Bhairav as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Bhairav

What is the meaning of the name Bhairav ?

The baby name Bhairav is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /bʱaɪ.rʌv/ — approx. "BHAI-rav" (bh as aspirated b, 'ai' as in 'eye').

Bhairav is Hindu, Sanskrit in Origin.

Bhairav is a Sanskrit masculine name from Bhairava, an epithet of Shiva meaning “formidable, awe-inspiring,” derived from the root bhī, “to fear,” and thus often glossed as “the terrifying one” or “remover of fear.” It denotes the guardian-deity Kāl Bhairav, associated with time, protection, and righteous destruction. The name appears across North India and the Himalayan region; related forms include Bhairava, Bhairon/Bheron (Rajasthani), Bhairab (Bengali/Nepali), Bheru or Bheruji (folk), Bhairavnath, Kaal Bhairav(a), and the Tamil/Sri Lankan Vairavar or Vairavan. The feminine counterpart is Bhairavi.

Usage traces to medieval Śaiva and Tantric traditions, where Bhairava figures as a protector of cities such as Varanasi and Ujjain. The name also permeates culture through Hindustani classical music’s dawn raga Bhairav (with the allied raga Bhairavi). As a given name, it conveys fearlessness, vigilance, and protective strength.