Origins of the name 
The name comes from Taj Arabic تاج, via Persian, the language of the Mughal court, meaning crown, and Mahal means palace. Most sources suggest that Taj Mahal is a shorter variant of Mumtaz Mahal, the nickname of Arjumand Banu Begum, meaning First Lady of the Palace. As early as 1670, the French traveler Francois Bernier referred to the place as Tage Mehale.