A naming ceremony is a stage at which a person or persons is officially assigned a name. The methods of the practice differ over cultures and religions. The timing at which a name is assigned can vary from some days after birth to several months or many years.

Naming a child, popularly referred to as "Christening", is usually through the baptism ceremony in Christianity, especially Catholic culture, and to a lesser degree among Protestant groups who practice infant baptism. In Eastern Orthodoxy, infants are traditionally named on the eighth day of life in a special service conducted either at home or in church. Often, Christians will also adhere to local traditions of the land in which they were born. For example, in Kerala, the traditional Hindu custom of tying an aranjanam (see below) is followed even by Christian families. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, infants are traditionally given a name and a blessing on the first Sunday of the month after birth by the child's father if he holds priesthood authority to do so and if the ordinance has been authorized by his local ecclesiastical leader. The timing may be adapted to family circumstances.

In Hinduism, the ceremony is traditionally known as Namakarana or the Namakarana Samskara, and is conducted on the twelfth day after birth. In Kerala, this is done on the 28th day and called the Noolukettu (transl. tying thread).

In Nepal, the naming ceremony is known as Nwaran. In the Hindu tradition, it is celebrated on the eleventh day after birth. The child is given a name according to their lunar horoscope, and may not be their legal or preferred name; the name from this ceremony is usually reserved for religious activities and horoscopes. Typically, a priest is invited to perform the ceremony at home and charts the child's lunar horoscope based on their birth details, as the mother is still recovering with the child. It is also known as Machabu Byakegu in Newari. This ceremony is normally small and celebrated only by the child’s close family. The next important ceremony is the Pasni.

The Chhathi Ceremony is performed when the baby is six days old. This ceremony is primarily for women and is timed to take place late at night, such as between ten o'clock and midnight. According to folklore, on the sixth day after the child’s birth, the goddess Vidhata would quietly enter the house around midnight to pen the destiny of the newborn. Traditionally, the mother of the newborn lights a diya, which she then places along with a red pen and paper on a wooden plank for Vidhata to inscribe the future of the newborn. The mother, while holding the newborn in her arms, kneels before the lamp, which symbolises Vidhata. The baby can also be named on this day.

The Namakarma Samskara is usually held after the first eleven nights of a baby's delivery. This is considered an adjustment period for the child, making them vulnerable to infections. To prevent this, the mother and child are quarantined from the rest of the family during these ten days, during which no one except a helper or the maternal grandmother is allowed to touch either of them. All festivals and events in the family and extended family are postponed by eleven nights, after which the house is decorated and sanctified for the ceremony. The mother and child are bathed in the traditional manner to avoid infecting them in preparation for the ceremony. Relatives and close friends are invited to be a part of this occasion and bless the child, and priests come to perform the ritual.

The people involved in the baby-naming ceremony are the parents of the newborn, the paternal and maternal grandparents and a few close relatives and friends. In Maharashtra, Bengal, and among the Rajputs of Gujarat the paternal aunt has the honour of naming her brother's child. The child is dressed in new clothes and the mother pours some drops of water on her baby’s head to symbolically purify the child. In some communities, the baby is then handed over to the paternal grandmother or the father who sits near the priest during the ritual. Where the paternal aunt names the child, she whispers the newborn’s name in their ear and then announces it to the gathered family and friends. In some communities or families, the sacred fire is lighted and the priest chants sacred hymns to invoke the deities in heaven to bless the child.

This may differ from place to place. In some parts of Northern Kerala, the grandfather whispers the child’s name, which may also potentially be the child’s father or the maternal uncle. These functions change from place to place. On this day, baby is put into a cradle for the first time.