CUDDALORE: The decision by a young Hindu couple to name their newborn girl child Yunus as a sign of gratitude to the man who rescued them from their marooned house in Chennai raised eyebrows among those who do not know the background. However, people of Tamil Nadu, for a long time, have a penchant for selecting unique names for their children. Here are a few of such names. Take the ‘atomic family’ near Chennai. The first son is a diploma holder named Neutron, while the second son Proton has completed his training at ITI. The third, Electron, is in Class XII.
“I wanted to give my children names devoid of caste and religion. I feel proud they are named after particles of atom that are the beginning of everything in the world,” said their father Aruldoss (58), a BSNL staffer and Thirumullaivoyal resident. Another case is that of M M Kannan, a writer from Pudukottai district who named his daughters as Kanini (computer) and Inaiya (Internet). “I know the significance of both science and the Tamil language, and I want both to develop simultaneously and inclusively,” he said. This is not a new trend in the state. Retired from service and settled in Sendurai in Ariyalur district is Thani Tamil Kottran (King of Pure Tamil), a doctor.