Is India unusable

[Gardeniarose]

DH and I are expecting our first baby, we were set on India, but a few days ago I saw some comments on here suggesting it may not be useable due to colonial/Imperialists links. I can't imagine my baby being anything other than India but I don't want to give her a name that will cause any offence or embarrass her.

So is India unusable? What could we use instead?

I love the name India but if you decide it's not useable how about Indigo nn Indie?

Personally I wouldn’t use it
Maybe some similar names would be
Inga
georgia
London
Florence
paris
Isadora
Talia

Not unusable. To me it's in a category of names like Princess and River. Indie no good?

Indiana,

Indie or India for short.

I think it’s beautiful.

I’m from India and I don’t understand why people would name their babies after a country! I wouldn’t name my baby England or France! How does it make sense ????

I knew an India who would be 24/25 now. It never occurred to me about colonial links but I'd say not worth the risk

Completely agree - all of those kinds of names are awful!

Completely unusable. Marks parents out as being either a bit uneducated or a bit thick - neither is great. Would you call your child Pakistan? I did know an India, who changed her name when she was about 12 or 13. She’ll be in her mid 20s now.

How about Nadia? Similar sounds and letters.

India’s lovely…and can be shortened to indie as well which is cute

I haven’t met a Chavvy India so to me it isn’t in the same category as Princess at all.

@Gardeniarose go for it if you love it- I regret not using the name I loved for ds2. And people in real life are not really as opinionated as those here on mumsnet.

As long as subsequent siblings are also named after the Indian Subcontinent.

I.e. Bangladesh, Sri, etc.

I wouldn't. It does have colonial connotations (esp if you are white British?) and even if you disagree, it shows that you're someone who doesn't mind using a name that others would see as culturally inappropriate/ignorant. Use it as a middle name if it has some meaning to you?

Do you have links to India? Spent a lot of time there etc?

If not, I think it would be very strange.

Also do somewhat agree with a pp question of, would you call a DD Pakistan?

But overall, I'd say it depends on whether you have a reason or not.

As for the colonialism....I'm not sure. It could be problematic so best not to risk it.

If you like it, use it. There's nothing wrong with it.
I would never judge parents as thick or uneducated based on the name they have chosen for their child.

I’m going to go against the grain here, if you love the name go for it, and if they do who cares! the name is beautiful, (in my humble opinion) who cares what some random person thinks, it’s not so ‘out there’ to be any kind of issue for your DD.

I called my DS the most popular name in the year he was born because I loved it nothing more, I do not walk around now worrying who else likes it or how many there are who share his name.

I’m Indian origin and while I hate that India (the country) retained the name the UK gave it, I am a bit protective over it. Non-Indians shouldn’t be using it.

I find it inappropriate. I know a baby Indi (full name) which is similar but without the negative colonial connotations.

I'm in a friend group where a white friend calling her baby India has broken up the friendship group since Indian-origin friend felt it was racist and ignorant.

I'm on the side of it being racist - I'm white but the opinion that matters to me is the opinion of the Indian-origin folks, and in our case it's a big no.

How about Natalia? Inoffensive and very pretty, similar syllables.

India is a colonial name for a region (India once stretched from Afghanistan to Bangladesh and even beyond). India isn’t a nation - the nations are it’s regions. The politics in India are every bit as complex as in Spain - more so perhaps as there are 100s of languages and 1000s of customs.

Pakistan is an acronym (Punjab, Afghan, Kashmir, Indus/Islam, Sind. The "Tan" is for Baluchistan). People can do name their kids after the regions / eg Kashmira / Ghani

Makes me think of India Hicks, in the Mountbatten family.

Just as you would judge the parents of a princess for being "chavvy" many would judge the parents of an India for being something else with negative associations.

Lord Mountbatten was the last Viceroy of India lol. That family had the connection

This!
I don't understand it either.