Indian baby names are based on many factors including religions, traditions, culture, geography and moral enlightenment. The belief that a positive name will influence the child in a positive way throughout his life makes Indian parents to think of wonderful names. Most of the Indian parents name their babies on some gods and goddesses. That is definitely a traditional way of naming Indian babies. Other traditional Indian baby names are based on celestial elements, planets, stars, and moon or even inspired from famous celebrities or leaders.

Indian baby names are very fascinating as they are based on different religions like Hinduism, Islam or Buddhism. The Sanskrit language has also inspired many parents for choosing suitable names. Ancient history and civilization is another wonderful source of Indian baby names. Mythological characters and ancient pantheons have inspired generations of Indian parents to pick unique baby names. There are many Indians whose names begin with Ram, Krishna, Shankar or Vishnu. All these are names of the Gods. When it comes to choosing names for babies, parents usually think of names that depict beauty, fertility and grace. Indian female names often inspire love and care and hence chosen accordingly. Indian people are very well aware of meaning of their names and why it was accorded to them. There is definitely some sort of unique charm and mystery about Indian names.

Many Hindu baby names are inspired from the names of incarnations of Gods, deities and sages. The idea behind assigning these names to babies is that by repeatedly calling them by these names, he/she will develop divine qualities that will create positive force in the child’s life. Naming ceremony of a Hindu baby is an elaborate function attended by friends, family members and close relatives. Everyone chips in with his suggestions. Hindu baby names are very much specific to genders. That helps in creating distinct identities of the child. The names are chosen with much care because it will remain with the kid for the rest of his life.

The meaning of the names is very important. Hindu families choose the names that have good and positive meanings. Names with bad or wrong meanings are generally avoided. That’s why most of the Hindu babies are named from Vedas, mythology and Sanskrit. Parents look for unique names for their babies. They consult family members, astrologers and numerologists. Internet has also emerged as a handy tool for parents. The birth date and time is also an important factor that plays a crucial role in naming Hindu babies.

Some of the unique Hindu baby names for boys are, Aakarsh, Arpit, Aditya, Aayan, Bankim, Bahuliya, Bhuman, Chintan, Chandran, Danish, Danvir, Devank, Dhruv, Gaurang, Harshil, Jaiman, Kalesh, Mahatru etc. For Hindu baby girls, there are plenty of unique choices available. Some of them are, Aahana, Aadita, Akhila, Alisha, Barisha, Bhakti, Charulata, Dayanita, Delisha, Dipali, Eesha, Garima, Gitika, Harika, Hima, Ila, Jaishree, Juhi, Kaia etc.

Choosing names based on gods and goddesses is supposed to bring good luck. It also has a positive effect on the child. There is no dearth of attractive and unique names with beautiful meanings. Parents can consult astrologers or even search on internet for good names. India being a religious country, places a lots of importance on choosing good names that could actually affect the destiny of the child. For example, no parents in India name their child ‘Kansh’ or ‘Raavan’ as these names represent devil or demons. An appropriate name can make a child stand apart from the crowd. He will be easily recognised because of his wonderful name.

Names can be based on religions like Hindu, Islam, Sikhism, Jainism and Christianity. Whatever names parents choose it should sound good and appealing to one and all. Name must have a positive meaning. The name should always compliment the gender of the baby.

Talking about some of good Hindu names for boys, Atharva, Yuvraj, Anand, Tapas, Yash, Shaan, Srijan, Om, Mihir, Tejas, Hriday, Param, Swastik, Anmol, Aryan, Adarsh, Arya, Kushal etc are really nice names with wonderful meanings. Similarly, in case of baby girls, names that have wonderful meanings are, Ashna, Avni, Brinda, Charu, Bhavi, Diti, Gul, Isha, Ramona, Grishma, Ashmita, Kripa, Mahika, Muskaan, Netra, Tamanna, Zoya, Upasana, Naisha and Kshama etc.

If we talk about Hindu religion, certain rituals and procedures are followed in the baby naming ceremony. The belief says that, everything in the ceremony should be done according to the rituals so that baby can lead a happy and fulfilled life. The baby naming ceremony in Hinduism is also known as ‘Naamkaran’. Different sub-castes have different traditions. At some places, the ceremony is held after 40 days whereas few other regions celebrate the function on twelfth days. In certain parts of eastern India, the rituals are performed during the fifth or sixth day of the birth of the newborn baby. It is known as ‘Panchvi’ or ‘Chhathi’.

Hindus follow certain rituals like consulting a Pandit or astrologer who takes into consideration the birth date and time and then decides the timing of baby naming ceremony. Other important things like baby’s Kundali, positions of stars and planets etc play a major role in naming the baby.

Jewish baby naming ceremonies are usually conducted at home or the synagogue. Most Jewish families prefer to name the child after a saint or prophet. The ceremony also includes great meal inviting all the important members. Most of the Jewish names have Hebrew meanings. In Christianity, christening ceremony is held in which holy water is sprinkled and child is bathed. It is a very important custom in Catholicism.

Talking about Islam, usually baby naming ceremony is held on the seventh day of the birth of the baby. The ceremony is conducted with great fanfare and names are influenced from Quraan. As we can see, baby naming ceremony is much celebrated occasion in almost all the religions and the prime objective of these ceremonies is to make the future life of newborn baby prosperous.

It is an old practice to choose mythological names. The belief behind this naming method is that baby will have the blessings and virtues of the God. This practice is not just common in India but also in other parts of the world. Greek and Roman culture have numerous mythological names and parents there, love to name their babies based on those great characters. It is also a nice way to reaffirm parents’ religious beliefs. At the same time, it gives a different touch to baby’s name.

Talking about latest trends in naming babies, numerology is the most popular tool in the hands of the parents. Parents believe that naming a baby according to a lucky number will bring luck and fortune to baby’s life. It has become a common practice to see many celebrities changing their names according to numerology. The change could be in form of addition or subtraction of certain characters or the way the name is pronounced or spelled. Parents can consult numerology books for naming their babies.

Opting for long names is more like an old fashion. It is especially prevalent in royal families. However, long name is often supplemented by short nick names. Choosing short baby names is another method available to the parents. It is actually a new trend that appears smart and classy. One last method is to choose baby names as per his/her zodiac sign that will truly explain baby’s characteristics.

What it does is to actually remind you as well as everybody else that who was born first. A common method of naming twin babies is by using similar sounding names. This is a common practice for identical twins or twins of same gender. For example, Ajay and Vijay are similar sounding names. If the twins are of different genders then the names can be twisted as well like Vijay and Vijaya. However, as the kids grow up same thing can cause confusion. If you call Ajay, Vijay will respond because the way name sounds is quite similar. But then, that’s a pleasant problem to have.

Palindrome and anagram names are often used strategy by parents. Palindrome word is actually spelt the same way when read backwards. Like a Christian family can opt for Nadia and Aidan in case they have a boy and girl. One can find other such similar words. Anagrams refers to same set of letters rearranged to form another name. For example, Jaya and Ajay have same letters but after rearranging them, you have two perfect set of names for a baby girl and a baby boy.

One idea is to use same initials for twins. This can be amusing and comfortable for parents at first but can cause confusion later on during the school days. The last but not the least; use names with the same meaning. This way, twins will have distinct names but same meaning and different personality identification. Like Ram and Krishna are names of one God but both are different. All said and done, Parents should take considerable time before naming their twins.

The ubiquitous internet is perhaps the best source of finding perfect baby name. Parents can find a range of names for their kids. Right from ancient and mythological names to Sanskrit and other cultural names, the choices are unlimited. Many parents prefer to use their names while naming baby. Suppose, the father’s name is Dev and Mother’s name is Himanshi then parents can go for ‘Devanshi’ for baby girl and ‘Devansh’ for baby boy. Many a times, name of elder sibling is considered while naming the new born. It could be something like ‘Ruchi’ for elder sister and ‘Suchi’ for the newly born baby girl.

Sometimes, baby name is decided by looking at features of the baby. For example, if baby girl has pretty eyes then ‘Sunaina’ can be an apt name. If the baby is very cute and looks like a doll then, ‘Gudiya’ or ‘Preity’ can be considered. Similarly, parents think of different names based on striking features of the baby. In Hindu religion, the birth time and date of the baby is considered very important. The birth time is used to make ‘Kundali’ which is made by the astrologer. In astrology, based on the birth time and date, some letters are considered as lucky or auspicious for the baby. These letters are often the initial letters of the baby’s name. At some places, the baby is named after 6 days of birth whereas at some places in other parts of the country, the baby is officially named after 40 days amid elaborate functions.

One major reason behind opting for Sanskrit names is that meanings are profound. Names are quite easy to understand as well. The fact that most of the Indian languages draw words from Sanskrit only means parents have got plenty of name choices. Sanskrit is believed to be the language of Gods. That explains why most of the Sanskrit words have meanings similar to other names of Gods and Goddesses or rituals. The meanings of these names also denote virtues and hence are special for many people in India.

Taking about few Sanskrit names for boys, Atharva represents one of the four Vedas, Abheek is fearless and Aditya is the beginning. As every name has a meaning, parents try to go for one that can create positive force in their child’s life. Rachit is created, Rajat is sovereign, Akshay is undefeatable, Aadesh is command and Ajamil is king. These are just few names. One can find hundreds of wonderful Sanskrit names on many websites dedicated to babies’ names. It’s about choosing the one that clicks with the parents.

If we talk about Sanskrit names for baby girls, Vahini means flowing like the river, Rajika is light source, Rasika means enjoyment, Urvashi is name of a celestial beauty, Rashmi denotes light, Bhavya is Durga whereas Tripti stands for satisfaction. Going further, Ramita is pleasing and Kamalakshi is lotus eyed. You can see, there is no dearth of fascinating Sanskrit names.