Meaning & Origin
A male given name from Sanskrit.
Rahul is a boy's baby name of Sanskrit origin, meaning 'capable' or 'conqueror of all miseries' — from the Sanskrit rahu (capable, able) — also the name given to the son of Siddhartha Gautama before he became the Buddha.
The story of Rahul's naming is profound: Siddhartha, on the verge of his great spiritual journey, named his newborn son Rahul ('fetter'), recognizing that family bonds were the final tie to his earthly life. The name thus carries both the concept of ability and the Buddhist significance of the original restraint that must be transcended. With over 3,300 recorded U.S. births, it has significant presence in South Asian American communities.