Sanskrit name for a Pakistani baby?

[Abitofadilemma]

I love Sanskrit names & I’m totally non-religious, we like many aspects of eastern spirituality (Buddhism & Hinduism) and I personally love the stories behind the names. However, is it a big no no to give future DD a Sanskrit name if we are not technically Hindu & Indian? Our families are Muslim/ Pakistani. We don’t really like any of the more “neutral names” and I have my heart set on a few Sanskrit names that I love which DH also likes. The names I like are quite strongly associated to the Hindu religion, some of them have indirect associations to goddesses. Neither of us have an issue with it because we are both very open minded and like all religions! I can see this might be quite controversial though and perhaps uncomfortable for DD growing up? I’m so confused & don’t know if I’m just going round in circles in my mind needlessly making a bit deal out of nothing!

Use the name you like.
I know someone who is a hindu whose child has a punjabi name. A muslim friend has a very indian surname.

It might be an issue if you are in a strongly religious community and the firs name has a strong significance in a difference religion.

@KirstenBlest Thanks for the input! Luckily we are not in a very religious community, which makes it a bit easier.

Unless the name is deeply religious don't worry about it.

If the names are mainstream, it shouldn't be a problem but might cause lots of 'is your mum indian' type questions.

I think if you aren’t religious and the circles you mix in aren’t either then I can’t see it’s a big deal, just that maybe people might assume your baby has Indian heritage. Names travel so much and crop up in similar forms in quite different cultures that I personally think it’s fine to make pretty free with them.

Do Sanskrit names have any specific religious connotations? If not so different to naming a child Freya or using a biblical name without being Christian which is really commonplace.

Maybe check with some practising Hindus and Buddhists if you want to make sure you/she won't unwittingly cause offence .

Some of them do. Shiva or Devi are goddesses.
It's not the same as using a biblical name without being Christian, because Britain was a Christian country for centuries,

Lots of biblical names are mainstream among non-Christians. Names like Michael, John, Elizabeth and Sarah.

Hinduism isn’t a religion, it’s a philosophy. I was brought up a devout Hindu and there are still elements I think or do differently (or not at all) even from my own siblings.

What’s the name you were thinking of?

As a Hindu I would find this deeply offensive and inappropriate.

Also a huge percentage of punjabis are Hindu. Myself included.

One of my very favourite names is a Muslim name but I felt that as I dont follow that faith it would be disrespectful

@drainrat there are quite a few names, we haven’t narrowed down to one yet. Tbh I’ve been so worried about mentioning them to anyone, DH and I have been the only ones discussing them privately. It’s such a sensitive topic!
@heyjude12 We don’t follow any specific religion per se but if I said that we incorporate many aspects of Hindu philosophy into our lives & that it is a very important part of our spiritual practice, would it still be seen as offensive? We don’t practice any of the rituals or attend any prayer ceremonies at the moment but would love to, it is still something that we are fairly new to! I in particular am very inspired & moved by what I’m learning. I just thought it would be nice for DD to have a name that reflects our beliefs & what is important to us. An Arab name or names that are commonly used by Muslim/ Pakistani communities just don’t represent who we are as a family... but it’s just so unusual to do this so I can understand why many people would find it weird. I guess it’s more common in western cultures to use names that once had a strong religious association but now are used by people from all walks of life!

“Deeply offensive and inappropriate?” Wow, that’s a lot of emotion to invest in someone else’s choice of baby name.

I wonder what Pakistanis thought of the Rajmata of Jaipur being called Ayesha.

I’m trying very hard to avoid the Bodhi name thread, but it’s not because I’m offended .

Drainrat op asked for opinions. I gave mine. You gave yours. I didn't get all PA with yours. I find it offensive. I find all cultural and religious appropriation offensive. I am allowed to. So DFOD

Also Aisha is also a Hindu name meaning light

Abitofadilemma
I think that a lot of Hindus would still find it offensive. As a faith we have been mocked and oppressed because of our faith and beliefs that we are generally very protective of it.
Things like yoga and meditation are no longer treated as of Hindu teachings and tbh that is just an example of why we feel so fed up with appropriation.

Obviously this is my family and friendship circle.

I would find it odd if you used a name that has a strong religious association or connotation. I think something like Priyanka or Madhuri may be okay, whereas Lakshmi/Kali/Malini/Veda/Archana, etc. would be in poor taste.

@heyjude12

Really “DFOD”???

You should learn better from your religious beliefs.

Agree with @Mavedrai , it does depend on the name.

Puja is totally not appropriate.

Madhu is fine.

I’d actually advise against Priyanka although I really like it, because it’s such a traditional name for Brahmin girls - almost a cliche. If you have ever seen Indian Vogue, literally every staffer is called Priyanka.

When I was at school my Indian Muslim friends had names like Razia, Ayesha, Sumeya so easy for a Hindi speaker but still recognisably Muslim.

What do your family feel about it?

Kavita?

Ashwini?

Now you’ve really got me thinking .

I dont think I'd find it extremely offensive but maybe a bit strange, but it totally depends on the name tbh. I am Sikh Punjabi and wouldn't ever think to call my child a Muslim name, but then at the same time lots of Indian babies these days are being given more Western names, especially for girls I find. Maybe give us some name suggestions so we know what kind of names you're on about. I would definitely avoid specific names of Hindu goddesses.

Delurking because I’m a Priyanka and really like my name! So easy to say, classic and commonplace enough to be anonymous. Thanks to Priyanka Chopra I don’t even need to spell it out anymore.

I wouldn’t be remotely offended by someone of another culture being named this or any other Indian name (even Bodhi!) India has a long history of syncretism. Recently met a blue eyed blonde Australian called Radhika and obviously that piqued my interest - she was a follower of the Hare Krishna movement so it then made perfect sense.

HeyJude12 do you have an etymological source for Aisha meaning “light”. I’ve never heard this before. Historically it was the name of Babur’s favourite wife, and the Rajmata was named after the Rider Haggard novel - she mentions it in her autobiography.

Definitely agree with Hinduism being an ethical philosophy not a religion with a credo - so if it suits your beliefs better than your heritage, crack on.

Al

@goldandgreen47 Thanks for such an open minded and encouraging comment! I got so worried after seeding the other responses here because I don’t mean to cause any offence to anyone! I have also seen many people online from totally different non-Indian backgrounds using very Hindu names because they are following a spiritual path and their names suit that. I don’t know why it becomes such an issue if a Pakistani does something like that.

Spirituality should be a universally accessible means of enlightenment and self-development. I haven’t read anywhere that you have to convert to Hinduism or to be born an Indian to follow its spiritual teachings or to give your children Sanskrit names. There are also Hindus in Pakistan and people from Nepal and Bangladesh who use Sanskrit names as well as a lot of western people who value Hindu/ Buddhist spiritual philosophies and teachings.

I know in India & Pakistan there is a strong belief & culture that you should stay in whatever you are born into but I totally disagree with this and think it’s extremely backward. Evolution and adaptation of beliefs/ traditions is a normal part of human nature. Even if your entire heritage or family has been following something for decades / centuries, I don’t think you have to follow the same thing - it’s okay to be different right? We don’t have to all die doing the exact same things as our ancestors. I think the world would be an awful place today if there wasn’t any growth, adaptation, evolution of ancient beliefs, cultures, traditions.

However, I don’t want DD to face hatred & hostility for her name - we can’t change the mentality of 90% of Asians who find this stuff weird, offensive and unconventional - so it’s definitely a dilemma - might just not go for it now and stick to a safer option. I thought diversity and mixing of different cultures was a good thing in the 21st century but clearly we have to “stay in our place” and just keep doing the things that everyone else expects us to do because of our background. Any sort of deviation from the norm seems to be offensive. It’s really sad tbh and we can’t keep justifying our name choice to everyone who doesn’t understand and gets offended, it will become really draining.

(Sorry for the long post but I really had to share my POV)

Why do Muslims have to only have Muslim/ Arab names? Brahmins have to have only Brahmin names? How can we put complex human beings into a box like that with a label? What if the child is Muslim and Hindu through an inter-religious marriage? What if the child is Indian and Pakistani because mum is Pakistani and dad is Indian? It’s concerning that even British Asians are holding such limiting views and not having acceptance for differences and diversity. We are all entitled to our beliefs but I think it’s important to also have an awareness that not everyone in this world is following a straight linear path pre-determined for them by their background - some people have a bit more of a complex story and shouldn’t be judged for that.

Hi,
I think its one of those "what-ifs" that you can keep second guessing for the rest of your lives.
You could always use a sanskrit word, which is not a goddess name. Eg Deepa, Vijaya, Indu, Maya, Aishwarya (tell everyone you named your dd after a Ms World)

@TheTigerIsSleepy I could but I want the name to have a deep spiritual meaning because that’s the whole reason why we are thinking of going down this route. It doesn’t have to be a goddess name but it has to have some sort of spiritual significance.

We love the names Anjali, Mahika, Shreya, Vaani, Jaya, Aditi, Ananya, Aarya, Shaila, Mahima, Avni, Ishani. We also have some ancient Persian names like Anahita, Mona, Mehr, on the list which we were thinking of combining as a middle name with a Sanskrit first name.

We want to move away from all the Islamic names because they don’t feel right for us and our situation. Most Pakistani names are linked to religion - the heritage is very strongly linked to religion - this is something we don’t feel completely comfortable with. The closest options aside from the usual Islamic name choices are either Sanskrit names or Persian names.

If you are Pakistani and have an Arab name, the assumption is that you are a practicing Muslim because other religious are a very small minority in Pakistan. It’s almost like being Pakistani is being Muslim. They both go so strongly together. I just don’t want that association to be the focus of DD’s identity. It makes us really uncomfortable. We are not just thinking about doing this for fun, it’s quite a serious situation. As far as families, relatives, parents are concerned - we are totally going to stand by our beliefs regardless of what they say so we don’t have to worry about pleasing them because if we go down that road, DD will prob end up being called Fatima or Mariam, which are beautiful names but really don’t represent who we are as a family IYKWIM.