Nāmakaraṇa
नामकरण
Also written: namakarana · nāmakaraṇa · namakarana sanskar · namakarana ceremony
Nāmakaraṇa (नामकरण) is the fifth of the sixteen saṃskāras. The giving of the name — an identity, and a direction.
| Number | 5 of 16 |
| Stage of life | Childhood |
| Performed | Eleventh or twelfth day after birth |
| Purpose | The giving of the name — an identity, and a direction. |
What the rite is and why
The child is bathed, dressed, and formally named before family and fire. The name is spoken into the child's ear.
Classically the child may receive several names: one from the nakṣatra of birth (its syllable is fixed by the pāda of the nakṣatra), one for the deity of the family, one for the month, and the name used in daily life.
The nakṣatra syllable is why so many Indian names begin with a fixed sound — it locates the person in the sky at the moment they arrived.
The śāstra advises names that are pronounceable, meaningful, and auspicious in sense, since a name is heard by its owner more often than any other word.
Where it stands today
Universally performed, and one of the two or three saṃskāras almost every Hindu family still observes formally.
The sixteen Saṃskāras
From before conception to the final fire: the sixteen refinements that mark a human life, what each one actual…
Garbhādhāna
Garbhādhāna — the first saṃskāra, performed before conception. The conscious invitation of a life, rather than…
Puṁsavana
Puṁsavana — the second saṃskāra, performed third or fourth month of pregnancy. Protection and healthy developm…
Sīmantonnayana
Sīmantonnayana — the third saṃskāra, performed sixth to eighth month. The mother's wellbeing, and the child's …
Jātakarma
Jātakarma — the fourth saṃskāra, performed at birth, before the umbilical cord is cut. Welcoming the child, an…
Niṣkramaṇa
Niṣkramaṇa — the sixth saṃskāra, performed third or fourth month. The child's first journey out of the house —…
Last revised 2026-08-16. Corrections are welcome — see how this site is written.