I love it when a couple wants to give their child a name that has real meaning to them—and that’s exactly what Simi and Amit hope to do:
My husband and I are first-generation American/British born Indians (Hindus). We both have very short first names (mine Simi, his Amit). Both names were mispronounced for most of our lives. Our last name is Shukla. With our first pregnancy we chose not to find out the gender and picked our name choices for both. We ended up naming our son Dillon. An easy name for people to pronounce, but with a somewhat Indian background (Dhillon is an Indian last name). His name means “the great sea” and “faithful/loyal”. We want our kids’ names to be easy to pronounce but have some culture/uniqueness to them as well.
Now with our second pregnancy, we have again chosen not to find out the gender. We have a girls’ name we love (Ciara). We have found two boys’ names we like, but not 100% love, like with our girls’ name. The boys’ names are Taran (meaning earth) and Cayden (meaning fighter). I’m not sure if they sound right with our last name, and in connection with our first son’s name. What do you think? Or do you have any suggestions? I have 5 weeks to go and feel like we’re not going to have a name we love if it’s a boy.
Personally, I like Taran—I think it’s easily pronounceable, and I love the idea of a name that means “earth” paired with a big brother with the meaning of “the great sea.”
But there are more options if you’re looking for an Indian-inspired name that’s easily pronounceable. Bodhi has become popular with celebrities—actress Teresa Palmer picked it for her son. It’s a Sanskrit name that means enlightenment. Kiran—(or the more popular spelling, the Irish Kieran)—means ray of light, and makes a nice sibset with Dillon. And my last suggestion, Taj, is a short-and-sweet name that means crown.
What names would you suggest for Simi and Amit? Share your favorites in the comments! You can use our Baby Name Finder to find inspiration—and like In Name Only on Facebook to keep up with the latest in baby names.