Few gods are loved as warmly as Krishna. He is the butter-stealing child of Gokul, the flute player of Vrindavan, the charioteer and teacher of the Bhagavad Gita, and, for Marathi families, Vitthal of Pandharpur, standing on his brick and waiting for his devotees. It’s no surprise that so many parents want their son to carry one of his names.
Krishna has hundreds of names, and each one tells a small story: Damodar recalls Yashoda tying him up with a rope, Giridhar recalls him lifting Govardhan hill, and Madhusudan recalls the defeat of the demon Madhu. In the first chapter of the Bhagavad Gita alone, Arjuna calls him Madhava, Hrishikesha, Achyuta, Keshava, Govinda, Madhusudana and Janardana.
In this list you’ll find:
- Classic names from the Gita and the Puranas (Keshav, Madhav, Govind)
- Childhood names from Gokul and Vrindavan (Kanha, Gopal, Nandlal)
- Marathi devotional names linked to Vitthal of Pandharpur (Vitthal, Pandurang)
- Modern, short options (Krish, Shyam, Hari, Mohan)
Each entry gives the meaning, the Marathi (Devanagari) spelling and where the name comes from.
Did you know? In Maharashtra, Krishna’s birth is celebrated with Gopalkala and dahihandi the next day, when young men form human pyramids to break a pot of curd, re-enacting little Krishna’s raids on the butter pots of Gokul.
Lord Krishna Names for Baby Boy with Meanings
| Sr. No. | Name | Marathi (मराठी) | Meaning | Story or source |
| 1 | Achyut | अच्युत | Infallible, one who never falls | Arjuna calls Krishna Achyuta in the Bhagavad Gita (1.21). |
| 2 | Brijesh | ब्रिजेश | Lord of Braj | Braj (Vraja) is the region of Mathura and Vrindavan where Krishna grew up. |
| 3 | Damodar | दामोदर | One with a rope (dāma) around his belly (udara) | Yashoda tied little Krishna to a grinding mortar with a rope to stop his mischief. |
| 4 | Devakinandan | देवकीनंदन | Son of Devaki | Devaki was Krishna’s birth mother. |
| 5 | Dwarkesh | द्वारकेश | Lord of Dwarka | Krishna ruled the city of Dwarka. |
| 6 | Ghanshyam | घनश्याम | Dark like a rain cloud | Describes Krishna’s dark complexion. |
| 7 | Giridhar | गिरिधर | One who holds up the mountain | Krishna lifted Govardhan hill to shelter the people of Braj from Indra’s storm. |
| 8 | Gopal | गोपाळ | Protector of cows | Krishna as the young cowherd. गोपाळ (with ळ) is the Marathi spelling. |
| 9 | Gopinath | गोपीनाथ | Lord of the gopis | The gopis were the cowherd girls of Vrindavan devoted to Krishna. |
| 10 | Govind | गोविंद | Protector of cows (go = cow) | Arjuna calls Krishna Govinda in the Gita (1.32). |
| 11 | Hari | हरी | One who takes away sorrow | A name of Vishnu and Krishna. The Marathi spelling ends in a long ई. |
| 12 | Hrishikesh | हृषीकेश | Lord of the senses | Hṛṣīka (senses) + īśa (lord). Used in the Gita (1.15). Often written ऋषिकेश (Rushikesh) in Marathi, which is also the name of the town on the Ganga. |
| 13 | Jagannath | जगन्नाथ | Lord of the universe | Krishna as worshipped at the Jagannath temple in Puri. |
| 14 | Janardan | जनार्दन | One to whom people pray | Arjuna calls Krishna Janardana in the Gita (1.36). |
| 15 | Kanha | कान्हा | Affectionate form of Krishna | From the Braj language. Loved as a pet name, too. |
| 16 | Kanhaiya | कन्हैया | Little Krishna | A folk form of Krishna’s name, used across North and Central India. |
| 17 | Keshav | केशव | One with beautiful hair; slayer of the demon Keshi | Arjuna calls Krishna Keshava in the Gita (1.31). |
| 18 | Kishan | किशन | Folk form of Krishna | Common in Hindi-speaking regions. |
| 19 | Krishna | कृष्ण | Dark, dark-blue | Sanskrit kṛṣṇa. The original name. |
| 20 | Madhav | माधव | Descendant of Madhu; also “consort of Lakshmi” | Used in the Gita (1.14). |
| 21 | Madhusudan | मधुसूदन | Slayer of the demon Madhu | Used in the Gita (1.35). |
| 22 | Manohar | मनोहर | One who captivates the mind | A popular Marathi name. |
| 23 | Mohan | मोहन | One who enchants | Short, classic and easy to say. |
| 24 | Mukund | मुकुंद | Giver of liberation | A name of Vishnu and Krishna. |
| 25 | Murari | मुरारी | Enemy of the demon Mura | Krishna killed the demon Mura. |
| 26 | Murlidhar | मुरलीधर | One who holds the flute | Krishna’s flute (murli) is his best-known symbol. |
| 27 | Nandakishor | नंदकिशोर | Young son of Nanda | Nanda was Krishna’s foster father in Gokul. |
| 28 | Nandlal | नंदलाल | Darling son of Nanda | A tender, devotional name. |
| 29 | Navneet | नवनीत | Fresh butter | Not a name of Krishna, but linked to him: little Krishna famously stole butter. |
| 30 | Pandurang | पांडुरंग | Pale, whitish in colour | A name of Vitthal of Pandharpur, worshipped as a form of Krishna. |
| 31 | Parthasarathi | पार्थसारथी | Charioteer of Partha (Arjuna) | Krishna drove Arjuna’s chariot at Kurukshetra. |
| 32 | Radheshyam | राधेश्याम | Radha’s Shyam | Joins the names of Radha and Krishna. |
| 33 | Shrinath | श्रीनाथ | Lord of Shri (Lakshmi) | Shrinathji of Nathdwara is worshipped as child Krishna. |
| 34 | Shyam | श्याम | Dark-complexioned | Short, simple and classic. |
| 35 | Vanamali | वनमाली | One who wears a garland of forest flowers | A name found in the Vishnu Sahasranama. |
| 36 | Vasudev | वासुदेव | Son of Vasudeva | Vasudeva was Krishna’s birth father. |
| 37 | Venugopal | वेणुगोपाल | The cowherd with the flute | Venu (flute) + Gopal. Popular in South India. |
| 38 | Vitthal | विठ्ठल | Vitthal of Pandharpur | The beloved deity of the Warkari tradition, worshipped as a form of Krishna and Vishnu. Marathi saints lovingly call him Vithu Mauli. |
| 39 | Yadunandan | यदुनंदन | Son of the Yadu dynasty | Krishna was born in the Yadava clan. |
| 40 | Yogeshwar | योगेश्वर | Lord of yoga | The Gita (18.78) calls Krishna yogeśvara. |
Verse numbers follow the common edition of the Bhagavad Gita; some editions number the verses of Chapter 1 slightly differently.
Conclusion
A Krishna name gives your son a lifetime of stories: a flute, a hill held up on one finger, a pot of stolen butter, and the wisdom of the Gita. For Marathi families, names like Vitthal and Pandurang add the devotion of the Pandharpur wari and the abhangas of Sant Tukaram and Sant Dnyaneshwar.
If you want something modern, go for Krish, Shyam or Hari. If you want something classic, Madhav, Keshav and Govind never go out of style. For a rarer name, consider Achyut, Vanamali or Yogeshwar. Once you’ve chosen, don’t forget a nickname: see our list of Cute Nicknames for Baby Boy, where Kanha and Vithu are family favourites.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Which Krishna names are special to Maharashtra?
Vitthal and Pandurang, the names of the deity of Pandharpur, are deeply Marathi. Gopal (spelt गोपाळ in Marathi) and Manohar are also long-time Marathi favourites.
2. What are some modern Krishna names for a baby boy?
Krish, Shyam, Hari, Mohan and Achyut are short and modern-sounding. Madhav and Keshav are classics that are enjoying a strong revival among young parents.
3. What is the most popular Krishna name for a baby boy?
Classic names such as Krishna, Madhav, Keshav, Govind, Gopal and Shyam remain the most widely used. Among modern parents, the short form Krish is especially popular.
4. Is Vitthal the same as Krishna?
Vitthal (also called Vithoba or Pandurang) is worshipped at Pandharpur as a form of Vishnu, and most devotees and scholars identify him with Krishna. He is the central deity of Maharashtra’s Warkari tradition.
5. Can I name my baby after Krishna if he was not born on Janmashtami?
Of course. Krishna names are chosen by families all year round. Some parents do like to choose a Krishna name for a boy born during Shravan or on Janmashtami.
6. Are there good Krishna-inspired nicknames?
Yes: Kanha, Kanhu, Gopu, Shyamu and Vithu are all used lovingly at home.
References
- Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 1, Sanskrit text with translation. Sacred Texts Archive. https://sacred-texts.com/hin/sbg/sbg06.htm
- Bhagavad Gita 18.78 (yatra yogeśvaraḥ kṛṣṇo). Vedabase. https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/18/78/
- Monier-Williams, M. A Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899). Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries. https://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/
- Wisdom Library, “Mukunda.” https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/mukunda
- “Vithoba” (Vitthal of Pandharpur). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vithoba
- “Krishna.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krishna
- “Vishnu Sahasranama.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishnu_Sahasranama
मराठी
नमस्कार, मी गायत्री.
मुंबईत वाढले. आजीच्या गोष्टी ऐकत, आईने शिकवलेल्या म्हणी बोलत, घरच्या सणांच्या गडबडीत. तेव्हा कधी वाटलंच नाही की हे सगळं खास आहे.
माझी मुलगी झाली, आणि एक दिवस मनात आलं: हे सगळं तिच्यापर्यंत कसं पोहोचणार?
त्याच प्रश्नातून आपला मराठी माणूस सुरू झालं. मराठी संस्कृती फक्त आपल्यापुरती राहू नये, ती सर्वांची व्हावी. म्हणून मी मराठीत, रोमन लिपीत आणि इंग्रजीत लिहिते, जेणेकरून कोणीही मागे राहू नये.
इथे जे लिहिते, ते मी जगलेलं, ऐकलेलं आणि मोठ्यांकडून शिकलेलं आहे.
Romanized
Namaskar, mi Gayatri.
Mumbait vaadhle. Aajichya goshti aikat, aaine shikavlelya mhani bolat, gharchya sananchya gadbadit. Tevha kadhi vatlach nahi ki he sagla khaas aahe.
Majhi mulgi zali, ani ek divas manaat aala: he sagla tichyaparyant kasa pohochnar?
Tyach prashnatun Aapla Marathi Manoos suru zala. Marathi sanskruti fakta aaplyapurti rahu naye, ti sarvanchi vhavi. Mhanun mi Marathit, Roman lipit ani Engrajit lihite, jenekarun konihi maage rahu naye.
Ithe je lihite, te mi jagalela, aikalela ani mothyankadun shiklela aahe.
English
Namaskar, I’m Gayatri.
I grew up in Mumbai listening to my grandmother’s stories, repeating the proverbs my mother taught me, and getting lost in the bustle of festivals at home. Back then, I never realised how special it all was.
Then my daughter was born, and one day a thought stayed with me: how will all of this reach her?
Aapla Marathi Manoos began with that question. I don’t want Marathi culture to stay only with us; I want it to belong to everyone. So I write in Marathi, in Romanized Marathi, and in English, so that no one is left out.
Everything here is something I’ve lived, heard, or learned from my elders.