India

[lydia771]

Found out we are having a little girl, really struggling to love any names but mentioned India yesterday and other half likes it too. Rare for us to agree! He's worried our family won't like it though. Obviously it's not up to them anyway but what do you think of the name?

Here's our shortlist:
India Grace
Seren Grace
Evie Grace

It's nice. A million squillion times better than Evie, which is so saccharine and popular.

Do you have any other middle name choices? Grace is very much the new Jane or Louise... along with Rose.

I love Seren but ditch Grace

@diddlediddle our surname is a bit of a mouthful so we definitely need a one syllable name as the middle name to make it flow nicely. Always liked Grace since I was a kid 😊

Sorry, I would never, ever use India- unless you’re Indian. There’s even recently been an attempt in India to officially change its English name to Hindustan or Bharat to free itself from its colonial past and you probably wouldn’t want to use those. I really feel very strongly about it.
Not keen on Seren (a bit naff) or Evie (bland).

Love the name India that's definitely my favourite from your list

I like India, I know one who isn't Indian and is about 17.
It really suits her.

I don't like Grace. I don't feel India Grace goes together. I don't like Grace with any of your names. It's very very overused.

I like it, much more than Seren or Evie.

Don't worry too much about your family @lydia771

Maybe don't ask their opinion before birth?

I think many older people don't realise that names have completely changed since their day. After the initial shock of an unfamiliar name wears off I bet they'll love the name. I bet if they read the top 100 names they'd be quite shocked.

I knew an India at school, loved it & her NN was Indy, she'd be 40 now. Come to think of it, I know a toddler Indy now.

I disagree that you need to be Indian, it's common enough in this country that people won't be surprised she's Caucasian.

Sorry the colonialism puts me off too. In theory it's a nice name, but I wouldn't use it.

I love the name India. I personally do not know anyone called India who is an Indian and I am Indian myself.
The name India originates as a name earlier than the country. Reference: Gone with the wind has a female character by that name and if I am correct the book came out before India the country was born.
IMHO, if you like the name go ahead and use it.

Beautiful name. I agree Grace is a bit overused as a middle name though.

India Ruth
India Jane
India Fleur

I like Seren from your list.

Really don't like India sorry. Dd1's middle name is Grace and we considered Seren for both dd's so that gets my vote

I like loads of Welsh names but Seren makes me think of sarin gas. I like India, I feel it’s used enough you don’t have to be Indian to use it. Evie is quite a different feel, I prefer Edie.

India - a bit colonial
Seren - awful
Evie - nice but overused

The middle name hardly ever gets used.

Grace is overused as a surname.

“The name India originates as a name earlier than the country.”

A) how did I not know this
B) does this mean that Katie Hopkins was right

Grace is overused as a middle name. Sorry.

I like “Indiya” much prefer that spelling. It’s quite a popular name. I’m not sure about Grace though.

I disagree that you need to be Indian, it's common enough in this country that people won't be surprised she's Caucasian.
That’s not the point. Most people who use the name India will be Causasian - and that is precisely the problem with it. I doubt many people from India are likely to use it, but if they wanted to, that’s their choice, as it’s part of their culture.

I know a Swedish woman named Britt. Is that all right?

@cheekaa

I love the name India. I personally do not know anyone called India who is an Indian and I am Indian myself. The name India originates as a name earlier than the country. Reference: Gone with the wind has a female character by that name and if I am correct the book came out before India the country was born. IMHO, if you like the name go ahead and use it.

I agree, it's not an "Indian" name. I've only ever heard of white women called India (eg. India Knight).

It's an elegant, underused name. But not with Grace!

India Rose is nicer, but again Rose is another overused nn.

How about India Jade?

India Knight is half Indian @BinkyBoinky . I think she changed it to reflect her heritage.

I don't love it. All the India's I know in my generation (mid 30s) are a bit Sloaney and pronounce it Ind-yaaaah. I think their parents went on too many gap years.

India is dreadful
Evie is getting a bit chav
Seren is ok

@cheekaa

I love the name India. I personally do not know anyone called India who is an Indian and I am Indian myself. The name India originates as a name earlier than the country. Reference: Gone with the wind has a female character by that name and if I am correct the book came out before India the country was born. IMHO, if you like the name go ahead and use it.

The book Gone with the wind was written in 1936. When was India born?