India, Aug. 6 -- It's the first decade of the 2000s. It's attendance time in an average Indian classroom. Aditya? Present, Miss! Present, Miss! Present, Miss! Aditi? Present, Miss! Present, Miss! Present, Miss! Rahul? Present, Miss! Present, Miss! Present, Miss! Neha? Nehal? Sneha? Snehal? All present, Miss!

Let's do a time jump to today. From Ahaana to Ziya via Kiaara; from Aaryaman to Zeeshan via Samairaa, the vowels flow freely, the names emerge from the same sonic landscape. Is any little girl called Damayanti anymore? Or Rosie, Hafsa, Nutan or Hutoxi?

Indian baby names are typically drawn from religion and mythology, with local priests selecting an auspicious starting letter. A name might have been chosen for its meaning, its popul...