Entry № 1637 · Sanskrit origin

Menaka Menaka — Meaning, Origin & Baby Name Popularity

/ MEH-nah-kah /

Gender

Girl

Origin

Sanskrit

Meaning

"Apsara who tempted Vishvamitra"

Syllables

Rank · US 2025

№ 0

First recorded

Ancient (Sanskrit)

The meaning

A name that means "apsara who tempted vishvamitra".

Menaka (मेनका) is from the Sanskrit menā (woman). **The most famous apsara (celestial nymph) of Hindu mythology** — sent by Indra to **distract the sage Vishvamitra from his ascetic meditation**, she succeeded and bore the sage's daughter Shakuntala (heroine of Kalidasa's masterpiece).

Featured in the Mahabharata and Ramayana.

Apsara. Distracted the sage Vishvamitra from his meditation.

In its original form

The name in its native script.

मेनका

Transliteration: Menakā
Pronunciation: / ˈmɛn.ə.kə /
Root: —
Grammatical form: —

Popularity

Where Menaka stands.

Current rank · 2025

№ 0 in the U.S.

All-time peak

№ 0 in 0

Babies named Menaka · last year

87 in the U.S.

First entered SSA top-1000

Rank, 1995–2025 Lower = more popular

Namesakes

Menakas before her.

Real people

Maneka Gandhi

Indian politician.

born 1956

In fiction

Menaka

Mother of Shakuntala in Abhijnanasakuntalam.

Kalidasa

Names connected to Menaka.

Numerology

The number behind Menaka.

The Free Spirit

Menaka reduces to five — the number of celestial apsara.

Parents on Menaka

Why families chose this name.

"Vishvamitra's apsara. Six letters. Menaka."

Priya · Mother of one · Hastinapur