Dev
/D-EY-V/
God, divine being, the three-letter distillation of the entire Hindu pantheon — Dev is the shortest possible Hindu theophoric name, packing the concept of divinity into a single syllable. In modern India it functions as both a standalone name and a prefix for hundreds of compounds
Get Dev's full report — nakshatra, rashi & a portrait — freeQuick — what every Hindu parent asks about Dev:
How well does Dev fit your family?
This page tells you what Dev means. The app tells you whether it's right for your baby — scored against your family & your heritage, and your baby's birth details.
Unlock Dev's score — free
Six signals — scored for your family & heritage, not in the abstract:
Meaning & origin
Yes — Dev is a Hindu boy name of Sanskrit origin, meaning “God, divine being, the three-letter distillation of the entire Hindu pantheon — Dev is the shortest possible Hindu theophoric name, packing the concept of divinity into a single syllable. In modern India it functions as both a standalone name and a prefix for hundreds of compounds”. It also appears in Jain tradition.
Dev is a boy's name of Sanskrit origin, traditionally used in Hindu families. The name means "God, divine being, the three-letter distillation of the entire Hindu pantheon — Dev is the shortest possible Hindu theophoric name, packing the concept of divinity into a single syllable. In modern India it functions as both a standalone name and a prefix for hundreds of compounds" and belongs to the Divine cluster — names rooted in sacred meaning and spiritual tradition.
Beyond its Hindu heritage, Dev is also used in Jain traditions, reflecting how this name has traveled across cultures.
Common among Indian, American, British, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayali, Singaporean families, Dev carries cultural weight that goes beyond its dictionary definition — it's a name with a story and a community.
Dev's nakshatra & rashi
In Hindu tradition, a baby's name is chosen to harmonise with their nakshatra (birth star) and rashi (moon sign) — most often through an auspicious first syllable. Dev opens with “De”. Whether that's auspicious for your baby depends on their 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 Dev aligns with — and how strongly it scores.
See Dev's nakshatra reading →What does Dev'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 Dev resonates in either tradition.
Dev's destiny number is 4 — but a number only matters in context. The app matches it to your family's own numbers for a real compatibility read. See Dev's full reading →
Does Dev go with your family's names?
Dev breaks into 3 sounds: /D-EY-V/. 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 Dev 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 Dev beside your family's names →
Nicknames
Common affectionate forms of Dev — useful for everyday family conversation, early childhood, or as standalone given names themselves.
Names similar to Dev
If Dev 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 boy names, common in Indian families
Sharing the same meaning
Other Hindu boy names from the Divine cluster
Names that sound similar
Hindu boy names that open with the same syllables as Dev
Explore more names
Keep exploring names like Dev — by tradition, by meaning, or by first letter.
Common questions about Dev
What does the name Dev mean?
Dev means "God, divine being, the three-letter distillation of the entire Hindu pantheon — Dev is the shortest possible Hindu theophoric name, packing the concept of divinity into a single syllable. In modern India it functions as both a standalone name and a prefix for hundreds of compounds." It is a boy name of Sanskrit origin, traditionally used in Hindu families.
Is Dev a boy or girl name?
Dev is most commonly used as a boy name.
What is the origin of the name Dev?
Dev is of Sanskrit origin, used in Hindu, Jain traditions, commonly among Indian, American, British families.
Is Dev a Hindu name?
Yes. Dev is a boy name traditionally used in Hindu families, of Sanskrit origin. It also appears in Jain tradition.
What does Dev mean in Sanskrit?
Dev originates from Sanskrit, where it means "God, divine being, the three-letter distillation of the entire Hindu pantheon — Dev is the shortest possible Hindu theophoric name, packing the concept of divinity into a single syllable. In modern India it functions as both a standalone name and a prefix for hundreds of compounds."
What are common nicknames for Dev?
Common short forms of Dev include Devi, Devu.
What is the numerology of Dev?
Dev has a Pythagorean destiny number of 4 — stability and disciplined work.
What is Dev's rashi and nakshatra?
By its first syllable "De", Dev falls under the Ashlesha nakshatra and Karka (Cancer) rashi — its naam-rashi, or name-based moon sign. (A baby's birth nakshatra comes from their date and time of birth; NameRoot matches the two.)
See how Dev scores for your family
NameRoot is the only baby-name app that scores every name across 6 signals against your specific family context. Download free — Dev is waiting.
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