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.
Indian people
The name "Bhārata" has been used as a self-ascribed name by people of the Indian subcontinent and the Republic of India. The designation "Bhārata" appears in the official Sanskrit name of the country, "Bhārata Gaṇarājya". The name is derived from the ancient Jain and Hindu puranas, which refer to the land that comprises India as "Bhārata varṣam" and uses this term to distinguish it from other "varṣa"s or continents. India was named "Bhāratavarsha" or "Bhārata" or "Bharata-bhumi" after Bharata Chakravartin, the son of first Jain Tirthankar Rishabhanatha. In the Hindu text, Skanda Purana (chapter 37) it is stated that "Rishabhanatha was the son of Nabhiraja, and Rishabha had a son named Bharata, and after the name of this Bharata, this country is known as Bharata-varsha." This has been mentioned in Vishnu Purana (2,1,31), Vayu Purana,(33,52), Linga Purana(1,47,23), Brahmanda Purana (14,5,62), Agni Purana ( 107,11–12), Skanda Purana, Khanda (37,57) and Markandeya Purana (50,41) it is clearly stated that this country is known as Bharata Varsha.