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The Ceremony of Naming a Hindu Baby Nama literally means 'name' and karana means 'to make, to effect'.
As the primary means of identification and social interaction, the naming of a child developed into a religious ritual believed to be the root of the child's destiny. Brahmins specially invited for the ceremony bless the child. This ceremony takes place after the 10-day 'impure' postnatal period. Then the house is cleaned and purified, and the child and mother ceremonially bathed. Friends and relatives are invited to see the child and participate in the celebration.
The puja involves, other than the child and priest, the father, mother, and sometimes the paternal grandmother. First the mother covers the child in a new cloth. She wets the child's head with water, symbolically bathing him, and then gives the child either to the father or the paternal grandmother. Next, the priest invokes the blessings of Agni, the planetary bodies, and other gods.
The Paddhatis, however, say that the father should lean towards the child's right ear. Holding a betel leaf near the ear, he should whisper four times the name of the child.
Then Brahmins , specially invited for the occasion, bless the child. Finally, gifts are given to the relatives and Brahmins present. The Grihyasutras say that the Namakarana should be performed on the 10th or 12th day after the birth of the child. Other sources however, say that it could be performed any time from the 10th day after the birth until the first day of the second year.
The word Nama meaning 'name' is common in early Sanskrit literature and occurs in the Rig-Veda. Although initially no Vedic mantras were recited during the naming ritual, it developed into a samskara because of its social importance. The system of naming was further developed, on the basis of astrological works.
The Nakshatra name: This is given according to the Nakshatra, the child is born under. Each constellation has a name, and several letters of the Sanskrit alphabets are also assigned to. The Nakshatra name could therefore be the name of the constellation itself, or begin with any of the letters assigned to that constellation.
The name of the deity of the month: Each month of the Hindu calendar is associated with a particular deity, which usually has several names.
The popular name: This is the name that the child is known by. It depends on the culture and education of the family, and should be auspicious.
Five requisites to naming a child: The name should be easy to pronounce and sound pleasant; it should contain a specified number of syllables and vowels; it should indicate the sex of the child; it should signify fame, wealth, or power; and it should be suggestive of the caste.
For example a Brahmin child should have an auspicious name, a Kshatriya child should have a name that suggests power, a Vaishya child should have a name that suggests wealth, and a Shudra child should have a name that indicates his service.
Nowadays, this ceremony usually takes place on the 12th day after birth. It is not a formal ceremony, but more of an opportunity to invite family and friends to celebrate the baby's arrival. There is usually a havan, and then the child's name is announced to the gathering. Usually only a Nakshatra name and a popular name are given.
The priest makes an astrological calculation according to the time and date on which the child is born. On this basis, he prescribes a letter of the alphabet with which the child's Nakshatra name should begin with.
If the family is agreeable, this name doubles as the popular name as well. Usually, however, the Nakshatra name is not used, and the child is given another name by which he is commonly known.
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