India (given name)
India is a feminine given name derived from the name of the country India, which takes its name from the Indus River. The name was used for India Wilkes, a character in the novel and movie "Gone with the Wind". Its use for girls in England began during the British rule in India during the 19th century. It has been used for daughters of aristocratic families in England that had ties to Colonial India, such as India Hicks. Just like names derived from seasons like Summer, Dawn, Solstice, Autumn are feminine, India is internationally recognized as a female name since it is the name of a country and it had been used as a feminine given name for more than hundred years in England and the U.S. Although India is a feminine given name in the world, it is not a popular given name in India. Girls who are given this name are usually called with a nickname "Indy", or "Indie" which are also given names for girls in English speaking countries.
Native American name controversy
Columbus carried a passport in Latin from the Spanish monarchs that dispatched him "ad partes Indie" ("toward the regions of India") on their behalf. When he landed in the Antilles, Columbus referred to the resident peoples he encountered there as "Indians" reflecting his purported belief that he had reached the Indian Ocean. The name stuck; for centuries the native people of the Americas were collectively called "Indians" in various European languages. This misnomer was perpetuated in place naming; the islands of the Caribbean were named, and are still known as, the West Indies.