventionally rendered as “she who bestows joy” or “the delight-bringer.” In classical Hindu texts and iconography, it serves as an epithet of the goddess Parvati, underscoring attributes of nurturing compassion and creative fecundity. Phonologically, it is articulated in Indian English as nahn-DEE-nee (/nɑnˈdiːni/), exhibiting a trochaic stress pattern and a three-syllable structure that affords both clarity and rhythmic balance. From an onomastic standpoint in the United States, Nandini has maintained a modest but stable presence: in 2024, fifteen newborns received the name (rank 935), while its highest recorded incidence in the past forty years occurred in 2006 with fifty-six registrations (rank 911). Such longitudinal stability within the 800–950 rank band reflects a niche yet enduring embrace of Nandini within Anglo-American naming conventions, driven by its semantic depth, cultural resonance, and phonetic precision.