Shiva means...

 Shiva means auspicious, pure, kind and gracious. In English it is written both as Siva and Shiva. Ancient Hindu scholars such as Shankaracharya interpreted the name variously as the "Pure One", or "One who is not affected by the Gunas of Prakrti (Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas)" or "One who purifies everyone when His name is uttered." The Hindu tradition which recognizes Lord Shiva as the highest supreme Brahman is known in English as Shaivism or Saivism. It is one of the oldest traditions of Hinduism, whose antiquity probably dates back to pre Rigvedic period and rooted in the fertility cults of prehistoric world. Apart from Shaivism, Shiva is also worshipped in the sects of both Tantrism and Shaktism.