She’s a goddess and a groundbreaking politician with a spunky nickname, too.

Thanks to Emma for suggesting Indira as Name of the Day.

First, Indira Gandhi – India’s first female prime minister – is not related to Mahatma Gandhi.

About Abby Sandel

Whether you're naming a baby, or just all about names, you've come to the right place! Appellation Mountain is a haven for lovers of obscure gems and enduring classics alike.

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What do you think?

11 Comments

  1. @Jane-
    Inga is actually a name. I think. I know a woman who’s name is Inga Reeve, but Reeve isn’t her maiden name, it was Kalinowska (Kah-leen-ov-ska). She’s Polish, by the way.

  2. I don’t like the sound of Indira very much. I prefer India. Or Ingrid.
    Julie – Inga?!! I have never heard of this name except on a Pacific Island man. I really don’t like the sound of it, especially on a woman.

  3. I like India, but not Indira. As others have said, Indira makes me think immediately of Gandhi, but India makes me think of the entire country…very exotic and cool. Like Golda, Indira sadly just sounds like an old-lady politician.

  4. I would use Ingrid, Inga, Ines or Inigo, but Indira is too “Indian” for white-bread, American me to use.

  5. Indira is okay, but to me it is still linked to Indira Gahndi-and I wasn’t even born when she was prime minister! I prefer India as a name, as a tribute to a dear friend from college who was from India. My friend had pretty name, too, but I think India is a bit more usable in my part of the world. Indira is pretty, and I would swoon if I met a littl girl named that!

  6. I like the Indi- sound, I just don’t like the -ira/-dira part of it. I like the other -Ind names, this one I don’t like. It’s weird, I had a very clear reaction to it straight away

    I never heard of her before. Interesting as always. 🙂

  7. I have always liked the name Indira. Since I grew up in India, the history of the Nehru/Ghandi family was familiar to me, and I was always fascinated by the thought that India’s longest reigning prime minister was a woman. Indira is [occasionally] bestowed upon little girls in the country as well, so I’ve met a few. I wouldn’t ever use the name though, but that’s more do to preference than to the name’s history. I like Indira, but I don’t love it.

    1. The family’s history really is amazing. I got lost in it – and yet, it’s very little known in the US. I’m fairly confident it was never mentioned in school.

  8. Indira is one of my favorite Indian names. It is absolutely gorgeous and it has such a great legacy!

  9. I like the name, the sound is nice. It has a couple nn possibilities (positive), is easy to pronounce and is recognizable without being overused. But, I saw the name and finished it with Gandhi. Won’t most people? And I also was unsure about the connection between Indira and Mahatma Gandhi (thanks for the clarification and the history lesson, Abby! – I knew about zip about Indian history, but now I know zip plus a teeny, eeny bit).