Anonymous wrote:None.

Just none.

I work with a lots and lots of Indian men. The names are pretty much terrible and even they are unhappy with them after a few years here. I can always tell how long they have been in the country by what they have either shortened their name to or renamed themself.

That's ridiculous. I'm Indian and the guys I know that don't like their names are the ones with long, hard to pronounce names who then have to resort to going by their initials or names that can be mocked for being close to swear words etc; they're not really the kinds of names that second-gen Indian Am. are giving to their kids now since they grew up here, went to school here and know those issues. I don't think a kid would have trouble with the majority of the names suggested on this thread.

Anonymous wrote:None.

Just none.

I work with a lots and lots of Indian men. The names are pretty much terrible and even they are unhappy with them after a few years here. I can always tell how long they have been in the country by what they have either shortened their name to or renamed themself.

Wow.

Prasad

None.

Just none.

I work with a lots and lots of Indian men. The names are pretty much terrible and even they are unhappy with them after a few years here. I can always tell how long they have been in the country by what they have either shortened their name to or renamed themself.

My Indian nephew's name is Ved - it sounds really cool in English, I think.

Didn't read all the posts, but two of my indian friends who have had boys named them Daven(sp?). I am not sure if the name has indian root.

Samir, Nikhil, Sahil, Shaun, Kabir, Jeevan

There is a child in my neighborhood who I think has a great name. I don't know how to spell it.....but it sounds like Anikit.....please don't mock my spelling....I think it's a cool name for a cool kid!

I like Raj, Rohan, and Jai.

Anonymous wrote:I really like Sanjay, and most Americans are familiar with it, plus it's easy to pronounce.

American idol finalist Sanjay

I really like Sanjay, and most Americans are familiar with it, plus it's easy to pronounce.

At the next generation's diversity events, all the males will be Rohan -- it has gotten to be the Indian equivalent of Jacob.

Okay then. Maybe I just have a pretty diverse group of friends -- Navya seems pretty simple to me (and quite pretty), but you're the one living this life.

I just know that I'd be far more likely to worry about mispronouncing a surname than most Indian given names that I've heard. Your nephew's name seems pronounceable to me, but I would have to be told once what syllable to stress.

Anonymous wrote:Indian first names are not generally that hard to pronounce. It's surnames, particularly from southern India, that can be tongue-twisters for Americans. (for ex, "Balasubramanium.") I'd just name your kid what you want and move on. America is a melting pot.

I don't think any Indian names are hard to pronounce, since most are spelled phonetically, but I disagree with your point. I think most Americans would stumble over my nephew Venkateshwar's name. And my daughter has a simple, two-syllable Indian name (Navya) that we thought that people would pronounce easily, but that folks stumble over simply because it is not familiar to them and contains a combination of syllables not common in English. We have to repeat it several times every time we introduce her, or spell it, and forget about somebody looking at it on paper and pronouncing it right. For baby #2, we definitely are polling more friends here about what they would and wouldn't be able to pronounce and remember!

OK, so I don't want to give away my very favorite (ha ha-- because it's already taken by only about half a million Indian males), but I think "Rohan" is pretty beloved among Americans and it is in my Top 3. I love Nikhil, too, and it would be in my top names if I didn't have a nephew named Nicholas.

Any of the -jays tend to be pretty OK for Americans, too-- Ajay (which people will pronounce A.J.), Vijay (V.J.), Sanjay. Or just plain Jay!