Where does “Godavari” come from?

Godavari comes from Sanskrit गोदावरी, composed of Sanskrit गो meaning "cow" and derived ultimately from Proto-Indo-European gʷṓws.

Ancestry of “Godavari”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Sanskrit	गोदावरी	—
2	Sanskrit	गो	a cow; an ox; cattle, kine, herd of cattle
3	Proto-Indo-Iranian	gāuš	—
4	Proto-Iranian	gā́wš	—
5	Proto-Indo-Iranian	gā́wš	cow
6	Proto-Indo-European	gʷṓws	cattle

Godavari — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer