Here's a name that has a strong artsy, hippy, and New Age vibe.
Indigo (pronounced "IN-dih-goh") is a color name that refers to a deep purplish-blue. It is ultimately derived from the Greek word indikon, meaning "from India." This is because this color dye originally could only be found in India, and it's a color still heavily associated with the country today. This blue dye was created from a genus of plants called indigofera which grows in the Asian tropics.
Indigo is well known for being one of the traditional colors of the rainbow. Isaac Newton first introduced indigo as a spectral color, which he found by shining a light through a prism to create a rainbow-like band of colors on the wall. In yoga practice, this color represents the sixth chakra. This chakra is positioned on the third eye and is in control of intuition.
This color is also in the center of a somewhat controversial belief. In the Neo-Pagan world, the claim that people can see auras is a common one. They way they describe it, auras are colorful radiations that surrounds people or objects of power. In the 1970s, a parapsychologist named Nancy Ann Tappe claimed to notice that several children were being born with indigo auras. Descriptions of these so-called "indigo children" include characteristics such as independence, curiosity, stubbornness, empathy, and an interest in spiritual matters. I find this whole thing ridiculous because that pretty much describes all children before materialistic pop culture digs their grimy little claws into them. And aren't all auras supposed to be special in their own way?
Although unisex, Indigo is a name often associated with girls because of the folk music duo known as the Indigo Girls. The band is well known for songs like "Galileo" and "Closer to Fine." Both Amy Ray and Emily Saliers identify as lesbians, and they continue to be active in environmental and political causes. Despite that, Indigo could very easily be used for both genders as it has never charted for either.
I would imagine that a family with someone named Indigo would be a creative one because that's the stereotype. The name is a bit of a hippy cliche, but that doesn't stop it from being cool. Indigo is a name with great mysticism attached to it, and for that it's perfectly witchy.
Sources:
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=indigo
http://www.behindthename.com/name/indigo
http://www.wicca-spirituality.com/meaning-colors.html
http://www.babynamewizard.com/namipedia/indigo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigo_dye
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigo_Girls
Image Credit:
Found via http://pinterest.com/
I actually like the name Indigo in itself (although I think of it as male, and generally see it on girls).
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The whole "indigo children" thing has utterly put me off it. I frankly believe this is nothing more than a con to make money from parents to buy all the books, CDs, DVDs, courses, camps etc from parents who naturally love being told their child is "special".
I wouldn't mind so much if the parenting advice it handed out was generic and harmless, but in fact I believe it's quite damaging and even abusive.
This is interesting because if I was asked where Indigo originated from I'd say it was a Native American name. Don't know why, but that was just my perception. I do like the name but wouldn't use it for my kids. Maybe my next fur-kid. ;)
ReplyDeleteIndigo's very much already on the radar here in the UK as a a name among alternative folk. Personally, I love it.
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