Please Don't Name Your Daughter 'Unwanted'
Today in the Indian state of Maharashtra, about 285 girls received certificates, little bouquets, and—most importantly—brand-new names that don't mean "unwanted." Because that's what their names were, until today: Unwanted. And you thought Florida was a terrible name for a girl!
To be more precise, the girls' names were either Nakusa or Nakushi—which both mean "unwanted" in Marathi. "The most probable reason for them being called 'Nakusa' is that they were the second, third or fourth child in that family and the parents wanted a boy," the local district health officer told AFP. The girls are viewed as a financial burden "because of the dowry that has to be paid when they marry," the news agency explains. We're all in favor of honest relationships, but here's one situation in which holding back the truth is probably the best course of action. Because seriously, how much worse could a name possibly get?
Realizing that being labeled "worthless" might, oh, completely destroy the girls' self-esteem and psychological well-being, local health officials identified as many girls with those names as they could, then organized today's special name-changing ceremony. Many of the girls reportedly chose new names based on their favorite actresses and goddesses, though at least one girl named herself "Ashmita"—which means "very tough" or "rock hard" in Hindi. Reports don't say whether any girls named themselves the Marathi equivalent of "my parents suck" or "fuck you mom and dad" or "don't expect me to take care of you when you're old—ask one of your wanted kids. Assholes."
Despite reading this, you might still wonder if you should name your own daughter "Unwanted." The short answer: No. Put another way: Definitely not.