If someone can be named Sitara then why does Guitara for a name sound so funny?
If a person named Ram is no where close to having the personality or qualities that the original bearer of the name possessed, then why does it mean any one with the name Raavan will be anything like the original?
Names have always fascinated and baffled me. I fail to understand the frenzy with which modern day parents name their offspring with the most difficult-to-pronounce and unheard of names-in the quest to be more unique. Since the time I've stepped into parenthood, I have come across some really bizarre names of which I'd rather not allude to here for obvious reasons.
Names have come far from the olden times of carrying forward the grandfather or grandmother's name resulting in having at least five subramanians, krishnamoorthys, Lakshmis or Kalyanis from the same generation in the family and having funny nicknames like Paapa, Echimi (short for lakshmi) or Ambi or even having the residing city attached to the name like Delhi mani to different each one from the other!
Naming children after mythological figures have been the most favourite since time immortal. Yet, one does not come across anyone named Duryodhana or Shakuni or Draupadi. There is a lot of baggage attached to these names, no? I don't claim to know a lot of people but in my limited circle too, I have come across just one "Abhimanyu" so far. I love the name, actually. Does the superstitious fear of a short life attached to the name surmounts logical thinking? Maybe, so. One never takes a chance with one's children.
And, of course, while talking of names, how can you go without mentioning those dubious first names of a male that can also be names in full for a female causing confusions about the gender of the person and causing much embarrassment to the carrier of that name? I can see the male and female Lakshmi-narayans, Uma-shankars, Vidhya-shankars, and Radha-krishnans nodding away furiously.
Indian English uses forms like asking, "what's your good name?" - something that doesn't make much sense since we cannot substantiate the answer by further asking, so what's your bad name then? If History or Mythology has any bearing on the goodness of the names, then perhaps there are many 'bad' names out there. Of course, they way many politicians with lovely sounding names behave today, a lot of 'good' names are going to be dumped in future.
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Posts on Names always amused me, Uma. This one too..I have one lying and dying in drafts for ages....donno when I will finish it. My cousins have some strange names for their kids...unique they say..huhh
ReplyDeleteReally, the names that go under the garb of being unique, duh! finish your draft, Latha, come on!
DeleteTotally agree with the last line!!!
ReplyDeleteThe strangest name I ever came across...Adyar....the boy was named for the locality in chennai where he ws born!!
ReplyDeleteReally? Adyar???? oh,gosh, ROFL!!!! poor guy..
DeleteGuess a lot of people in the south think R's name is really weird and often ask RD if he is married to a Muslim :):) It is so typically mispronounced in South! but hey a name is a name is a name eh?
ReplyDeleteouch! that's funny..hmm..I guess it's not a south-Indian name, that's why..
DeleteOh seriously, blame politicians in taking the fun and meaning out of names. Both the men and women - the whole lot actually. Personally prefer traditional names though.
ReplyDeleteReally, actually I eliminated a few good names because they reminded of people with those names and were perfect A**. So much for loss of good names :-(
Deleteoh.. talking about names that can be easily mistaken for female names. you know, at my hubby's office there's Madhu, Vidya, Surabhi, Lakshmi, Kiran and Aziz. While the names that sound like they belong to a female, they belong to males. and the last name, is my hubby's female manager. They are shortforms for Madhusudan, Vidyadhar, surabhishankar or something and there is a biiiiiig suffix after Lakshmi... Kiran of course is my husband, Kiranraj!
ReplyDeleteand there is a small anecdote related to this confusion.
One of Kiran's colleague was unwell and hence was working from home. He received an (official) email from surabhi which ended with "Take care. Hope to see you soon." His wife who was apparently sitting next to him, took offense at the last statement. As much as he tried to convince her that he was in fact a male colleague, she wouldn't budge. (She even made him swear!) Finally he asked Kiran to sort the confusion and he had to intervene! Imagine that!
LOLOL @ the anecdote..:-)
DeleteHaha names are the most fun topic actually! I know a guy named 'Shine', oh yeah you read that right! Apparently he was born with shiny hair :/
ReplyDeleteyes, yes, I've heard of shine and also someone in our apartment has a last name 'Bright'!!!
Deletehahaha awesome facts!!! how true!!! :D
ReplyDeleteI am seriously in one such soup! if I give birth to a child that has to be named on ancestors and the reason being we remember them for our life doesnt this sound bull shit !!!:D if we are to remember it should be for their good deeds and love and not by force that entire my life I call my kid by the name and remember how much I hate them deep inside me!!! :P Naming I tell you is the most silly thing!
hahaha..imagine calling out your FIL's name in sheer anger, when you are actually addressing your lil' one ;-)
DeleteInteresting topic Uma. Things were easier when the eldest person in the family jut picked a name, Now with numerous websites listing names and their meanings, people do go to different lengths. In fact I know couples who have chosen Russian and Persian names. Do we have dearth of names here? Hmm!
ReplyDeleteI know, some names really sound very, very weird. I'm just imagining the poor child having to live with that name!
Deleteha ha.. You missed 'Pichai'.Imagine going through life with a name like that ! Echimi totally cracked me up..I think we have several dozen Echimis in our family :) Some of my ancestors probably lacked imagination to give so many people the name 'Echimi'.. Imagine going through life with a name like that .. Even I've wondered about Draupadi ..And names are totally misleading. I know a few Rams that are total 420s .. And couple of people have said that I dont look like a Bhargavi ,but a Mallika ! umm.. well ! names names names :)
ReplyDeleteHAHAHA..Pichai is ultimate..I know someone who is 'Aandi' too.
DeleteHow does someone look like a Bhargavi?and, Mallika, eh? as in Mallika Sherawat???
oops .. The Imagine comment got repeated twice.. actually it shouldn't eb really tough going thru life with a name like Echimi.. Pichai is a differnt story though ..
ReplyDeletesome other ultimate ones: ambo, gulpa, jill-kitta :-))))
Deletemy cousin is names seetharaman.. coz they r named after their grandfather.. and the frens call him seetha! :(
ReplyDeletehahaha..I know a lot of Vidhya, Mallika,Lakshmi and Radha who are actually males :-)
DeleteTotally agree with you on this! Always wondered why people today keep tongue twisters as their kids' names. Even simple names are there which are unique but apparently most people equate complex to unique.
ReplyDeleteNice post!
Until later,
Keirthana :)
yes, unheard of and difficult to pronounce is the popular trend. Thanks, Keirthana :-)
Deletehahaha Uma I seem to have missed reading this one :).. The funny thing though is a name somehow seems to grow on the child, even if I was aghast to hear it at first - funnily enough that name was Agasthya ;).. which I told my friend was such a heavy name for a child, but the little fella carries it off!
ReplyDeleteAgasthya is still OK. What would you say about 'Aprameya'?? Imagine being called 'apram' for short ;-)
DeleteHave to tell you this! When I tried to search you on facebook for the first time, I was not aware of your surname. I simply typed "Uma Bangalore" and to my surprise most of the "Uma" named people that came up in the list were men!! I just gave up! Later on when i came to know your surname, i was able to find you easily :)
ReplyDelete