On the Sor night, or that of purification, the women of the village
assemble and sing. The mother holds the child in her lap, and they each
put a pice (1/4d.) in a dish as a present to it. A name is chosen,
and an elderly woman announces it. Names are now often Hindu words,
and are selected very much at random. [67] If the child was born
on a Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday or Sunday the name of the day is
often given, as Mangal, Budhu, Sukhiya, Itwari; or if born in the
month of Magh (January), Phagun (February), Chait (March), Baisakh
(April), Jesth (May), or Pus (December), the name may be from
the month, as Mahu, Phagu, Chaitia, Baisakhu, Jetha and Puso. The
names of the other months are also given, but are less common. If
any Government official is in the village when the child is born it
may be named after his office, as Daroga, Havildar (head-constable),
Vaccinator, Patwari (village surveyor), Jemadar (head process-server),
or Munshi (clerk). If a European officer is in the village the child
may be called Gora (red) or Bhura (brown). Other names are Zamindar
(landholder) or Kirsan (tenant). Or the child may be named after any
peculiarity, as Ghurman, fat, Kaluta, black, Chatua, one who kicks,
and so on. Or it may be given a bad name in order to deceive the
evil spirits as to its value, as Ghurha, a heap of cowdung, Jharu,
sweepings, Dumre or Bhangi, a sweeper, Chamari, a Chamar or tanner, and
so on. If the mother has got the child after propitiating a spirit,
it may be called Bhuta, from bhut, a spirit or ghost. Nicknames
are also given to people when they grow up, as Dariya, long-footed,
Bobdi, fat and sluggish, Putchi, having a tail or cat-like, Bera, an
idiot, and so on. Such names come into general use, and the bearers
accept and answer to them without objection. All the above names are
Hindi. Names taken from the Gond language are rare or non-existent,
and it would appear either that they have been completely forgotten,
or else that the Gonds had not advanced to the stage of giving every
individual a personal name prior to their contact with the Hindus.