Kushal (कुशल) is a Hindi word of Sanskrit origin. It means an expert. Other meaning include clever, intelligent, tactful, smart, etc.
The history of the word "Kushal" dates back to ancient era in India when formal education to the students or Shishya was given by their teachers or Guru in a school called Gurukul. The students acquired knowledge from the guru and also helped the guru in his day-to-day life, including the carrying out of mundane tasks such as washing clothes, cooking, etc.
The leaves of a special herb called Kush were required by gurus as part of daily rituals they performed. The leaves were very difficult to pluck as they were needle like therefore it required expertise and skill to efficiently remove the leaves from the herb. So the most adept students were trained to tactfully do the task and once becoming an expert at this task they were sent to remove the leaves from the Kush herb. They were given the name Kushal. Eventually with the passage of time anyone being an expert in any particular job or field was called Kushal and hence the name evolved.
According to Maneka Gandhi's book of Sanskrit names, the name Kushal means: Skilled; efficient; right; good; happy; clever; cool; auspicious; proficient; skill; strategy; efficiency. Another name for Lord Shiva.