Last updated: March 2026

Character Name

Shakuntala

Meaning — Derived from Sanskrit "shakunta" meaning "bird" — the name means "one who was cared for by birds". In legend, Shakuntala was abandoned by her mother and raised by birds in the forest hermitage of the sage Kanva. She is the heroine of Kalidasa's celebrated Sanskrit play.·Sanskrit origin·Female·sha-KUN-tah-lah

Shakuntala Kalidasa's Shakuntala is one of Sanskrit literature's most beloved heroines: raised in nature, innocent yet perceptive, capable of deep love and of sustaining enormous suffering with grace. Characters named Shakuntala tend to possess an untutored directness and a naturalness that sharply distinguishes them from those raised in more calculating social worlds.

Best genres for Shakuntala

MythologyHistorical FictionRomanceLiterary FictionDrama

Famous characters named Shakuntala

Shakuntala

Abhijnanashakuntalam (The Recognition of Shakuntala) Kalidasa

A forest-raised maiden of extraordinary beauty and virtue who falls in love with King Dushyanta; their story — separation, a curse of forgetfulness, and eventual recognition — is the masterwork of Sanskrit dramatic literature.


Variations & nicknames

ShakuntalaSakuntalaShakuntala

Pairs well with

Shakuntala DeviShakuntala SharmaShakuntala NairShakuntala RaoShakuntala Iyer

Writing a character named Shakuntala?

Hearth's distraction-free editor helps you develop characters and write every day.

Start writing free

Related names


More Sanskrit names

Saraswati

Derived from Sanskrit "saras" (lake, pool, or flowing water) and "wati" (she who possesses), meaning "she who possesses the essence of the self" or "the flowing one". Saraswati is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, wisdom, music, and the arts — the consort of Brahma and patron deity of all learning.

Geeta

Derived from Sanskrit "gita" meaning "song" or "that which has been sung". The name is most powerfully associated with the Bhagavad Gita ("Song of God"), the sacred dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna that is the philosophical heart of the Mahabharata.

Surya

Directly from Sanskrit meaning "the sun". Surya is the Hindu solar deity, one of the principal Adityas, worshipped as the source of light, life, and time itself. The name is used for both boys and girls across South Asia.

Asha

Derived from Sanskrit "asha" meaning "hope", "wish", or "desire". In the Zoroastrian tradition (Avestan), Asha also means "truth" and "righteousness" — one of the highest divine principles. The name bridges Hindu and Persian cultural traditions of the Indian subcontinent.

Kiran

Derived from Sanskrit "kirana" meaning "ray of light" or "beam of sunlight". Used across the Indian subcontinent for both boys and girls, it evokes the first light of dawn touching the earth.

Priya

Derived from Sanskrit "priya" meaning "beloved", "dear", or "one who is loved". The word is used in Sanskrit poetry and devotional literature to address a cherished person, and is one of the most widespread feminine names across South Asia.


Explore more