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Baby names

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Lakshmana for a girl and nicknames?

37 replies

halseyismyname123 · 29/12/2018 01:24

I am 22 weeks pregnant with DC3 with my fiancé. I have 2 older DC's (DD 16 and DS3) from a previous relationship. My last DH was Irish and they have very Irish names. My soon to be DH is of Indian decent, though he doesn't really appear it (both parents are half white half indian), he wanted to pick an Indian sounding name for our DC.

We had Jasmine picked out for a girl and Sai for a boy. However, at 2 weeks ago we discovered DC was a girl and DF said he had gone off the name Jasmine as he has seen a lot of them about, and has decided he likes Lakshmana. Pronounced "lock" "shmar" "na". It's a traditional Indian boys name but he claims it can be used for a girl. I wasn't keen at first but it has grown on me. However I think it's a bit "extra" for DD2 to have growing up. I keep having visions of the suppy teacher at school not being able to pronounce it and friends asking about it. Also made worse with the fact that she'll probably appear very caucasian, what with me being white and DH being 7/8ths white. I'm worried people will judge us as "stealing" the name from another culture.

I've decided either I register her as Lakshmana and find a suitable nickname to use day to day OR name her Jasmine Lakshmana Lastname. I have been unable to find a nickname, so does anyone here have any ideas? Thank you.

OP posts:
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Autumnnymph · 02/01/2019 10:53

Lakshmi is beautiful! Just be wary of people who pronounce it "Lacks-me" - Mia is a fab nn! Good luck OP and well done on finding a fab compromise!

halseyismyname123 · 01/01/2019 22:11
Hmm
OP posts:
whatamessitallis · 01/01/2019 21:21

In case anyone is wondering, my deleted post was sticking up for SmiledWithTheRisingSun as I thought MikeUniformMike was being unkind.

I'm surprised I was deleted and not Mike tbh.

whatamessitallis · 01/01/2019 01:39

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

autumndreaming · 31/12/2018 15:47

I know an Indian girl called Tarana nn Tara. I think it's lovely

MikeUniformMike · 31/12/2018 15:44

Dyslexia probably has nothing to do with it.

SmiledWithTheRisingSun · 31/12/2018 06:11

Thanks for the spelling corrections Cherie and mike am dyslexic and was typing fast sorry for any offence caused. But hey you got to feel clever 👍

Mia / Lakshmi are lovely OP Smile

Ngaio2 · 30/12/2018 17:34

Well done OP to find a mutually pleasing compromise. Finding a name both parents like can often be the most difficult aspect of naming a baby.

OyOy · 30/12/2018 12:52

Ah, as you were then the "Sai and Jasmine" aren't strictly Hindu names so I was concerned on that point!

Lot of luck with lil' Lakshmi/Mia - both gorgeous names and although I don't know much about Mia, Lakshmi is very auspicious!

Lucky girl.

halseyismyname123 · 30/12/2018 12:46

OyOy Yes. Both sets of his late grandparents were Hindu. His parents were less religous and me and DH aren't practising any religion but he wanted to honour it.

OP posts:
MikeUniformMike · 30/12/2018 10:10

Smiled, the Sikh middle name is Kaur not Cor.

OyOy · 30/12/2018 09:56

So glad you've moved on from Lakshmana, that would've been v weird as pps have pointed out, he is a significant figure in Hinduism.

I love Lakshmi as a name - she too is a major figure in Hinduism - so your husband's Indian heritage is Hindu right?

inbetweenmass · 29/12/2018 19:48

Perfect - both Lakshmi and Mia are great names :)

SmiledWithTheRisingSun · 29/12/2018 19:39

Cherries BIL is Sikh by birth but not practising.

MrsTerryPratcett · 29/12/2018 18:06

Sounds like a great compromise!

halseyismyname123 · 29/12/2018 16:26

I've managed to get DH to understand that Lakshmana is a bit heavy for a majority white British baby and I'm also not keen on the boy aspect.

He seems to have come around to Lakshmi and we will call her Mia as a nickname as that will go well my other DC's Irish name while still respecting DH's wish for an Indian name.

OP posts:
Cherries101 · 29/12/2018 13:02

@SmiledWithTheRisingSun - if your bil is sikh that using Kaur as a middle name for girls, and Singh as a middle name for boys, is a religious requirement of both the Sikh culture and religion. What OP is doing is different because her OH isn’t religious.

Cherries101 · 29/12/2018 12:58

@JillScarlet - I agree lol. If this were me I’d just the Hindu names that overlap with Gaelic ones rather than an inappropriate religious one. Ameya, Neeva etc

SmiledWithTheRisingSun · 29/12/2018 10:25

Do you like any of these names OP? I don't think they are hard to say with an English tongue:

Layla
Rhea
Ananya
Jaya
Kaia
Laranya
Milana
Priya
Taara
Niya

JillScarlet · 29/12/2018 10:23

But Lakshmi rather than the other names.
I have SILs called Lakshmi.
Not that they are ever called it, all the Indian family members I know have alternative everyday names.

JillScarlet · 29/12/2018 10:21

So your kids all have names based on their fathers’ ethnicity? Very Irish and then very Indian names? Will they all have their respective fathers’ surnames?
I have multicultural kids and have chosen names that work across both cultures. And they have both surnames.

It feels a bit odd to brand your family according to each father.

SmiledWithTheRisingSun · 29/12/2018 10:17

I think it's lovely to give your daughter an Indian name op.

Ignore completely those people who think it's odd - they are the odd ones! Hmm

My BIL comes from a Sikh background and they have their girls Cor (meaning lioness) as middle makes. Which is a really lovely nod to their heritage IMO

Congrats on your baby Thanks

TatianaLarina · 29/12/2018 10:12

I was going to suggest Lakshmi too. Such a pretty name. You’re the one risking your health to carry the child so you get last word.

mammmamia · 29/12/2018 09:49

It’s defintiely a boy’s name and would really sound odd for a girl sorry. Lakshmi is nice and has lots of nickname potential. It was my grandmother’s name.

KoshaMangsho · 29/12/2018 05:16

Lakshmana is a boy and a boy’s name. Never ever in my life have I heard of a girl with that name. And I am Indian and nominally Hindu. It’s like insisting Johnny is a girl’s name because it ends in ‘y’ like Emily and Betty and calling a girl that. Please don’t.

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