Buddha

Historically, the individual who became known as the Buddha was born with the name Siddhartha Gautama (in Sanskrit) or Siddhattha Gotama (in Pali).

While the term “Buddha” (meaning “Awakened One”) became a title he acquired after achieving enlightenment, his given name at birth was Siddhartha, and his clan name was Gautama. He is also referred to as Shakyamuni (“Sage of the Shakya clan”).

Early Buddhist texts, like those within the Pali Canon, often refer to him by his clan name, Gotama. In these early sources, he also refers to himself as the Tathagata, a term of uncertain meaning but often interpreted as “one who has thus gone” or “one who has thus come,” signifying transcendence of worldly phenomena. Other epithets, reflecting his various qualities, also appeared in the Pali Canon.