Child naming ceremony is one of the simplest ceremonies of the Kuki tribes that reflects the social structure along with the structural social relationship which a child inherits from his parents. This includes those social relations which are inherited through kinship as well as marriages. The system of naming a child has been one of the most permanent ceremonies that the community follows in spite of all the changes that came up along with modernisation.
Child naming ceremony claims that the first boy child of a generation should be named after the name of his grandfather and in case of first girl child; she should be named after her grandmother. In case of third and fourth children they can be named after the maternal grandparents or after some one who is very close to the family. The process of naming a child after his or her grandparents is considered to be the easiest and simplest method of locating the child and their origin as to from which family do they belong. As the name of the child carries the name of his earlier generation, this has been treated as the most accurate method for creating the genealogical tree that shall explain the actual location of the child in the Kuki family. As this is also known as Alternate Generation naming System. In this the Grand parents who share their names with the new generation are often known as `Hepu` or grand father or `Hepi` known as grand mother. Likewise the person whose name is shared with the child other than the grand parents is known as Katu meaning my grand child even if the relationship is different.
Child naming ceremony also provides that sometimes the child is sometimes named after the parental uncle and aunt instead of grand parents in order to show respect and love that shall help to establish better relationship between both the families. This also continues in case of the girl child who shares the name with the women members of the family. Overall the relationship between the grandparents and grand children is that of joking and friendship which is carried over by the sharing of names by both. Sometimes sharing of names also includes the names of the great- great grand parents or the progenitors where the effort is to gain some blessings from the fore fathers. This is mainly practiced to avoid the ill - luck in the family particularly ill- health which is treated as a curse.
Child naming ceremony which is prevalent in the Kuki tribes takes a lot of care in selecting the name of a boy child whenever a child is born after a number of sisters. Although the Kuki tribes treat their sons and daughters on equal terms yet on some exceptional cases their level of delight remain higher when a boy is born after a long interval or after a number of Sisters or a girl is born after a number of brothers. In that case unusual to the custom the girl child also carries the name of the grand father instead of grand mother.
Thus Child naming ceremony is one of the most important ceremonies which are followed by the Kuki tribes after the child is born which is treated as the most vital ceremony to recognise the origin of the child.
