Varman is the Sanskrit word for 'Shield, Defensive armour', and by extension 'protege', 'protected by'.
The suffix -varman was used in the reign-names of all of the Khmer kings, generally added to the name of a Hindu god. For example, Indravarman II's name means "Protected by Indra". Suryavarman II means 'the One who is protected by the sun' (Surya is the god of the sun), or ‘the One whose shield is the sun’.
