What’s in a name?

"What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other word would smell as sweet" - Romeo and Juliet.

I believe it wouldn’t. When I think of “Rose” all I think of is its vibrant color, those sharp thorns and the unique fragrance that only a Rose has. Try calling it another name, the whole definition of the word “Rose” vanishes. Going back to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet play, I want to acknowledge that the author was suggesting that a rose would smell sweet regardless of what we call it; therefore implying that a name attached to a person should not change them. But in practical life name is a strong module of any human identity. What’s in a name? Everything … our identity, our origin, our culture, and our character. All the activities in the world are carried on the basis of name.

In Hindu religion, naming a child (Naamkaran) is given a great importance. The ceremony is usually held on the 12th day of the child's birth, although, according to one custom, it can be held on any day after the tenth day, and before the first birthday. The name of a child may be derived from the star constellation of its birth, the deity associated with the Hindu month in which the baby was born or the family deity`. As I explore more on the subject matter, I came across lot resources that I was unaware of. Did you know that there are two purposes of naming the child? The first is that the name is used to address the child, and the second is that the name should raise good feelings inside the person, which reminds him of his goal. Let’s take the example of my name. According to Hindu religion, I (Preeti meaning Love) should be cheering and spreading Love everywhere I go. Every time I hear someone calling my name, I should be reminded of my purpose. Fascinating isn’t it? I asked my parents why they named me “Preeti”. The answer I got was as simple as every one of us has done so far. The name “Preeti” was a new trend, a fashion during those days, so they named me Preeti.

I sincerely believe naming is personal and it should be left to the parents’ choice. These days very few of us look at star constellation, or birth hour or day or any of those things before we name our baby. Usually baby’s name is chosen depending on a popular choice in the household, which is the norm in today’s society. But I still wonder if we are forgetting the importance of giving our child a nice, which reminds the child of some goal or objective in the life. If the name is meaningless how can it be inspirational for the child? There are so many “Does” and “Don’ts” of naming a child like boy's name should contain even letters (2,4,6,8) and girls should contain odd letters (3, 5, 7). The name should have two or four letters. Two-letter name for a boy gives fame and four-letter name gives divine knowledge. Child’s name should not be named after birds and animals. Why are these rules made? Is there any significance? What happens if we break a rule and name the baby after an animal for instance? Are we forgetting our Hindu religion’s principles of naming a baby? I may not know the answer to it yet or may not know it at all. If you guys know more on the subject matter, please do share. It will be fun and educative to know more about "Namakarna" and its significance.