Names That Mean Broken

Names that mean broken include Khandita (broken or fragmented in Sanskrit), Fractus (broken in Latin), Maksur (broken in Arabic), Shikasteh (broken in Persian), Roto (broken in Spanish), Brise (broken in French) and Kowareta (broken in Japanese). Almost none of these are common given names. They work best as character names, pen names and creative projects. For real names, many parents choose ones that mean mending, such as Jabir, Sana, Shifa and Iaso.

What Does a Broken Name Mean?

A broken name points to something cracked, shattered or split apart. It can describe a physical break, a broken heart or a spirit that has been through hardship.

Most names in this list are words for broken in other languages. A few are tied to repair and healing, which gives them a more hopeful meaning.

Names That Directly Mean Broken

• Khandita: broken, fragmented (Sanskrit)
• Bhagna: broken (Sanskrit)
• Fractus: broken (Latin)
• Fracta: broken, feminine form (Latin)
• Maksur: broken (Arabic)
• Shikasteh: broken (Persian)
• Toota: broken (Urdu, Hindi)
• Roto: broken (Spanish)
• Quebrado: broken (Spanish, Portuguese)
• Rotto: broken (Italian)
• Brise: broken (French)
• Kowareta (壊れた): broken (Japanese)

Girl Names Linked to Broken

• Khandita: broken, a poetic heroine in Sanskrit literature
• Fracta: broken (Latin)
• Dolores: sorrows (Spanish)
• Mara: bitter (Hebrew)
• Niobe: the grieving mother of Greek myth
• Lorna: lost, forsaken (English)
• Forlorn: lost, hopeless (English)
• Elegy: a mourning song

Boy Names Linked to Broken

• Fractus: broken (Latin)
• Bhagna: broken (Sanskrit)
• Benoni: son of my sorrow (Hebrew)
• Lorne: lost, from the same root as forlorn
• Ruin: destruction (English)
• Shard: a broken piece (English)
• Rift: a split (English)

Unisex Names That Mean Broken

• Shard
• Fracture
• Rift
• Rue: regret, sorrow
• Ash: what remains after fire
• Splinter
• Fragment

These are word names and mostly appear in fiction, music and gaming.

Names That Mean Heartbroken

Heartbreak is the most common meaning people want when they search for broken names.

• Dolores: sorrows (Spanish)
• Mara: bitter (Hebrew)
• Niobe: grief (Greek)
• Gham: sorrow (Urdu)
• Dard: pain (Urdu)
• Hazin: sad (Arabic)
• Kanashimi: sorrow (Japanese)
• Tristan: sad, in folk tradition

Names Linked to Shattered Glass and Pottery

• Shard: piece of broken glass or pottery
• Kintsugi: Japanese art of mending broken pottery with gold
• Crystal: clear glass, a name that suggests fragility
• Opal: a gem that can crack easily
• Porcelain: delicate ceramic
• Mosaic: art made from broken pieces

Kintsugi is the most meaningful of these. It teaches that a broken thing can become more beautiful after repair.

Names That Mean Mending and Repair

Some names turn the idea of broken into something hopeful.

• Jabir: one who mends, restorer (Arabic)
• Jabbar: the restorer, one who sets right (Arabic)
• Jubran: from Jabr, the mending of what is broken (Arabic)
• Kintsugi: golden repair (Japanese)
• Mend: to repair (English)
• Remedy: cure (Latin)

Jabir comes from the Arabic word jabr, which also means setting a broken bone. It is the same root that gave us the word algebra, from al-jabr, the restoring of broken parts.

Names That Mean Healing

• Sana: to heal (Latin)
• Shifa: healing (Arabic)
• Iaso: Greek goddess of recovery
• Akeso: Greek goddess of the healing process
• Panacea: cure for all (Greek)
• Arogya: health, freedom from illness (Sanskrit)
• Hale: healthy (Old English)
• Sanjivani: life-restoring herb (Sanskrit)

Names That Mean Whole or Complete

The opposite of broken is whole.

• Tamim: complete, perfect (Arabic)
• Salim: sound, unharmed (Arabic)
• Salma: safe, sound (Arabic)
• Shalom: peace, wholeness (Hebrew)
• Integra: whole, untouched (Latin)
• Sampurna: complete, whole (Sanskrit)
• Teleia: complete (Greek)

Broken in Other Languages

• Cassé: French
• Gebrochen: German
• Roto: Spanish
• Quebrado: Portuguese
• Rotto: Italian
• Slomanny: Russian
• Kirik: Turkish
• Maksur: Arabic
• Shikasteh: Persian
• Toota: Urdu and Hindi
• Pohuo: Mandarin phrase for broken
• Briste: Irish

Sanskrit and Hindi Names

• Khandita: broken, fragmented
• Bhagna: broken
• Chhinna: cut, torn
• Vyatha: pain, distress
• Shoka: sorrow
• Sanjeevani: that which restores life

Khandita is a character type in classical Indian poetry. She is a heroine hurt by her lover’s betrayal.

Arabic, Urdu and Persian Words

South Asian and Middle Eastern poetry has many words for a broken heart.

• Maksur: broken (Arabic)
• Shikasteh: broken (Persian)
• Toota: broken (Urdu)
• Dil-shikasta: broken-hearted (Persian, Urdu)
• Gham-zada: sorrow-struck (Urdu)
• Ranjeeda: hurt, aggrieved (Urdu)

Dil-shikasta is a beautiful poetic phrase that means one whose heart is broken.

Japanese Ideas Linked to Broken

• Kowareta: broken
• Kintsugi: repairing broken pottery with gold
• Wabi-sabi: beauty in imperfection
• Setsuna: a fleeting, bittersweet moment
• Mono no aware: gentle sadness at passing things

Wabi-sabi and kintsugi are popular as inspiration for names, art and writing.

Latin and Greek Names

• Fractus: broken (Latin)
• Ruptus: broken, burst (Latin)
• Fragilis: easily broken (Latin)
• Rhegma: a break, tear (Greek)
• Thrausma: a fragment (Greek)
• Pathos: suffering (Greek)

Fragile comes from Fragilis, and fracture comes from Fractus. Both words are close cousins of the same root.

Surnames Linked to Breaking

• Breakspear: one who breaks a spear, an old English surname
• Shakespeare: one who shakes a spear
• Brisbane: from a Gaelic phrase for bright, though it sounds like breaking
• Cassidy: curly-haired, though many link it with the sound of cassé

Breakspear was the family name of Nicholas Breakspear, the only English pope.

Names From Myth and Fiction

• Humpty Dumpty: the egg that could not be put back together
• Niobe: grief turned to stone
• Hecuba: queen who lost everything in the Trojan War
• Ophelia: tragic heroine of Hamlet
• Pandora: opened the jar that released all troubles
• Odysseus: the wanderer scarred by war

Names for Characters and Gaming

• Khandita Vale
• Shard
• Fractus
• Rift
• Wraith of Ash
• Kintsugi
• Fray

These are strong choices for fantasy, drama and role-playing characters.

Should You Use a Broken Name?

A name with a broken meaning can feel heavy for a child. Most parents choose names that point to strength, healing or hope.

If you love the feeling of a name like Khandita or Fractus, think about using it for a character. For a child, a name like Jabir, Sana or Shifa gives the same depth with a hopeful meaning.

How to Choose a Broken Name

• Decide if it is for a child, character or pen name
• Check the exact meaning and culture of the word
• Consider whether a mending name suits you better
• Say it aloud with the surname
• Think about how the meaning may feel over time

FAQs

What name means broken?

Khandita means broken or fragmented in Sanskrit, and Fractus means broken in Latin. Maksur in Arabic and Shikasteh in Persian also mean broken.

What girl name means broken?

Khandita and Fracta are girl names that mean broken. Dolores, Mara and Niobe are linked to sorrow and grief.

What boy name means broken?

Fractus and Bhagna are boy names that mean broken. Shard and Rift are modern word names with similar meaning.

What name means broken heart?

Dolores means sorrows, and Mara means bitter. In Persian and Urdu, dil-shikasta means one whose heart is broken.

What name means mending a broken thing?

Jabir means one who mends and restores in Arabic. Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold.

What is the Japanese art of fixing broken things?

It is called kintsugi, meaning golden joinery. Broken pottery is repaired with gold, so the cracks become part of its beauty.

What does Jabir mean?

Jabir means one who mends, restores or comforts in Arabic. It comes from jabr, which also means setting a broken bone.

What is the Latin word for broken?

Fractus means broken in Latin. The English words fracture and fragment come from the same root.

What does Khandita mean?

Khandita means broken or fragmented in Sanskrit. In Indian poetry it also names a heroine who has been hurt by her beloved.

What names mean healing instead?

Sana, Shifa, Iaso, Akeso and Arogya all mean healing or health. They are good choices if you want the depth of a broken name with a hopeful meaning.