How to choose a name for a baby ?

[Vrindavan]

How to choose a name for a baby ?
or for an adult to change his/her own name ?

What is the branch of knowledge in Vedic Astrology that deal with name choosing ?

Thanks for explanation

[reflections]

Normally the names are chosen based on 'Chandra Rashi', i.e. in which zodiac was moon at the time of baby's birth? Each sign has letters associated with it. People pick letters based on that sign and then chose names which starts with one of the letter and have good meaning.

In my case, my father liked 3-4 names. He put those in the lotus feet of lord and told my auntie to pick one up without going into whole sign thing.

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

How to choose a name for a baby ?
or for an adult to change his/her own name ?

What is the branch of knowledge in Vedic Astrology that deal with name choosing ?

Thanks for explanation

Namasté
The experienced jyotiṣa ज्योतिष looks to the native's janma kuṇḍalī¹( birth chart) and looks for favorable graha¹ ग्रह (some write grāhaka) positions and combinations (yoga-s).
I would agree with reflections post, only if the moon ( chandra¹ चन्द्र) was favorably placed. If chandra was not favorably placed i.e. debilited, and the sounds ( phonemes) associated with the moon are chosen to build the name, then that influence will be there with each sound of the native's name.

That is, there are sounds both svara and vyañjana ( vowels and consonants) that are associated with the nakṣatra-s¹ (nakshatra , or the moon's 27 lunar mansions) and with the grāhaka ( the planets). It is this we stimulate with each sound of the person's name. Will it be favorable or unfavorable? Will one stimulate just the moon, or the blessing found in the chart?

Many jyotiṣa-s today may just look to the Moon's nakṣatra and pada ( step or foot - there are 4 pada per nakṣatra or a total of 108). This may be quick and easy as the native may only wish to pay a few rupee or a few dollars for this service. This may be the biggest dis-service one can purchase.


Look to the wise jyotiṣa who looks for the blessing in the chart. It may come from other graha, other then the moon.


praṇām


words and references

• grāha ग्राह - seizing , holding , catching , receiving
• graha ग्रह - seizing, laying hold of, that which binds; the ~planets~
• chandra चन्द्र - the moon; glittering , shining (as gold) , having the brilliancy or hue of gold
• nakṣatra नक्षत्र - from its root nakṣ to come near , approach , arrive at , get , attain ; Commonly people recognize 27 nakṣatra-s, yet there is a 28th called abhijit; Here are the names:
  aśvinī , bharaṇī , kṛttikā , rohiṇī or brāhmī, mṛga-śiras or āgrahāyaṇī, ārdrā , punarvasū or yāmakau , puṣya or sidhya, āśleṣā, maghā , pūrva-phalgunī , uttara-phalgunī , hasta , citrā , svātī , viśākhā or rādhā , anurādhā , jyeṣṭha, mūla , pūrvā*ṣāḍhā , uttarāṣāḍhā , abhijit , śravaṇa, śraviṣṭhā or dhaniṣṭhā, śata-bhiṣaj , pūrva-bhadrapadā , uttara-bhadrapadā ,revatī
• janma kuṇḍalī - birth + kuṇḍalī - this kuṇḍalī is forming a ring, bowing back, a circle; Many also think of kuṇḍalinī or life force; kuṇḍalinī is the coiled one.