Vatsala: Name Meaning, Origin & Popularity

At a Glance: Name: Vatsala – Meaning: affectionate, tender – Origin: Sanskrit – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: VAHT-suh-lah


Vatsala is a Sanskrit girl's name meaning “affectionate, tender”. It appears in our list of 200+ Baby Names That Mean Love — Tender Picks Across Every Language.

Meaning & Origin of Vatsala

Meaning: Affectionate, tender.

Origin: Sanskrit.

A common claim: loving, tender mother Actually: Vatsala is often glossed as if it literally means 'mother' -- it doesn't. It's an adjective meaning 'affectionate/tender' (from vatsa, 'beloved child'); the maternal link comes from its use describing parental love in Hindu devotional texts, not from the word itself.

How to Pronounce Vatsala

Phonetic: VAHT-suh-lah   IPA: /ˈʋɐt̪.sɐ.laː/

Popularity of Vatsala

Vatsala doesn’t appear in U.S. Social Security birth records, which include every name given to at least five babies in a year — so it’s rare in the U.S.

Lists That Include Vatsala

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