Choosing a Name for Your Baby

Naming a baby can be hard for some parents. It isn't always easy to come up with that perfect name for another human being, one they will likely use for a lifetime. It's hard to know what will suit them without meeting them or learning their personality. The good thing is that most babies end up growing into their name, as they get older it's hard to imagine calling them anything other then what you chose at birth.

Here are some ideas to consider before making a choice to name your little one:

Giving your son the name of your beloved husband may seem like a thoughtful and cute idea but there is also a downfall. Having a junior can be confusing. Even when you use a nickname such as "little..." or "big..." it will likely still be annoying and possibly frustrating for all who know both child and parent. As your baby gets older they may very well be unhappy with their name and sad they don't have their own separate identity. The chosen name may also not suit them especially if is quite dated and has been used for many generations. Another thing to consider is that it is very possible to mix up parent and child when it comes to phone calls, bills, credit reports within families with duplicate names.

What gender comes to mind when the name is read or said aloud? Some names have a strong association towards either sex depending on the situation. While there are many names that truly are unisex there are others that tend to lean in one particular direction and are interpreted as being either a "boy" or "girl" name. There are of course some positives and negatives to choosing a name that is unisex so consider all aspects when going thru the naming process. Unfortunately for those having boys the choices are more limited. Many names that were traditionally male names have switched over to the girl camp and may never fully recover. It seems like the more and more little girls are given "boy" names the quickly they lose their masculinity that they may have once had. This is one of the reasons why you will find almost twice as many girls' names as boys' names when you flip thru a baby naming book.

Another consideration besides the first name is what will you choose for the middle name and how does it go with the family's last name. Consider what the initials look like and possibly spell. Also how many names will you use? 3 names are not required yet most people do have a middle name. A new trend is to have more then one middle name and while it means you get to use more of your top name choices it may cause problems for your child in the future. Forms generally only allow one middle name and hyphenating can be annoying. Same goes for more then one last name though this is more common then multiple middle names. How do the two (or three or four) names sound together? A good rule is to avoid having the first name end in the same letter that the last name starts with. When said together (as they will often be done) it may be hard to determine where the first name ends and the last name begins. Same thought for the middle and last name if it's likely all 3 will be used some day. Are the 2 or 3 names easy to say together? Do they have too many of the same sounds or are they too similar or different? Write out the possible combinations and practice saying them. One idea is to go a week or so introducing yourself with the name you have chosen for your child to get a feel for how well it works and is receptive. If it's not something you are comfortable with then imagine the possible impact it would have on your baby who has no say at all in this huge decision.

Will you have a nickname for your child? Some parents choose names because of their nickname possibilities others choose particular names because they cannot be shortened. If you hate a common nickname that is often used for the formal name you have chosen you may thing about picking something else. It will be irritating when other's call your child by the nickname if it's something you loathe. The benefit of a nickname possible name is that the child may choose to use different forms as they grow up. Michael may be Mikey and then Mike and later Michael if he desires. If you would prefer your child always be called by their nickname then their might not be a point in naming them something more formal. But be aware that other people may wrongly assume that Kim in Kimberly so again you might decide to go with something else. If you plan on naming your child one thing and calling them by their middle name or something that has no relevance to their given name this may be frustrating at the least for your little one. You might as well officially give them the name you want them to be called so there is less confusion for your child.

Many people try to come up with creative and unique names for their baby. While it's nice to have something that is different then the other children they know, it can also be hard to have a name that is too odd. It's annoying to have the same name as several other's you know but it's also frustrating to have to repeat yourself 10 times because people have never heard of your name and are not sure what you are saying. And often parents change up the spelling of a common name to make their child stand out. It may seem like a good idea at the time but it will be misspelled frequently throughout life and your child may wish you had just stuck with the traditional spelling to avoid the confusion. A more unique name may be desired if the last name is very common.

Pronunciation is an important aspect to consider when naming your baby because they will need to be able to say their own name as will other's they come in contact with. This is something to think about when spelling as the most phonetic option is usually the easiest.

What does your baby name mean? Most people honestly don't know or care what their chosen name means but it's important to others. It's a good idea to at least look up the meaning, history, association with your particular name choices just in case it does matter. Sometimes this may help if you are trying to decide between more then one name, the meaning may become more influential at this point. Also what does the name bring to mind when you or your partner think about it? Do you have any bad feelings towards it because of your past? It's hard with popular names because it's likely that one of you has experience with knowing someone who had that name but as long as it's not a bad association it should be fine. Also is there a common stereo-type connected to the name? Do some research and ask other's you know what their thoughts are (only if you want their opinion of course) and get a bigger overall picture of the names you are thinking of.

Naming a baby is not easy but it's something you will have to do when deciding to have a child. Some parents go thru a long process analyzing name choices and comparing their favorites. Others may already have decided to name their child after a family member or friend or have a chosen name for many years before they even have a baby. There are also parents who have a few possible name choices and wait until they meet their baby and get to know this new little person before deciding. What's important is that both parents agree and are happy with their name and it's something they are sure about before filling in the birth certificate.