Indians have a rich cultural tradition and history of having names that mean something, usually in Sanskrit. These names could be associated with various gods, connected with nature, or linked to other heavenly beings, and so on. Essentially, every Indian name has a
meaning that you can easily find with a quick Google search or by flipping through a Sanskrit Shabdkosh (dictionary). This pattern is consistent across all of India. South India may have different-sounding names, but they all come from the same name bank: gods, celestial bodies, nature, etc.
The style of names has evolved over centuries, and we can see evidence of this in literature and films. In older writings, the kinds of names you’d come across were quite different from what we hear today. For example, names like Haridas or Ramlal were once common but are now rare. However, you’ll still find names like Harish and Ram. Times have changed—nobody wants to be named Chironji Lal today. Poor guy would be the butt of all jokes in school and probably for the rest of his life!
Fortunately for me, I was given a very beautiful name by a wonderful family friend. Although my parents are from North India, I was born in erstwhile Calcutta, now Kolkata, and this aunty named me Ipsita. We have a habit in India of asking people what their name means. You know how it goes: you meet someone with a unique name, and they ask, “Arrey, kitna achcha naam hai beta, iska matlab kya hai?” My name, as my mother told me, comes from the Sanskrit word Ipsa, which means ichcha (wish). So, Ipsita means jiski ichcha ki jaye—the desired one.
Because of my father’s transferable job, I lived in the East and South for most of my life. Later, my education and work took me to the North and West. My name, Ipsita, is spelled without an ‘h’. However, people took the liberty of adding the ‘h’ at different places, both in the East and South. In Kolkata, I became Ipshita, with the ‘h’ added after the ‘s’, bringing a touch of roshogolla sweetness to my name. In the South, specifically Hyderabad, the ‘h’ moved after the ‘t’, and I became Ipsitha.
Now, mind you, I never corrected anyone in either place. I think Ipshita carries the sweetness of shondesh, roshogolla, and mishti doi combined, while Ipsitha has the smart edge of a Hyderabadi. In my five years in Hyderabad, I picked up the fabulous and enthralling
Hyderabadi Hindi. “Uno aatey, uno jaatey,” “hou,” and “kuch toh bhi hota toh kya toh bhi karte” became part of my daily vocabulary.
In Bengal, in the various districts we lived in and in Kolkata, I spoke the sweet language of Bengali and matched it with the sweetness of Ipshita.
Some inimitable characters, like Hori Lal and Dhaniya from Munshi Premchand’s Godaan, Binodini and Charulata from Tagore’s works, and Swami from Swami and Friends or Malgudi Days by R.K. Narayan, have left a lasting impression. Similarly, iconic film characters like Sundar and Gopal from Raj Kapoor’s Sangam, Raju and Rosie from Vijay Anand and Dev Anand’s Guide, Bobby Braganza from Bobby, Chandni from Silsila, Arun Verma from Mr. India, and the evergreen Vijay—immortalized by the great Amitabh Bachchan in Deewar, Trishul, and many of his films—represent not just memorable stories but the trends of bygone eras. When it came to naming my son, I knew I wanted a name that started with the first letter of the alphabet. The rest was easy. Ahaan (आहान) means “dawn,” “morning glory,” or “the first rays of the sun.” It symbolizes the beginning of a new freshness, and hope—qualities considered auspicious and associated with positivity and new beginnings. My son embodies all of that and so much more.
I truly believe that our names set the path for how our lives unfold. Which is why, whether I’m Ipshita to some, Ipsitha to others, or Ipsita to the rest of the world, I effortlessly blend sweetness, sharpness, and charm—wrapped up in one fabulous human being!
“Names have power. They tell the world who you are, and they can shape the way you see yourself.”– Anonymous
