What’s in a Name? Ask Vivek Ramaswamy, Who’s Facing Online Backlash After Naming Daughter Savithri
- What the Indian American Republican intended as a personal family announcement became a broader debate over who gets to define what is considered "American."
Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has faced online criticism following the announcement of his newborn daughter’s name, sparking debate over cultural identity and what constitutes an “American” name.
Ramaswamy and his wife, Apoorva, welcomed their third child, a daughter named Savithri, on February 4, 2026, according to multiple news outlets including WBNS and WLWT. The couple, who already have two sons named Karthik and Arjun, shared the news via Ramaswamy’s X (formerly Twitter) account, which has been managed by his campaign team since he quit personal social media use in early January.
While many social media users offered congratulations, a segment of commenters criticized the choice of name, questioning its “American-ness” and describing it as foreign or difficult to pronounce. Savithri is a Sanskrit name rooted in Hindu tradition and mythology, commonly associated with meanings linked to the Sun and with a mythological figure celebrated for wisdom and devotion.
According to Financial Express, many argued that Savithri was not American enough. “I can’t even pronounce that name,” one user was quoted as saying. “Another commented, ‘It is not Desi enough.’ ‘Couldn’t find an American name for your spawn?’ questioned a netizen, another remarked, ‘Very American name.’ ‘Glad they were born but English/Americanized names please,’ read another post,” the report said.
The episode highlights ongoing tensions in American identity politics, particularly around immigration, assimilation, and cultural expression. What Ramaswamy intended as a personal family announcement became a broader debate over who gets to define what is considered “American.”
The criticism comes amid a period when Ramaswamy himself has been the target of racist online attacks. In a December 17, 2025 New York Times op-ed, Ramaswamy wrote that his social media feeds were filled with hundreds of slurs about “pajeets” and “street shitters” and calls to deport him “back to India,” despite being born in the United States and never having lived elsewhere, according to Daily Caller News Foundation reporting.
Ramaswamy has not directly responded to the criticism surrounding his daughter’s name. His original post remains online and continues to receive thousands of congratulatory messages.
Ramaswamy announced in a January 6, 2026 Wall Street Journal op-ed that he had deleted X and Instagram from his phone, citing the disconnect between what he saw on social media and his real-world experiences with Ohio voters. In the piece, he explained that modern social media is increasingly disconnected from the electorate, with the most negative and bombastic messages being most visible.
According to Yahoo News, Ramaswamy’s campaign team continues to operate his social media accounts on his behalf, though he personally does not browse them. The announcement of Savithri’s birth was posted by the campaign team.
In a statement included with the birth announcement, Ramaswamy said, “Mom and baby are doing well, and the family is deeply thankful for the prayers and kind messages from Ohioans and friends across the country,” according to WLWT.
According to Inkl’s reporting, Ramaswamy has not directly responded to the criticism surrounding his daughter’s name. His original post remains online and continues to receive thousands of congratulatory messages, which outnumber the hostile replies even as the backlash circulates in screenshots and quote posts across social media.
Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur and Cincinnati native who ran for president in 2024, is currently the Ohio Republican Party’s endorsed candidate for governor. He received endorsements from both President Donald Trump and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, who stated in January, “I am joining Republicans across Ohio in supporting our dynamic ticket for Governor, led by Vivek Ramaswamy,” according to WLWT.
Ramaswamy’s wife, Apoorva Ramaswamy (formerly Tewari), is a laryngologist and assistant professor at The Ohio State University’s James Cancer Hospital, according to Free Press Journal. The couple met at Yale University and married in 2015.
According to Yahoo News and RealClearPolling, Ramaswamy is in a tight race against Democratic candidate Dr. Amy Acton, the former Ohio Department of Health director, in the 2026 gubernatorial election.
This story was aggregated by AI from several news reports and edited by American Kahani’s News Desk.