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Viraj Artham
Viraj Artham
by Viraj Artham
The Artham family tree is tall and strong; its roots run deep within the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. My father came to the United States, creating a new branch of his own, in search of opportunities that one could not get from India. As an alumni Wayne State University with an engineering background, he would unlock an entrepreneurial spirit that has influenced the direction of our immediate family. His hard work brought my mother, sister, myself, and many others in our community fortune and blessings, the literal meaning of our family last name in Hindi (thehealthsite.com). Because of him, I’m proud to bear the Artham name.
In Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-European language, Viraj means sovereign, excellence, splendor, and beauty (Rosenkrantz). When my mother and I have conversations, usually when I am feeling defeated or resigned, she always would bring up the meaning of my name, and the reasoning behind why she named me Viraj. She saw me as a “king,” a person with sovereignty and great ability to do great things in the world. Often I have a hard time accepting that. All my life, there were people who looked down upon me and entrapped me into a bubble of self-doubt. I never saw myself as the definition of my name but rather the antithesis of it; however, my mom reinforces the meaning of my name as a way to show the potential within, given that my name conveys a sense of strength and brilliance. In the present moment, I have built the confidence, which took some time and effort, to love my name and the power it brings.
There are not many other humans that share my name out there, but to be honest I am lucky enough to have met two others in my life, one in my hometown and one at a business club in Michigan. According to my mother, Viraj is not a popular name even among Indian culture, but today it is rising in popularity due to the name’s significance. I do not find it hard to believe that parents, including my own, aspire their sons and daughters to be sovereign-like and brilliant.
Learning the meanings of my first and last name, it can be interpreted into multiple meanings: excellence that brings blessings; a sovereign who creates good fortunes; a guy who becomes extremely successful. To me, however, it means the ability to do good in the world. I want to leave a long lasting legacy on people, trying to make their lives better. Whether it be through my career or simple actions, that is my intended purpose, all rooted within my name.
Works Cited
Rosenkrantz, Linda. "Articles by Linda Rosenkrantz." Nameberry, 2024, https://nameberry.com/blog/author/linda.
"Meaning of Artham." TheHealthSite, 2025,
https://www.thehealthsite.com/baby-names/meaning-of-artham-1650/. Accessed 17 Feb. 2025.
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