From Jeh to Vamika: Meet these Bollywood celebrity parents and their unique baby names

With Randhir Kapoor recently announcing that his daughter Kareena Kapoor Khan and her husband Saif Ali Khan have named their second baby Jeh, there has been a sudden new interest in Bollywood stars and their choice of unique baby names. We pick our favourites and look into the meaning behind those names.

Jeh: After months of secrecy and speculation, fans of Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan were overjoyed to learn that the couple have named their newborn son Jeh. The news was confirmed by Kapoor Khan’s father, Bollywood actor Randhir Kapoor, who spilled the beans on the name. While speaking to Indian daily ETimes, the veteran actor said: “Yes, Kareena and Saif’s younger son has been named Jeh,” adding that they finalised it a week ago. The celebrity couple welcomed their second child on February 21, but refrained from revealing his name or sharing image of the newborn on social media. The move was far removed from the couple’s first instance when they welcomed their first born Taimur Ali Khan who is a paparazzi favourite. For those wondering, Jeh has several meanings: in Latin it is the name of a blue crested bird; in Persian it is reportedly a name given to a female demon.

Vamika: After weeks of speculation and half their fan following jumping in on the name game for Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma’s daughter, the celebrity couple announced their baby’s name to the world on February 1 as Vamika. The Bollywood actress put up an Instagram post with a doting image of the proud parents staring at their child. Requesting privacy for their baby earlier, the couple have chosen not to reveal her face as yet. Vamika, incidentally, is a name for the Indian deity Durga, and is also a play on the first names of the couple — Virat and Anushka.

Adira: In 2015, actress Rani Mukherjee gave birth to a girl. She and her husband, filmmaker Aditya Chopra, named her Adira, a combination of their names. Mukherjee has described the baby as “god’s greatest gift”. The couple unveiled their daughter’s image on her first birthday, with Mukherjee issuing a statement that read: “I have become much calmer. More patient. And more forgiving. It happened overnight one day suddenly. I realised I have changed, again for the better I guess. I hope I can bring [up] Adira beautifully. Without any fears, brave, wise, clever, disciplined, well mannered. I want everyone to be proud of her. Even if nobody is. I will always be proud of her. Encourage her to follow her heart. Not get bullied ever. Not to be pressurised for anything in life. Be carefree alway[s].”

Samisha: Last February, Shilpa Shetty Kundra announced the birth of a child through surrogacy. The actress, along with her husband Raj Kundra, welcomed their second child on February 15, but waited a week to make the announcement via Instagram. “Our prayers have been answered with a miracle... With gratitude in our hearts, we are thrilled to announce the arrival of our little angel, Samisha Shetty Kundra, born: February 15, 2020,” Shetty Kundra posted, along with a picture of the baby’s hand. “‘Sa’ in Sanskrit is “to have”, and ‘Misha’ in Russian stands for “someone like God”…. Please bestow our angel with all your love and blessings.” The couple also have a son named Viaan-Raj Kundra.

Yash and Roohi: In March 2017, producer-director Karan Johar was another Bollywood personality to become a single father of twins born via surrogacy. The twins, a boy and girl, were named Yash and Roohi, after Johar’s parents. In his biography, ‘An Unsuitable Boy’, the filmmaker wrote about his desire to become a parent. “I don’t know what I’m going to do about it but I feel like I would like to be a parent. I don’t know how it’s going to happen but I do feel the need because I have plenty of love to offer and I’d like to take it forward. This feeling needs a release and requires a platform. And that platform could be by being a parent,” Johar had said during the release of his book.

Azad: Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao, who recently announced their divorce, welcomed their son on December 1, 2011. Their newborn son was named after the freedom fighter and independent India’s first education minister, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. “Hey guys, most excited to share with y’all that we have finally chosen a name for our baby boy... Azad. Azad Rao Khan. I left the final choice to Kiran, and she has named him after my great granduncle Maulana Azad,” Khan revealed on Facebook at the time. “Azad means free or liberated. We want to thank everyone for their warm wishes and blessings, and needless to say we are absolutely overjoyed and feel most blessed. Much love.” The boy was born through IVF to a surrogate mother. He was Rao’s first baby, but Khan has a son, Junaid, and a daughter, Ira, from his first wife, Reena Dutta.

Taimur: In 2016, Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan welcomed their firstborn, Taimur. However, as soon as the name was announced, the couple faced backlash over naming him after a Turkish invader who killed thousands in India. With death threats issued to the child, the couple later announced Taimur in the Persian language meant ‘iron’ and was picked by Khan who is a history buff.

Arik: In April 2019, actor Arjun Rampal and girlfriend Gabriella Demetriades welcomed their baby boy into the world and named him Arik. It would be another year before fans would get a glimpse of him on his first birthday. Arik is an old Norse name that means eternal ruler.

Misha: In 2016, Shahid Kapoor and wife Mira Rajput welcomed their first child Misha, with the name an amalgamation of Shahid’s and Mira’s first names. Although, Misha is actually a Russian name which means God-Like.