Devi is a Sanskrit name meaning goddess and is a major divine title in Hindu tradition.
Devi is one of the most elemental names in the Sanskrit tradition, deriving directly from the root *div*, meaning 'to shine' or 'to be luminous.' It translates simply as 'goddess,' and in Hindu theology it functions both as a title and as a proper name for the supreme feminine divine principle. Devi is the universal mother, the shakti — divine energy — that animates all existence.
In her fierce aspect she is Durga or Kali; in her gentle aspect she is Parvati or Lakshmi; but in all forms she is addressed as Devi, the Shining One. The Devi Mahatmya, a Sanskrit text composed around the fifth or sixth century CE, is among the most important scriptures in the Shakta tradition. It narrates Devi's cosmic battles against demonic forces and remains one of the most recited sacred texts in India to this day.
This deep religious significance has kept the name in continuous, reverent use across the Indian subcontinent for over two millennia. In many Indian families, naming a daughter Devi is an act of devotion as much as nomenclature. In the modern era, Devi has traveled well beyond South Asia.
Western audiences encountered it through literature and anthropology first, and later through popular culture — most notably through the character Devi Vishwakumar in the Netflix series *Never Have I Ever*, which brought a sharp, funny, fully human face to a name that had sometimes been perceived as purely sacred. That visibility helped Devi gain traction as a given name in multicultural Western contexts, where its brevity, its clear pronunciation, and its luminous meaning make it feel both ancient and freshly appealing.