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?

Honestly, now it just makes me think of India Willoughby who is a vile misogynistic little twat. Sorry OP.
Oh and Katie "I thinks it's chavvy to name a child after a place" Hopkins who ironically has a child called India.

It’s quite a widespread name these days. When I first came across it thirty years ago it was a name for posh girls. I’m wondering if the name will eventually look rather dated because it’s been so popular.

Colour names are pretty. How about Indigo and calling her Indi?

Haha snap @plehpleh

Orlando is such an unusual name I'm in UK only ever heard that name once as a child. No idea where him and his mum actually originated from. But I agree with your actual point. Fearn Mccan named her child Monday.... I mean whatever floats your boat!

All this

Or was it Sunday? 🤷

I’m a big fan of week day names

Also makes me think of this.

Is it still colonial if you've named her after the essence of India rather than the Geographical Location?

I'm Indian and I don't mind it. Never really thought deeply about it though. It's become a name through use.

To summarise the new rulz:

Don't call your child anything 'exotic' I e. Non British.

Don't call your child anything another culture/society/race/religion may use.

Don't name your child after a city, region, or country.

I guess the new rules means only traditional white British names are acceptable? 🧐🤔🤔

I've always felt that in these appropriation debates much about intention is misplaced. All the India named women I've known were of boho extraction, their families had travelled and loved India. In a sign of devotion and love they named their baby India. But I suppose good intention is for nothing?

@BlooDeBloop the problem is, when you have a racist name that's the first (and perhaps only) thing people know about you. Yes it may be that your parents gave you a racist name with good intentions, or maybe because they are racist or just ignorant, but lots of people won't bother finding out. Currently I think you could get away with india, but know that some people will be cringing, but a child born now could have the name for the next 100 years, why pick a name that already some people think is unusable?

It’s a lovely name op. If you want to use it, use it.

That’s very offensive. You don’t learn that “crap” but Indian schools do teach as that is our history. It was ghastly and atrocious. It was over 200 years of ruling.
You are not sounding cool by being ignorant.

As an immigrant myself, I do think about and miss my homeland often.

I actually like the name, but I wouldn't use it for reasons stated by PP, and the fact it makes me think of Katie Hopkins.

You could use the name Bharat or Bharati that are Sanskrit names and mean India.

India as a girl’s name began during colonisation. Potentially it’s offensive, although I accept that won’t be your intention. But yes it’s imperialistic and connected to Empire/colonialism.

I think it's become widely used as a name and is fine.

MN views tend to verge on the more easily offended/navel gazing than most people I know who don't really care what other people call their kids.

I've always thought it an odd name .

When I went to uni there were a handful of blond English girls called Injaaah, and I thought 🤔??

At that point I would say it was a posh girl name but that changed, and these days I don't think too many people would use it for a range of reasons.

What about Paris, Ireland, Georgia, Jordan, Rhodes, China etc.?

I wouldn’t personally. Not sure your daughter would thank you for it when she’s older.

If it was a country that was colonised and abused by Britain, definitely no. If it’s because it sounds “exotic”, no. If you have links to the country because of heritage, go for it.

@Neverseenbefore I made no comment on the use of the name, just pointed out that some names based on countries ( and places) do make sense.

Can you expand on why anything I said is why you can’t use India?

I think part of the issue is that people are struggling to separate India the name from
India the country. Yes the origin of the name is from the country but it now exists as a name in its own right. Much like Harrison and Jackson, originate as ‘son of ….’ but now exist as names in their own right that don’t have to be used in that context.

Place names aren’t to everyone’s taste but I love mine 🤷🏼‍♀️

I wouldn't name my kid India any more than I'd her Ireland, London, Brooklyn or Geneva. Name your kid a name, not a place.

I know they were only alias but Money Heist was good for geographical names...
fwiw im from india and naming a child india would make me a lil bit proud...
Go for it...