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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Jiya, Maya, Siya or Ruhi? Indian baby girl living in the UK

111 replies

meera454 · 16/12/2020 11:13

We have scrapped most of our previous list and are leaning more towards simpler names. What are your thoughts on Jiya, Maya, Siya and Ruhi? Be as brutally honest as you like :)

Really love the name Ruhi in particular but written down it looks a bit incomplete to me? Maybe we could use this as a nickname for Rohini or Ruhani? Ruhi has a beautiful meaning in Hindi.

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tea69 · 21/12/2020 12:48

I like Shanaya! How about

Renaya
Anaia
Amaia
Somaya
Mahi
?

Original poster
meera454 · 21/12/2020 10:12

@PolkadotsAndMoonbeams I've never heard of Jiyana or Jayana, quite pretty!

@ekidmxcl Thanks for pointing out the association of Jiya with jeer! We have now ruled out the name Jiya.

@ZaphodBeeblerox Throwback names are stunning, that is very brave of you! If she doesn't like it as much when she is older, she can always go by a nickname or middle name if she has one. A lot of kids appreciate having unique names

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ZaphodBeeblerox · 21/12/2020 02:59

I like Ruhi a lot too.. probably slightly biased since I know a lovely little Ruhi who is a friend’s DD.

It’s interesting. We also moved here from India as adults and have strong connections to “Home”. We chose a v traditional name for DD (much more traditional than her cousins back in India and really a throwback name). We love it a lot more than the short names that are apparently easy for westerners to pronounce but jury is out on whether she will love it as an adult.

ekidmxcl · 21/12/2020 01:29

I’d go with Maya. I think it’s easier to go through life with a name that can go anywhere. Not just between India/UK but also across all social classes. I do think Ruhi is also lovely. I’m not keen on Jiya because it sounds like jeer.

PolkadotsAndMoonbeams · 21/12/2020 01:07

Perhaps it was Jiyana actually?

PolkadotsAndMoonbeams · 21/12/2020 01:04

I hadn't realised Anushka was an Indian name. I'd have presumed Russian from hearing it (like Anoushka).

Could I suggest Jayana? I don't know if it's that common (I only 'know' one, she was a junior doctor when my DF was in hospital!), but it's easy to say and spell, and sounds pretty to me.

Helpneededbyanoutsider · 20/12/2020 20:27

If it matters to you, I know a lot of British people would need to be told how to say all of those other than Maya.
Teachers, other children etc.

Winterplant · 20/12/2020 20:16

Roshni is a beautiful name

thelumberjack · 20/12/2020 20:00

Maya is the prettiest and very multi cultural. It is popular though because it is so multi cultural.

I quite like Rohini, Roshni, Annika and Leela too.

Original poster
meera454 · 20/12/2020 18:47

@Cornishmumofone Thanks! :) Really? I’ve only ever heard of Indian girls with the name Pari!

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Cornishmumofone · 20/12/2020 17:53

I love some of the names on the list: Anoushka, Jaya and Maya. The only Indian Pari I know is male.

Original poster
meera454 · 20/12/2020 17:13

@duckinatruckwithmuck I agree, sometimes I look at the shorter names and feel like they are a bit bland and boring. I do love the longer names but I don't feel brave enough to use them at the moment and DH is okay either way. The longer names we like so far are Anushka, (love Ananya, but sounds a but like "A Nun" in English?) and Shanaya and maybe Ahana is still an option.. I really liked Aria until I realised that it can also be a masculine name which has really put me off! We like softer sounding names that just roll off the tongue easily. Liked Lavanya for a while and then DH mentioned it sounded like lasagne!! So that one has been scratched off the list for good... :(

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duckinatruckwithmuck · 19/12/2020 22:13

Ps. Ananya and Anushka are lovely 💕💕

duckinatruckwithmuck · 19/12/2020 22:12

Posted before reading the whole thread and your updates @OP- please be proud of your heritage and choose a name you like from your culture without worrying about its length and/or how others might pronounce it! I chose very neutral names that were easy/okay for Caucasian people to spell/pronounce but in hindsight, they're so bland. I wish I'd gone fully into a name that sang about who we are and where we're from and if it was a difficult name to say then having an easier nickname for our DC. Stay true to yourself.

duckinatruckwithmuck · 19/12/2020 22:05

OP I live in an Indian majority area and the number of Mayas or variations of the same (Amaya, Anaya, Shenaya, etc.) can be a bit much in baby groups. I'm personally one for Jiya- nice and simple.

longtimelurkerfirsttimeposter · 19/12/2020 22:04

Maya

duckinatruckwithmuck · 19/12/2020 22:02

@GeorgiaGirl52

I ave always loved Anjuli (pronouced "Ann - Julie") and could be Anglicized to Julie).

Why would she want to have it anglicised?

Original poster
meera454 · 19/12/2020 20:56

Thank you everyone for your suggestions!

@Winterplant we are a North Indian family, parents/ in laws are from Delhi & Hyderabad. It doesn't really matter to us which part of India the names are from, as long as they are easy to pronounce in the UK and have good meanings. I think Avanika is pronounced A-vun-ika, or it might even be Avni-ka (because there is a similar name, Avni, which i have heard a few times).

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Winterplant · 19/12/2020 10:47

Rohini, Avanika, Anuskha, Anika, Mihira, Shreya, Avani are my faves.

How do you pronounce Avanika? Is it Uv-ah-nika?

I think it would be helpful to know what type of Indian you are e.g. Gujarati, Punjabi, etc, there are some really lovely names used mainly in particular Indian cultures

OneEpisode · 19/12/2020 10:34

It does depend where you live. I am in one of the whitest parts of the UK, and here Maya Rohini/ Ruhi would be a great choice. Teeny white kids can pronounce and spell Maya and Maya is an obviously female name if that is important to you. Lovely choices!

IckleBear · 19/12/2020 10:27

Ruhi is lovely!!

Original poster
meera454 · 18/12/2020 21:24

I’m starting to like Shanaya a lot as an option and it’s also DH’s favourite. Wonder if it sounds a bit OTT though ?

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Original poster
meera454 · 18/12/2020 18:10

@Luckyelephant1 Anya looks really pretty but then it sounds a bit harsh without the long “Aaanya” pronunciation

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Luckyelephant1 · 18/12/2020 18:00

I really like Rohini and Anya out of the other names you just said and quite little chance of them being mispronounced. Also I think Anya is a name from quite a few cultures.

Original poster
meera454 · 18/12/2020 17:54

What do you guys think of the name Pari or Parina? I just saw it on a baby name list.

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