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?

Or that ghastly non woman, India Willoughby

i feel torn OP it is nice but also seems maybe inappropriate.

Or it show you don't base your life choices off the opinions of randoms on the internet.

“England” is not a very attractive sound for a name, so I can understand why it wouldn’t be used. “India” is a very pretty sound”. Dozens of names are place names. Why would India be a special case?

sometimes a name is just a name.

I think its fine. Not offensive. Bit cringe in the way that Neveah is cringe. You could say that it's a middle class Neveah.

There are lots of girls called India. If you like it OP then use it. There are lots of children named after places, no-one turns a hair where I live. People are just getting downright ridiculous.

Upper middle class IMO. Air headed, wavy haired, runs through meadows while cities are burning down.

Have you considered Tajikistan? Nickname Iki?

Are they places colonised by the British? These places have a nice sound, but would you use them as names?
Africa
Kenya
Australia
Canada
Ethiopia
Rhodesia

Benito Mussolini promised areas of farmland to people who named their children Italia, Benito or Rachele (his partner) which is why these names still exist in particular generations.

There is also a tradition, mostly in southern Italy, of naming one’s children after one’s parents, usually starting with paternal grandparents. That’s why there are often cousins with the same name. It is likely - although not necessarily the case - that this Italia was part of that tradition.

Fascinating thread! I’m writing about why human beings name each other & whether animals do it, too.

I think it's inappropriate, sorry.

A pp suggested Nadia as a potential alternative. Similar look and feel?

You're asking the wrong people. MN is full of name snobs. They all have children with old people names and they deem them to be classic. Anybody who wants to name a child someone that's not 'classic' gets slaughtered on here.

In real life, names are so much more varied. I know a teenager called India, she suits it.

Ask people you actually know what they think of it. It will be much better received than on here, honestly.

I've got a hunch that we're about to witness a baby name arms race on this thread - India's getting tons of love, and China's coming in hot. Looks like we're gearing up to officially join the BRICS club. So who's gonna take the plunge and name their kid Brazil, Russia, and South Africa? The competition is fierce, people!

The people defending it's usage seem to be "name snobs" themselves with 99.8769% of them arguing that its wonderful because it isn't chavvy.

Greeks do as well. I’ve 3 first cousins with the same name as me. 3 female (including me) 1 male. We are named for our paternal grandmother.

As we are having grandchildren then the name is being passed down the next generation.

It Makes for fun family get togethers when someone says X & we all reply! 🤣

Well according to a v quick internet search there are several hundred people in the us already named Africa. Didn’t do a detailed search but am willing to bet there are come in the uk too.

Yes, of course. But I bet they have African heritage. That’s the whole point!

I've found it's very marmite.

Older people hate it, generally.

Younger people generally seem to like it.

People of Indian origin are a bit baffled by it, but I can understand why it sounds weird to them.

But is it unusable? No, it's much more common than it was and I think finally a name in its own right.

Argentina has a nice sound, and has a few possible 'nn'
Indonesia could be Indy

I’m not a big fan of reductionism generally. Whether in acting, fashion, names, books or in general culture.

balance with respect, but don’t box people in.

I really wouldn’t unless you have Indian ancestry - in the UK it was mostly used as an imperial name originally (India Hicks) and then became a bit hippy trail, which is imperial in its own way.

Generally I think you should use what name you like, but the historical relationship between the UK and India I think this really is at the least tone deaf and yes she might well end up finding it embarrassing

Cassia
Sanchia
Allegra
Sabrina
Saskia
Luella
Iona
Fernanda
Paloma
Perdita
Vivia
Viola
Serena

I am pretty sure they are mostly African American

If no one is using it in a way that is meant to cause offence, why would anyone be offended?

Because outside of your family and close friends, people don’t know the reason you’ve chosen a particular name for a child. If people who are of Indian heritage aren’t saying it’s problematic for them, then if there is zero links to the country and you just like the name, I’m not sure that’s enough justification.

Using names such as Africa, India, China, Ireland, Cuba, Montserrat, Asia, etc, are all controversial without any links to those heritages imo.

Sorry, I meant if people of Indian heritage find it problematic.

In what way precisely does she suit it?

The name Georgia is related to the name of the English king George. It has nothing to do with the name of the country.