The name Barapasaurus ("big-legged lizard") is derived from bara meaning 'big' and pa meaning 'leg' in several Indian languages; the Greek word sauros means 'lizard'.[1] This name was used as a nomen nudum since a femur measuring over 1.7 m was unearthed at 1961.[1] The specific name tagorei means 'Tagore's', which honors Bengali poet, writer, painter, and musician Rabindranath Tagore. The first year of fieldwork was carried out in the centenary year of Tagore's birth.