Dharma
/D-AH-R-M-AH/
Cosmic law, righteous duty, the moral order that upholds the universe — Dharma is the single most important concept in Indian civilisation, the principle that governs stars in their orbits and guides human beings toward justice. As a name it asks a child to live with integrity, to seek what is right before what is easy, and to hold the world in balance
See Dharma scored for your familyMeaning & origin
Dharma is a boy's name of Sanskrit origin, traditionally used in Hindu families. The name means "Cosmic law, righteous duty, the moral order that upholds the universe — Dharma is the single most important concept in Indian civilisation, the principle that governs stars in their orbits and guides human beings toward justice. As a name it asks a child to live with integrity, to seek what is right before what is easy, and to hold the world in balance" and belongs to the Wisdom cluster — names meaning knowledge, insight, and thoughtful presence.
Beyond its Hindu heritage, Dharma is also used in Buddhist, Jain, Sikh traditions, reflecting how this name has traveled across cultures.
Common among Indian, SoutheastAsian, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayali, Singaporean, American, British families, Dharma carries cultural weight that goes beyond its dictionary definition — it's a name with a story and a community.
Numerology of Dharma
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 Dharma resonates in either tradition.
How Dharma sounds
NameRoot scores the phonetic fit of every name against the sound of your last name. The pronunciation of Dharma breaks down into 5 phonemes: /D-AH-R-M-AH/. In the app, you'll see how those sounds flow with your family name across rhythm, stress, and consonant clusters.
Nicknames
Common affectionate forms of Dharma — useful for everyday family conversation, early childhood, or as standalone given names themselves.
The six signals, applied to Dharma
NameRoot scores every name across six independent dimensions. Here's how Dharma maps to each — install the app to see the full compatibility score for your specific family.
Names similar to Dharma
If Dharma 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 Wisdom cluster
Names that sound similar
Hindu boy names that open with the same syllables as Dharma
Common questions about Dharma
What does the name Dharma mean?
Dharma means "Cosmic law, righteous duty, the moral order that upholds the universe — Dharma is the single most important concept in Indian civilisation, the principle that governs stars in their orbits and guides human beings toward justice. As a name it asks a child to live with integrity, to seek what is right before what is easy, and to hold the world in balance." It is a boy name of Sanskrit origin, traditionally used in Hindu families.
Is Dharma a boy or girl name?
Dharma is most commonly used as a boy name.
What is the origin of the name Dharma?
Dharma is of Sanskrit origin, used in Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Sikh traditions, commonly among Indian, SoutheastAsian, Marathi families.
What are common nicknames for Dharma?
Common short forms of Dharma include Dhari, Dharmu.
What is the numerology of Dharma?
Dharma has a Pythagorean destiny number of 9 — compassion and humanitarian service.
See how Dharma scores for your family
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