Good, bad, too place-y, too culturally insensitive, too something else? I feel like I need another perspective.
Too place namey for me. I love [name_f]Indira[/name_f], though.
I love it! [name_f]India[/name_f] [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] has been on a list of mine for a while, yet the controversy (although I’m not even sure what controversy there is…the name was used in Gone With The Wind and all through the Georgian/Victorian era without a problem) debate kind of clawed me away from it.
[name_f]India[/name_f] is a pretty name. gorgeous sound, [name_f]Indie[/name_f] is a cute nickname. [name_f]India[/name_f] has rich culture, history, and awesome music.
[name_f]Asia[/name_f] is also pretty, but more common. [name_f]India[/name_f] is a great, strong name for a little girl, young lady, or grown woman!!
[name_f]Dia[/name_f] could also work as a nn.
I love it! I knew a little girl by the name [name_f]India[/name_f] who was sweet and very smart 
I don’t think that it is offensive to name someone after a country. I have known girls named [name_f]India[/name_f] and [name_f]China[/name_f]. [name_m]Both[/name_m] are pretty names.
Unless there is a special connection / significance that you have with [name_f]India[/name_f] the place, I’d say it’s tacky.
I think people are waaaay too oversensitive about it on here. It’s been established as a name for decades, even centuries, so flipping sh*t over it won’t change a thing. If people can name their children [name_f]Ireland[/name_f] and [name_f]Africa[/name_f] without an issue then I don’t see why there should suddenly be one with [name_f]India[/name_f].
It’s a pretty name. If you like it, go for it.
It’s pretty but it reminds me of the country too much. It’s very unique and not a bad choice though!
My thoughts exactly. I think the same way about the [name_f]Jemima[/name_f] issue.
I think it’s pretty tacky to name a child after a place. It doesn’t make you look cultured or traveled, it makes you look just the opposite. There is way too much controversy around the place as a name (and NOT just here, either) to use on a real person. [name_f]Indira[/name_f] has a much more exotic feel and has the nickname [name_f]Indie[/name_f]/[name_f]Indy[/name_f], too.
I do very much like this name but I don’t think I could use it. My dad’s friend’s daughter is named [name_f]India[/name_f] and I think it is really lovely! And they are very well off and cultured btw so I don’t think it is tacky at all. The name reminds me of Gone With The Wind. I’m not usually a fan of place names (I loathe [name_u]Brooklyn[/name_u], don’t really care for [name_u]London[/name_u], [name_u]Dallas[/name_u], [name_m]Austin[/name_m] etc)
I like it a lot. It would be in my top 5 if my husband liked it as well.
I agree with this too. I also think of Gone With the Wind, but though I love the book and movie I don’t think that’s all that great a connection, I don’t really like [name_f]India[/name_f] as a character.
[name_f]India[/name_f] is beautiful, but I would never feel comfortable using it. Posters reactions to this name in the past has made [name_f]India[/name_f] less usable.
Thanks so much for the replies everyone! There are quite a few Indias in my family tree, and of course there is the GWTW character (who, I agree, was kind of a jerk), so it has always been a legitimate name to me, and a very pretty one at that. I didn’t know until recently that some people put it in the same category as [name_u]Brooklyn[/name_u] or [name_u]Paris[/name_u]! It would bug me if people assumed I was an uncultured, untraveled bumpkin who was just using the name to seem sophisticated.
I love the name [name_f]India[/name_f]!!! (Btw, thanx for posting on my thread too & for voting on the name [name_f]India[/name_f] [name_f]Rose[/name_f]!).
[name_f]India[/name_f] has no negative connotations for me. I just get an earthy, exotic, bohemian, elegant & spiritual vibe. [name_m]How[/name_m] wonderful you have this gem in your family tree!!! [name_m]Even[/name_m] more reason to use it…
[name_f]India[/name_f] to me elicits a positive feeling of wellbeing and all things sensuous, beatific, elegant, timeless, authentic, simple, organic, natural, enchanting, lyrical etc… it’s warm & inviting, kind & compassionate, wise & grounded, feminine & charming, strong & enduring…
Also, the name [name_f]India[/name_f] epitomizes & evokes the beauty of many things I love: i.e. a favorite children’s movie, ‘The [name_m]Little[/name_m] [name_f]Princess[/name_f]’; the beautiful mystical land of [name_f]India[/name_f] & its culture/ art; bohemian aesthetics; a tropical Island beach paradise at sunset; a warm palette of ruby/ saffron/ tangerine; alternative ancient health practices i.e. yoga/ Ayurveda / aromatherapy/ herbalism etc; spirituality; the birthplace of philosophies that advocate the practice of kindness/ charity to animals & humans (at least in theory!) and more…
I’ve been searching for a quintessentially positive bohemian name & so far [name_f]India[/name_f] is the pinnacle. Cheers
PS [name_f]India[/name_f] is another name for Utopia to me, just like [name_f]Alaska[/name_f], [name_u]Eden[/name_u], Elysium - what’s not to like about a name synonymous with paradise?
I love the name [name_f]India[/name_f]. [name_f]India[/name_f] is such a beautiful place physically, culturally and spiritually, so I think it would make a great namesake. [name_f]Indie[/name_f]/[name_f]Indy[/name_f] is such a cool nickname as well. Allover, it’s one of the only place names I actually like and I really do not understand the controversy of it.
And actually, I’ve never even seen anything on nameberry about it, apart from the poster above saying they thought it was tacky (which is okay, I guess; everyone is entitled to their opinion), so if anyone could link me to the thread, that’d be great.
[name_m]Just[/name_m] looked up the previous thread (I was not on NB back then):
My first opinion of [name_f]India[/name_f] is that it is a lovely word; I can see why people like it for the sound. If I met someone called [name_f]India[/name_f], I would assume they had some connection to the place or that they were named [name_f]India[/name_f] in appreciation of the culture, beauty of the landscape, etc.
It seems like only Americans have an issue with it I’m in Australia and it was 226 in [name_f]Victoria[/name_f] and [name_f]Indi[/name_f]'s top 50 in Western Australia. People are way to oversensitive about it here. I love [name_f]Indi[/name_f] but would use the more popular [name_u]Indiana[/name_u] which i prefer.