Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Arjun

Arjun is a Hindu name (अर्जुन) from Sanskrit meaning “white, clear”. One of the Top 10 masculine names in India today, Arjun is bestowed in honor of Arjuna, a warrior-hero in Hindu mythology from the Mahabharata, “The Great Epic of the Bharata Dynasty”. The Mahabharata is one of the longest epic poems ever written in any language and is regarded as one of the most important Sanskrit texts. It is considered a historic work describing the development of Hinduism dating back several centuries B.C. The Mahabharata centers on an epic struggle between warring cousins, the progeny of King Pandu (the Pandavas) and Pandu’s half-brother King Dhritarashtra (the Kauravas), known as the Kurukshetra War, essentially a battle over dynastic succession. Arjuna is one of the five brothers known as the Pandavas; he is the middle brother between the two eldest, Yudhishtira and Bhima, and the two youngest, Nakula and Sahadeva. The question over succession is between Yudhishtira, the first-born son of King Pandu, versus Duryodhana, the eldest son of King Dhritarashtra. At first the Pandava brothers are forced into a 12 year exile after Yudhishtira loses everything in a dice game against Duryodhana. The feud over kingdom succession rights continue between the quarreling cousins in a sequence of great battles in which the Pandavas claim total victory over the Kauravas. Of course this is a serious abridged version of events, suffice it to say that Prince Arjuna plays an important role when he reaches a moral dilemma over the killings and engages in a conversation with Lord Krishna about dharma (Hindu moral law) – verses in the epic poem referred to as the Bhagavadgita, or simply the Gita (“Song of the Lord”). The Gita is a seminal religious text in Hinduism and acts as a spiritual reference guide on how to follow the right paths of spiritual identity, action, knowledge and faith. It’s no wonder that Arjun/Arjuna is a celebrated name among Hindus.

All About the Baby Name – Arjun

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME ARJUN

The number one personality is a leader - strong and competitive. They are willing to initiate action and take risks. One personalities work hard toward their endeavors and have the ability to apply their creative and innovative thinking skills with strong determination. They believe in their ability to succeed and are too stubborn to be hindered by obstacles. Ones meet obstacles head-on with such mental vigor and energy that you better step aside. They resent taking orders, so don't try telling them what to do either. This is an intensely active personality, but they are also known as starters rather than finishers. They have a propensity to become bored and will move quickly to the next project if not properly challenged.  They are the ones to think up and put into action new and brilliant ideas, but they are not the ones to stick around and manage them. This personality has an enthusiastic and pioneering spirit. They are distinctly original.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME ARJUN

Arjun is one of the, if not THE, most popular baby boy names among Indian-Americans (followed closely by Aarav and Rohan). The name first appeared on the U.S. Top 1000 list in 2001 which closely maps to a wave of Indian immigration into the United States (following the technology boom of the late 1990s). Arjun has done quite well on the charts considering it’s a name primarily restricted to Hindus, a group representing about one-half of one percent of America’s population. Considering the name is right in the middle of the Top 1000 list tells us it’s a huge favorite among Indians in the U.S. And who can deny Arjun’s appeal? He was a brave and heroic warrior whose skill with the bow and arrow was surpassed by no one, yet also a man who also sought spiritual knowledge and guidance; Arjun had the courage to question his own actions. A true leader, just as his numerology value of 1 suggests.

Quick Facts

ON ARJUN

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

American

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

501

PRONUNCIATION:

ARR-jun

SIMPLE MEANING:

White, clear

Characteristics

OF ARJUN

Independent

Individualistic

Ambitious

Strong-willed

Inventive

Successful

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Arjun

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME ARJUN

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Arjun

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME ARJUN

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Arjun


Popular Songs

ON ARJUN

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Arjun


Famous People

NAMED ARJUN

Arjun Munda (chief minister of Jharkhand)
Arjun Atwal (golfer)
Arjun Bijlani (actor)
Arjun Rampal (actor)
Arjun Sarja (actor)
Allu Arjun (actor)
Arjuna Ranatunga (cricketer/politician)

Children of Famous People

NAMED ARJUN

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Arjun

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME ARJUN

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Arjun