Neelam
/ˈniːləm/noun
A South Asian given name and surname, and the Hindi/Urdu word for sapphire.
Did you know?In Hindi and Urdu, neelam literally means “sapphire,” and in Vedic astrology the stone is associated with Shani (Saturn), making the word feel like a tiny verbal talisman.
Etymological Timeline
Sanskrit
Skt
nīla
“dark blue; sapphire-blue”
Prakrit / Middle Indo-Aryan
MIA
nīla-
“blue, dark-colored”
Hindi / Urdu
Hin/Ur
neelam
“sapphire”
Modern English
Eng
Neelam
“A South Asian personal name and the gemstone sapphire in transliteration”