Combo names are in

Shahid Kapoor has named his daughter Misha — a combo of the first syllables of Mira Rajput, his wife, and Shahid (Mi from Mira, and Shahid’s Sha). Earlier, it was Rani Mukerji and Aditya Chopra, who named their new-born baby Adira, again, a combination of both their names (Adi from Aditya and Ra from Rani).

Picking a name for your child can sometimes be an overwhelming task, ridden with pressure. It is the first thing people learn about your child, and it will remain an integral part of her life.

Though daunting, naming your new born can be fun. While some parents still stick to traditional ways of choosing a name based on the horoscope of the baby, a lot of them now choose to combine family members’ first names to produce a new one!

“My wife Shobhna and I named our kids Upasana, Anushpala and Puansh, by combining the first names of all the family members. We thought it would be a good idea to get everyone’s name involved,” says Anil Kamineni, a well-known businessman in the city. “The fact that our kids’ names also have beautiful meanings, added to the charm,” he adds.

Another businessman Praneet Singhvee, who has named his daughter Pranika, a combination of his and his wife Sarika’s first name, says, “Pranika is our only child and we wanted to give her a name that is not only unique but a part of me and my wife. Pranika is another name for Goddess Parvati. Luckily for us, the name also agrees with our daughter’s horoscope.” Talking about this trend, Praneet adds, “This trend will surely pick up, as celebrities are also naming their kids the same way.”