Shakuntala
/SH-AH-K-UH-N-T-AH-L-AA/
Nurtured by birds, the forest maiden whose love story became the greatest play in Sanskrit literature — Shakuntala was raised by birds in the hermitage of sage Kanva after her mother abandoned her. Kalidasa's Abhijnana Shakuntalam tells of her love for King Dushyanta, a romance that was India's cultural ambassador to Europe when Goethe praised it
See Shakuntala scored for your familyQuick — what every parent wants to know about Shakuntala:
Yes — Shakuntala is a Hindu girl name of Sanskrit origin, meaning “Nurtured by birds, the forest maiden whose love story became the greatest play in Sanskrit literature — Shakuntala was raised by birds in the hermitage of sage Kanva after her mother abandoned her. Kalidasa's Abhijnana Shakuntalam tells of her love for King Dushyanta, a romance that was India's cultural ambassador to Europe when Goethe praised it”.
How well does Shakuntala fit your family?
This page tells you what Shakuntala means. The app tells you whether it's right for your baby — scored against the names already in your family, your heritage, and your baby's exact birth star.
Unlock Shakuntala's score — free
Six signals — scored for your family, not in the abstract:
Meaning & origin
Shakuntala is a girl's name of Sanskrit origin, traditionally used in Hindu families. The name means "Nurtured by birds, the forest maiden whose love story became the greatest play in Sanskrit literature — Shakuntala was raised by birds in the hermitage of sage Kanva after her mother abandoned her. Kalidasa's Abhijnana Shakuntalam tells of her love for King Dushyanta, a romance that was India's cultural ambassador to Europe when Goethe praised it" and belongs to the Love cluster — names for children loved deeply before they arrive.
Common among Indian, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayali families, Shakuntala carries cultural weight that goes beyond its dictionary definition — it's a name with a story and a community.
What's Shakuntala's birth star?
In Vedic tradition, a baby's name is matched to their nakshatra (birth star) and rashi (moon sign) — usually through its first syllable. Shakuntala opens with “Sh.” But whether that's auspicious depends on your baby's exact date, time, and place of birth.
NameRoot works it out for you. Enter your baby's birth details and see exactly which nakshatra and rashi Shakuntala aligns with — and how strongly it scores.
See Shakuntala's birth-star reading →What does Shakuntala's numerology say?
Numerology assigns each name a single-digit destiny number by summing its letter values. Different schools use different mappings — NameRoot computes both so you can see how Shakuntala resonates in either tradition.
Shakuntala's destiny number is 9 — but a number only matters in context. The app matches it to your family's own numbers for a real compatibility read. See Shakuntala's full reading →
Does Shakuntala go with your family's names?
Shakuntala breaks into 9 sounds: /SH-AH-K-UH-N-T-AH-L-AA/. The real test isn't how it sounds alone — it's how it sounds beside the names already in your family: yours, your partner's, and any brothers or sisters. NameRoot scores that harmony, so Shakuntala sits naturally next to a Mum and Dad like Michael & Anna, or a big sister named Gianna — no awkward clashes, no two names that blur together. Hear Shakuntala beside your family's names →
Nicknames
Common affectionate forms of Shakuntala — useful for everyday family conversation, early childhood, or as standalone given names themselves.
Names similar to Shakuntala
If Shakuntala resonates with you, these names live in the same world — drawn from the same tradition, sharing the same meaning, or echoing a similar sound.
From the same tradition
Other Hindu girl names, common in Indian families
Sharing the same meaning
Other Hindu girl names from the Love cluster
Names that sound similar
Hindu girl names that open with the same syllables as Shakuntala
Explore more names
Keep exploring names like Shakuntala — by tradition, by meaning, or by first letter.
Common questions about Shakuntala
What does the name Shakuntala mean?
Shakuntala means "Nurtured by birds, the forest maiden whose love story became the greatest play in Sanskrit literature — Shakuntala was raised by birds in the hermitage of sage Kanva after her mother abandoned her. Kalidasa's Abhijnana Shakuntalam tells of her love for King Dushyanta, a romance that was India's cultural ambassador to Europe when Goethe praised it." It is a girl name of Sanskrit origin, traditionally used in Hindu families.
Is Shakuntala a boy or girl name?
Shakuntala is most commonly used as a girl name.
What is the origin of the name Shakuntala?
Shakuntala is of Sanskrit origin, used in Hindu tradition, commonly among Indian, Marathi, Bengali families.
Is Shakuntala a Hindu name?
Yes. Shakuntala is a girl name traditionally used in Hindu families, of Sanskrit origin.
What does Shakuntala mean in Sanskrit?
Shakuntala originates from Sanskrit, where it means "Nurtured by birds, the forest maiden whose love story became the greatest play in Sanskrit literature — Shakuntala was raised by birds in the hermitage of sage Kanva after her mother abandoned her. Kalidasa's Abhijnana Shakuntalam tells of her love for King Dushyanta, a romance that was India's cultural ambassador to Europe when Goethe praised it."
What are common nicknames for Shakuntala?
Common short forms of Shakuntala include Shaki, Shak.
What is the numerology of Shakuntala?
Shakuntala has a Pythagorean destiny number of 9 — compassion and humanitarian service.
See how Shakuntala scores for your family
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