Got an awkward name? Rajathan govt has 3,000 new ones

JAIPUR: Rajasthan has decided it’s time to rescue schoolchildren from the lifelong burden of being introduced as “Makan” (house) or “Kachumber” (pulp/mixture)— and it’s doing it with a govt-issued book of names.

Under a new programme called ‘Sarthak Naam Abhiyan’, the state education department has rolled out a catalogue of nearly 3,000 suggested names, neatly arranged from A to Z, complete with meanings. The list is tied to the school enrolment drive and will be shared with parents: 1,541 names for girls and 1,409 for boys.

The idea is simple: if a child’s name is likely to trigger giggles now and awkward initials later, schools can gently suggest an alternative that’s “pleasant, simple, and positive.”

Education minister Madan Dilawar pointed to a familiar rural tradition where families—especially in nomadic communities—sometimes chose deliberately unappealing names to ward off illness and the evil eye. The problem, he said, is that the protective logic doesn’t always survive into adolescence, when children start dodging roll-call embarrassment by shrinking their identity down to a couple of letters.

So, the state has stepped in with a curated menu of “meaningful” options. Teachers have been asked to bring it up in parent-teacher meetings and school management committee discussions, stressing that names can shape confidence and self-image.

But while the campaign is meant to save children from awkwardness, the list itself has managed a few awkward moments of its own.

For starters, some suggested names come with meanings that read like they were assembled in a hurry. Kaikeyi, for instance, is among the recommended names and is described as “mother of Ram.” Another name, Tejpal is said to mean “Tej ka Palak”, while Yadupat Singh is defined as “Yadu ka Pati ka Singh”.

If names were meant to be ‘corrected’, the book also recommends people name their wards Zalimsingh, which it says means “someone who is powerful”.

When asked what criteria were used to pick the names, Dilawar said he simply wants to encourage parents to choose names with good meanings.

Still, the govt is careful about the fine print. The official order repeatedly underlines that this is ‘voluntary’, and changes can happen only with the written consent from parents or student, following the rules.

Requests for change in names will be accepted only for Classes 1 to 9, and for Classes 8 and 9, changes must align with the formal process used for correcting names on the Class 8 board mark sheet.

Names suggested for boys
Aabheer, Aarjav, Achal, Adarsh, Brajesh, Chandrakant, Chetan, Dwij, Gunakar, Ranbanka, Sabal Singh, Sawai Singh, Thakur, Thakur Singh, Trivikram, Veerbhan, Yadupat Singh

Names suggested for girls
Kaikeyi, Abhirami, Agamya, Anura, Bageshri, Chitrali, Dyuti, Eila, Hamsa, Kala, Kaivalya, Kalpataru, Laboni, Sampada, Yogamaya, Triveni, Shakuntala, Umarani, Zaara, Ziva
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