A Brief List of Indo-Scythian Names

The personal names in this section can originally be found in documents and artifacts spanning roughly the 2nd c. BCE to the 3rd c. CE, such as the Mathura lion capital, Indravarma’s silver reliquary, the Rukhuna reliquary, the Bajaur casket, and a large number of extant coins. The area encompassed here is the eastern edge of the Scythian-related territories, with a focus on Gandhara and Taxila.

As might be clear, there’s far less Greek influence on these name constructions than in the above list—although for a few rulers, there appears to be some Grecian style (since the Indo-Scythians overran the Indo-Greek/Greco-Bactrian territories during the 1st c. BCE.). Where applicable, the non-Greek name(s) appear first, with the Greek-influenced name(s) following and noted as such in parentheses.

Many of the names from these lists come from the Wikipedia page on Indo-Scythians and various topically linked pages (such as for individual rulers or the various artifacts linked above). Many of the names also appear in books on ancient numismatics, such as Michael Mitchiner’s series on Indo-Greek and Indo-Scythian Coinage.

Other names come from Harmatta’s “Languages and Scripts of Graeco-Bactria and the Saka Kingdoms,” History of Civilizations of Central Asia, vol. 2, 1994. These names are indicated by a carat sign (^). Harmatta does not indicate whether a name is masculine or feminine; I have listed some under a given gender heading based on context clues (e.g., a Greek form that indicates gender or a similar form of the name included in another source mentioned above) and have listed the remaining names under the heading “Unclear.” I recognize this is due to my own limited knowledge of the Saka language; I will update/reorganize as I learn more.

Feminine

Note: it is difficult to tell whether some of these names are Indo-Scythian or if they have origins in another of the ethnic groups living in the area, i.e. from families into which the Indo-Scythian ruling dynasties married (as many of the names belong to the wives of various rulers).

Abuhola
Akasa / Kasa / Kasaye
Ayasi [this may just be a title or noun]
Dasaka
Diaka
Kambojika / Kamboja / Kamuia / Kamuio
Kasa / Kasaye
Machênê
Mahaveda
Nadadiaka / Nada-Diakasa / Nadasi-Akasa
Nika
Pispasi / Pispasri ^ / Vespasi ^ / Vespasia ^
Rukhuna
Rukhunaka
Sisirena
Vasavadatta
Vasumitra
Utara

Masculine

Abhiraka
Aduthama ^
Athama
Ai [Father of Rukhunaka--see above re: feminine name origins]
Arta
Artemidoros [Indo-Greek ruler who claimed to be the son of Mauês]
Aspavarma / Aspo / Aspavarmo
Aya / Ayasa / Azes (Greek)
Ayilisa / Azilises (Greek)
Bhadayasa
Bhratadarman
Bhumaka
Castana ^ / Tianes ^ (Greek)
Damajadasri
Damasena
Zeionises (Jihuniasa)
Hagamasa ^ / Hagamasha
Hagana
Hayuara
Horaka ^ (shortened form of Horamurndaga)
Horamurndaga ^
Horamurta ^
Indravarma / Idravarma / Indravarman
Indravasu [Possibly Indravarma]
Isvaradatta
Jayadaman
Jivadaman
Khalama / Khalamasa
Kharaosta / Kharaostasa / Xarahostes (Greek) / Kharahostes (Greek)
Kharapallana / Charobalano ^ (Greek)
Ksharata ^
Kusulaka
Liaka / Liako [Possibly related to a Kushan dynasty]
Kozoulo / Kusulaka [Possibly related to a Kushan dynasty]
Maja
Manigula
Maoa / Moga / Moa / Maues (Greek) / Mauakes (Greek)
Mevaki
Miyika
Mujatria
Muki ^
Nahapana ^
Nambanus (Nahapana)
Rajula ^ / Rajuvula / Rajavula
Ramaka [Maternal uncle of Indravarma--see my note above re: feminine names]
Rudradaman / Rudrakaman
Rudrasena / Rudrasimha
Samghadaman
Sasan
Satyadaman
Sodasa / Sudasa
Spalagadama / Spalagadames (Greek)
Spalahora / Spalahores (Greek) / Spalohres (Greek)
Spalarisa ^ / Spalirises (Greek)
Telephos Euergetes [Potentially a Saka successor of Maues? it's unclear]
Vanasparna / Vanaspara
Vijayamitra
Vijayasena
Viradaman
Vispavarma / Visnuvarma
Visvasena / Visvasimha
Vonones / Vovones [Possibly a Parthian]
Yasodaman
Ysamotika ^
Chashtana

Unclear Gender

Achia ^ / Adhia ^
Arajham da ^
Damaysada ^
Damijada ^
Denipa ^
Hana ^
Hayuara ^
Horasada ^
Jham danama ^
Jihonika ^
Kalui / Kaluka ^
Khalasamusa ^
Khardaa ^
Manigula ^
Murunda ^ [this may just be a title or noun]
Nada / Nadadi / Nadasi / Nadasia [this may just be a title or noun]
Naulada ^
Patika ^ [this may just be a title or noun]
Sodasa ^ / Sudasa ^
Ulana ^
Usavadata ^