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What’s in a name: Here’s what these celeb baby names mean
Vamika, Anayra, Agastya — Bollywood parents are opting for unique yet meaningful names with a divine reference, for their newborns.
The year 2020 saw a number of celebrities welcoming new members in their family, and the good news spilled over to 2021 as well, with actor Anushka Sharma and cricketer Virat Kohli welcoming their bundle of joy, late last month. The couple recently revealed they’ve named their daughter Vamika, and soon after, netizens frantically began searching for the meaning of this unique name. And the trend of unique names for celeb kids has caught on with their fans too.
So what do parents usually have in mind while choosing the perfect name for their newborn? Dr Acharya Vinod Kumar, a Vedic and celebrity astrologer, opines that when it comes to names, ‘rare’ is now common.
“Earlier, people used to come to us to suggest a good name for their child. Later, there came a phase when people would decide the names on their own. But now, most clients are asking us to not only choose the initials, but give options for names as well that have significance in our holy scriptures. Clients usually prefer alternate names of Goddess Durga or Lakshmi, for their daughters, and Lord Shiva, Vishnu, or even Lord Kartikeya, for their sons. Woh humko yahi bolte hain ki aap apna samay lijiye aur ek sundar sa naam chunke dijiye,” he shares.
Agrees Acharya Dr Alka Malik, who says unique, Sanskrit names are now in vogue. “We tell them the initials, and they come back with some options. These days, Sanskrit words are in demand, all very unique names. People are finding out different names, but they always check about the meaning and significance of the name. Also, many people come back to get letters added or removed, depending on numerology, ” she says.
And it’s not just Indian scriptures and deities, celebs are also giving their kids’ names a global spin, as in the case of actors Aftab Shivdasani and Kalki Koechlin.
Here are some beautiful names celebrities have given their kids born since 2020 and what they mean:
Vamika: The name of Anushka and Virat’s daughter, who was born on January 11 this year, Vamika is another name for Goddess Durga, and symbolises power and strength. According to the scriptures, it is the name of the female half of Ardhanarishwar, a composite form of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.
Samisha: The birth of a daughter is celebrated as the blessing of Goddess Lakshmi, the thought behind this beautiful name, too. The daughter of actor Shilpa Shetty Kundra and businessman Raj Kundra, ‘Sa’ in Sanskrit means ‘to have’, while ‘Misha’ in Russian stands for ‘someone like God’, according to the actor.
Anayra: The name of the daughter of actor-comedian Kapil Sharma and his wife Ginni Chatrath, which is of Sanskrit origin, means joy or a symbol of happiness. It is also one of the names of Goddess Lakshmi.
Ved: The name of the son of actors Sumeet Vyas and Ekta Kaul, who was born on June 4 last year, Ved in Sanskrit means a sacred text or one with divine knowledge. Vyas had earlier revealed that he chose to name his son Ved after the sage Ved Vyas, the author of the epic Mahabharat.
Hridhyan: This is the name chosen by television actor Gaurav Chopraa for his little one, who was born on September 14 last year. It means one who is awakened or enlightened. In other words, the name Hridhyan refers to one in whose heart the Almighty resides.
Agastya: Agastya is the name of cricketer Hardik Pandya and Natasa Stankovic’s son, who was born on July 30 last year. It is the name of the revered sage Agastya, considered a great scholar and one of the Saptarshis, or seven divine sages in ancient India.
Nevaeh: This name, given to actor Aftab Shivdasani and Nin Dusanj’s daughter, is ‘heaven’ spelt backwards. It is believed to be of Irish origin and is still common in many parts of Ireland.
Sappho: Kalki Koechlin and Guy Hershberg’s daughter’s name is inspired by a poet of the same name. Hailed by the Greek philosopher Plato as the Tenth Muse, Sappho was an archaic Greek poet.
Author tweets @srinidhi_gk
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