What is in a name?

What is in a name? Ummm... these days? Everything.

Today the young generation wants to be different. And they want to start with a different name. Earlier people were named after Gods, family members etc, but today there is a more definite purpose behind naming a child. After all, a lot is inferred these days about a person by the name he/she carries. Not only does a name give a hint of where the person hails from, it also forms a mental first impression.

A lot of people believe a name describes a person, or his/her talents/features. Many people also believe that a name can also shape a person's destiny. Hence the importance of keeping a name suitable to the child's looks, personality and future: not an easy task at all. I know of people who have lost so much sleep over choosing a name for the baby that they have had no names for months after birth! But it need not be so difficult if you have a clear strategy and know what you want. So how do people select names?

Gone are the days when people were given old fashioned auntyji/uncleji names like Suresh, Kamla; name siblings similar names like Chintu Pintu, Anju Manju, Seeta Geeta; or even recently the done to death common names like Neha and Rahul. In Hindu North Indian families in the 80s, people started to look for new, different names for their babies. There was a wave of long names like Vikramaditya, Adityavir, Malavika, Avantika, etc. And also very uncommon pure Hindi names, like Anaadi, Nachiket, Amrapali, Tanishtha etc. But typically all names were Hindu, and had origins in Hindi/Sanskrit.

Since the 2000s, things have changed even further. A lot of people started to mishmash their own names to make baby names: Anish and Ishita choose Anita, Aditya and Vani choose Adiva etc. I for one, wanted a simple yet unique name for my child. I also wanted sensible and in vogue names which wont make my child hate me forever for naming them that. E.g. naming a kid born in 2013 Pinky or Bhupender! :P Today I personally feel there is a need for global names: names which are easy to spell and pronounce, and at the same time, neutral without giving strong hints about the person's background : so that when one hears the name they do not automatically draw stereotypes about the person.

For instance, today it is very easy to figure out an adult Indian's name, and also analyse which state/region or religion they belong to. For example, many South Indians are named traditionally after gods, like Karthik or Bala. Bengali people have a strong flavour of their language in their names, like Shraboni or Moitreya. Gujarati names are also easy to point out: Snehal, Tejal, Jignesh. More than states, its easier ti figure out religion from first names: Iqbal or Ahmed are definitely Muslim, Paul or Karen are Christians, Jatinder and Sukhvinder Sardars and Manish and Bhavna are Hindus.

So I wanted a name which is not just smart to hear and gives a positive impression on people but also a neutral in nature. I was very open to names with non-Indian origins, like Latin, Arabic, Japanese, African etc. And so began my journey of hunting for names, for both a baby boy and a girl, since I don't know what I'm having. I cant imagine how people used to looks for names earlier, when there weren't so many books and websites dedicated to baby names! I personally sifted through a few books and a million websites, scouring through names from all origins, looking for something special, yet unique. Mind you, it isn't easy to do this, keeping the sensibilities of the extended family in mind - "you are keeping a firang name for your kid?" "doesnt that name sound very Christian/Muslim? You sure it's appropriate?" Apart from that the personal choices of both parents can really make this a daunting task.

But thankfully I started with the premise that whatever my husband and I choose as names, has to be accepted by the family, whether they like it or not. Everyone is free to suggest names but the final decision will be ours, and ours only. No offense. And that's what we did. After painstakingly going through various options, we made a final list of a dozen names for boys and girls. We shared them with friends and family and based on their votes and our personal liking, chose the names. The names are not very common, simple to spell and pronounce, neutral/global in appeal. Just like I wanted. Just one hitch though: I'm very touchy about my baby's name. If my baby is named Aryan, please call him Aryan. From the moment he is born. Not Chunnu, Munnu, Chhotu, Chintu, Pintu. I abhor stupid nick names. Small simple names don't require nick names. Im also not in the favour of my children having a "good/school name" and a "home name": like the formal name is Aditya, but home name is Manu. I dont wish to confuse my child. I want him/her to relate to just one name that becomes THEM. I hope I can avoid shortening of names/nicknaming by others for my little one!!

Anyway! Thank God a huge task is over. But who am I kidding? The hugest tasks don't even begin before the baby's birth! But that's ok, getting the names in place is one more tick off my never-ending to-do list! Here is wishing all the to-be parents in choosing names for their little ones! :)