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Is it the Da Vinci Code anagram exercises effect or simply something absurd? Nevaeh has become one of the most popular names for girls, thanks to appearance on MTV in 2000. The origin and meaning of the word is…heaven spelt backward. So does that mean that your little baby girl will go to heaven walking backward or even more ominously speaking, go to a place that is the opposite of heaven? It is even more popular than Sara, says Freakonomics whose authors apparently had done research on discrimination based on names.
Other weird naming traditions especially in India are rhyming children’s names or making it a point to start off similarly or end similarly. Thankfully, my brother and I have totally different names and thankfully can do without people going ah-ha! You sound like brothers. A more recent fad in baby names is trying to find a unique or never-before used name usually from ancient Indian scriptures; sometimes so complex and profound that the poor child cannot pronounce it himself until he is fifty. Also, no matter even if he is named Agatsya, he still will be called Chunnu by most of the people who know him. By the way, according to the latest census majority of Punjab is called Chunnu, followed closely by ah-so-original derivative, Munnu. Heaven forbid, if Agatsya travels to the United States for graduate school, his name will be massacred and butchered starting from the immigration officer right to his thesis advisor until he quickly resorts to Aggie even if he doesn’t go to Texas A&M.
Maharashtrians, especially Mumbaikars have a simple formula for assigning nicknames – simply add ‘ya’ to some assortment of letters in your name; Prakash becomes Pakya, Nagesh becomes Nagya, Aditya becomes Adya, and even surnames aren’t spared as Patankar becomes Patya. No matter how complicated your name is it can always be ya-ed.
Feel free to add your own regional taxonomy regulars. Until then, I’ll take my uber-cool dog, Ymmot for a walk. Decipher that, Langdon.
by Patrix | on Tuesday, May 23rd, 2006 at 10:00 pm | 
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May 24th, 2006 at 2:43 am reply
If heavenly baby girls are called Nevaeh I decided to call my devilish boy Karan.
May 24th, 2006 at 3:08 am reply
Hi Patrix,
your observation is right. But the “ya” formula doesnt apply only to Mumbaikars.. its a usual Maharashtrian thing. Interestingly, as per my observation, at times, while calling out these names aloud, the ya becomes “yao”
For example, if you are calling Patya, it will be E-Patyao.. (or Patyaaw?)
@Bishu - Good one ;)
~Ojas
May 24th, 2006 at 5:14 am reply
aaaah!! So GWBush was Marathi! His original name was Duryodhan, now called Dubya!! :)
May 24th, 2006 at 6:32 am reply
hey patrix…quite an interesting post…:)
these days the fad seems to be naming baby boys Aryan or Aryaman..aping mr. sharukh khan i think. and for girls it’s khushi or ananya or muskaan.
it’s difficult living in india with a tibetan name. most people can’t prounounce my name…and i get letters address to “Mr.Aqua”. once a kid heard my name and said “hai, yeh kaisa naam hai”.
May 24th, 2006 at 6:43 am reply
LOL @ Bishu
Heh ! Nevaeh sounds so much like the Nivea (of creams and lotions fame).
Btw, you mean ‘Agastya’ right - not ‘Agatsya’……persons with the name can simply change it to ‘August’ - it will probably catch on in the states !
Can’t rember the number of Chunnu-Munnu di Dhabha or Chunnu-Munnu ki Papa di Dhabha I encountered on the Delhi-Agra highway !
May 24th, 2006 at 7:58 am reply
lol @ bishu and Anu..
aur yeh tommy kab aaya?
May 24th, 2006 at 9:51 am reply
Bishu, that was priceless. How about your angelic son, Graws?
Ojas, probably you are right, ya-thing extends to most Maharashtra. I have heard them mostly in Mumbai though.
Anu, Gah! now don’t make me regret being a Maharashtrian.
Aqua, long time, eh? You should be blessed at having an unique name (what is it, BTW) at least ten people don’t come running when they call out for you.
Ognob, yeah yeah..Agastya, Agatsya…whatever. you have a unique name anyways.
Alpha, Tommy is imaginary, re…as if I would name a dog that!