Banu (Persian: بانو bânu), is a Persian name for girls used in Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey, Pakistan and India. While in Afghanistan it translates to "lady", "princess" or "bride". in India it roughly translates to "little sister". In Turkey, it is a popular female name that refers to the original Persian word. Banu also apparently means "rays from the sun" in Telugu.
Notable figures, people, and institutions named Banu include:
Banu Khorramdin, Babak Khorramdin's wife and companion who fought against the Abbasid Caliphate's Muslim conquest of Persia in ancient Iran (Persia).Arjumand Banu Begum, Shah Jahan's wife, for whom he built Taj MahalBanu-yi Mısr (literally, Banu of Egypt), another name for Zulaikha, Potiphar's wifeShahrbanu, eldest daughter of Yazdegerd III, the last Emperor of Sassanid Persia and mother of the fourth Shiite imam, Ali ibn HusaynSaira Banu, a Bollywood actress of the 1960sShah BanoBhanupriya, an actress from south IndiaBanu, a South Indian makeup artistBanu, a south Indian film actress introduced in the film ThamiraparaniBanu, the female side of the deity Barmnu-Banu, a discordian-chaos magick good luck god/goddess