What's in a baby's name?

While Shakespeare felt there is nothing in a name, for B. Jayaprakash, choosing his baby's name was a big deal. A bus driver from Tamil Nadu, Jayaprakash has named his son after Singapore's first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew. Surprisingly, he had no idea about Lee Kuan Yew’s achievements and role in the making of Singapore until he witnessed a memorial in his honour.

It was pure serendipity for Jayaprakash as it was a random visit to the bazaar that led him to choose his baby's name. He reveals, "I wasn't planning to give him that name. I had gone to buy milk and saw this procession and memorial for Mr Lee. That was the first time I'd heard Lee Kuan Yew's name. I didn't even ask my wife. I just decided on the spot that my son should have an auspicious name. So I chose to name my son Lee Kuan Yew in the hope that he will do very well in life.”

Most parents are determined to shower their child with the best of everything, and choosing their baby's name probably tops the list. Astrological experts are consulted, birth charts are drafted and only after many other such hassles baby names are decided upon. While Jayaprakash got away without thinking twice before narrowing down on his baby's name, here are the basic five pointers to keep in mind while choosing a name for your little angel:

1. For the love of the sweet lord, ensure that the name doesn't pave way to embarrassing nicknames. Eg. My niece was named Trisha and we all rejoiced at the pretty tinkling sound it brought about... till we heard the first nick name. And the second. Trisha on good days is Tissue and on bad days is Trash.
2. If, even for a millisecond, you are unsure about consulting an astrologer or not, then please go ahead and consult one. You don't want a 'well-meaning' aunty to put that seed of doubt in your mind that it's inauspicious to not consult the messenger of God. On the other hand, if you don't get bothered by such trivialities, go ahead and choose what you deem is best.
3. Settle for simple spellings and simpler pronunciations. You don't want your child to keep correcting the world each time someone mispronounces her/her name.
4. Make sure at least YOU know the meaning of the name before your christen your child. My friend Anju still holds a grudge against her mom for saying she just kept the name without knowing what it meant as it was easy to the ear. Ouch!
5. Last but not the least, be kind to your child and avoid unisex names.

Choosing your baby's name is special and one usually has a story behind how one chanced upon their little one's name. If you have any interesting story or tips you'd like to share with us, do let us know in the comments below!

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