# Indian Names **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 17, 2000, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indian-names/45982 "2000-12-17T04:06:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JamesCarroll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@JamesCarroll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JamesCarroll)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2000, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indian-names/45982/1 "2000-12-17T04:06:06Z")
At the risk of sounding insensitive, why are they so long? Do they have a meaning in their native language? Is there a reason or some kind of system that determines what they are? Just wondering and thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2000, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indian-names/45982/2 "2000-12-17T04:22:55Z")
Indian names? Did you mean names like Tashunka Witko and Tatanka Yotanka, or names like Sivakumaran Mahalingam? ---
**Author:** ![Skelji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Skelji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skelji)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2000, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indian-names/45982/3 "2000-12-17T05:34:26Z")
Well, I’ll take your question to refer to America’s original inhabitants. AFAIK, every native dialect used names descriptively. Whether it was a name for a person, or a place name, it generally referred to a unique feature or characteristic. Places were usually named based on the original encounter. If you discovered a valley with a lake at the bottom, that lake would likely become known as “Lake At The Bottom Of The Valley”. The Chippewa from the area of Lake Superior called the lake Kitchi-gummi, which simply meant “Great Water” in Chippewan. Being from the Long Island, NY area, I grew up seeing Indian names all over, right on out to Montauk Point. Lake Ronkonkoma, or Raconkamuck, was a boundary between the Nissequogue, Setauket, Secatogue and Unkechaug tribes of Long Island. Raconkamuck means “The Boundary Fishing Place” ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2000, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indian-names/45982/4 "2000-12-17T05:44:38Z")
So the Indian Chief (who by this tribe’s tradition named all of the children) says, “When a child is born and I see a great bison, the child is named Great Bison. When a child is born and I see a running deer, the child is named Running Deer. But tell me: Why do you ask, Two Dogs Humping?” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Skwerl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Skwerl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skwerl)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2000, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indian-names/45982/5 "2000-12-17T05:45:00Z")
I think the OP means actual Indian names. Like the Simpsons spoofed with Apu Nahasapeemapetilon. Sorry, I don’t know why they’re so long. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2000, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indian-names/45982/6 "2000-12-17T05:49:51Z")
> [@](#): > > I think the OP means actual Indian names. Like the Simpsons spoofed with Apu Nahasapeemapetilon. Sorry, I don’t know why they’re so long. Yeah, I knew that. But since American Aboriginals were brought up, I couldn’t resist the joke. 😉 BTW: I’m sorry (really, I am) but Prime Minister Vajpayee’s name sounds amusing in English. “Vodge pie”? What’s a “vodge”? Now, now. I told you I was sorry. I just can’t help myself. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![jaimest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/48db29/32.png) [@jaimest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaimest)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2000, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indian-names/45982/7 "2000-12-17T06:30:53Z")
India has so many cultures, for instance, there was a famous military leader in India with the exotic name of “James Skinner” (half Scotsman, half Rajput, a volitaile combination). But as far as “native” names are concerned, Tamils seem to have the really long surnames, in the 4 or more syllable range. Other than that, many Indian surnames don’t seem too long (e.g. Singh, Patel, Gandhi, Nehru). The first names can be long, and usually are compound words from religious sources (derived from the names of Gods for Hindus, or from Arabic/Persian words for Muslims). Middle names can indicate place of birth, or origin. And of course caste may influence naming in Hindus. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2000, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indian-names/45982/8 "2000-12-18T11:19:17Z")
I heard that the longest place name in the United States was the name of a small lake in Connecticut. In a native Algonquian language, it translates as “You-fish-on-your-side-I-fish-on-my-side-nobody-fish-in-the-middle.” ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2000, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indian-names/45982/9 "2000-12-18T11:21:30Z")
P.S., **jaimest** , the polysyllabic Hindu name I cited was a typical example of a Tamil name. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2000, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indian-names/45982/10 "2000-12-18T11:57:06Z")
I heard there was a mountain or hill somewhere that’s name meant ‘Your finger, stupid’ - supposedly some explorer had learned the Native words for ‘What do you call this?’ and his guides misunderstood what he was talking about when he pointed at the mountain. It sounds like a joke, but also like something that might actually have happened. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2000, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indian-names/45982/11 "2000-12-18T12:13:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ishmintingas \* > \*\*P.S., **jaimest** , the polysyllabic Hindu name I cited was a typical example of a Tamil name. \*\* But you (deliberately?) forgot to explain what **Mahalingam** means in English. ---
**Author:** ![Gaspode](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gaspode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaspode)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2000, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indian-names/45982/12 "2000-12-18T12:21:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Badtz Maru \* > **I heard there was a mountain or hill somewhere that’s name meant ‘Your finger, stupid’ - supposedly some explorer had learned the Native words for ‘What do you call this?’ and his guides misunderstood what he was talking about when he pointed at the mountain.** Pratchett at his worst. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2000, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indian-names/45982/13 "2000-12-18T15:49:09Z")
Guessing purely from a non-linguist standpoint: Mahalingam Maha=big _Mahayana_=Greater Vehicle (of Buddhism) lingam=penis _lingam_=sacred phallic symbol So Mahalingam means “Big penis”. ---
**Author:** ![Trout\_Mask\_Replica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a88e57/32.png) [@Trout\_Mask\_Replica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trout_Mask_Replica)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2000, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indian-names/45982/14 "2000-12-18T15:49:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ishmintingas \* > **I heard that the longest place name in the United States was the name of a small lake in Connecticut.** Almost but not quite. 🙂 Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg is actually just over the border in Webster, MA. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2000, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indian-names/45982/15 "2000-12-18T16:32:07Z")
Not all native American names are very long. “Chicago” comes from an indian (Pottawami, I believe) word meaning “stinking,” so I heard. Michigan is also an indian name, I believe meaning deep waters. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2000, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indian-names/45982/16 "2000-12-18T17:40:01Z")
> [@](#): > > Maha=big Mahayana=Greater Vehicle (of Buddhism) > lingam=penis lingam=sacred phallic symbol > > ``` > So Mahalingam means "Big penis". > > ``` You are quite correct! The Tantric religion of South India reveres the sacred symbolism of the sex organs as the divine love energy that gives life to all existence. Siva and Sakti, the masculine and feminine divinity united in eternal cosmic copulatory bliss. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Dumbledore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dfb087/32.png) [@Prof.Dumbledore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Dumbledore)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2000, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indian-names/45982/17 "2000-12-18T18:17:29Z")
Hey how come nobody mentioned Austin Power names like felicity shagwell and Ivanna Humpalot 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Gunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gunslinger)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2000, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indian-names/45982/18 "2000-12-18T18:46:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Prof. Dumbledore \* > \*\*Hey how come nobody mentioned Austin Power names like > felicity shagwell and Ivanna Humpalot 😃 \*\* Because they were a poor imitation of Bond girl names. You can’t get much better than Pussy Galore 😃 (in _Goldfinger_). Also, it has nothing to do with the topic of the thread, :wally . ---
**Author:** ![Akatsukami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea666f/32.png) [@Akatsukami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akatsukami)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2000, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indian-names/45982/19 "2000-12-18T18:55:14Z")
It should be noted that the idea of a “name” (_i.e._, a traditional, meaningless (and therefore fairly quickly reduced to a couple of syllables) sound applied as a tag to a person) is something that only appears in the European[sup]1[/sup] tradition in the last millennium or so. Prior to _that_, short phrases were applied to pretty much everyone (the naming tradition of the Etruscans – picked up by the other Italic peoples – seems to be an exception; even most Roman _cognomina_ and _praenomina_, however, are fairly transparent). The same applies to Indian names, whether by “Indian” we mean “from the Americas” or “from the subcontinent”. For some reason, however, American Indian names are often translated into English. [sup]1[/sup][sub]Defining “European” rather fuzzily, of course.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![G.B.H.Hornswoggler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c67d28/32.png) [@G.B.H.Hornswoggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G.B.H.Hornswoggler)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2000, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indian-names/45982/20 "2000-12-18T20:25:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Johnny L.A. \* > **So the Indian Chief (who by this tribe’s tradition named all of the children) says, "When a child is born and I see a great bison, the child is named Great Bison. When a child is born and I see a running deer, the child is named Running Deer. But tell me: Why do you ask, Two Dogs Humping?"** So the Indian brave says, “In my tribe, we are named for the first thing the father sees when he opens the tent flap after the birth. That is why my younger twin is called Two Wet Dogs.” “So, your name is Two Dogs Fighting?” “Two Dogs **Fighting**? Ah, I would give the sun, the moon, and the stars to be named Two Dogs **Fighting**!”