Five Completely Awful Trendy Name No Nos for Baby Boys

Naming your baby is one of the most exciting and thoughtful decisions you may make in your entire life. After all, what you name your baby will likely be with him for the rest of your life. But pregnancy hormones and creativity aside, here are five big No-Nos in the baby naming world. Though you may decide on a less traditional name to give your child a unique start, it may be best to set aside "Thor" or "Zircon" for a name that won't cause your child to cringe later.

Trendy Baby Boy Name No-No #1 - Names that are out of this world. If you choose a name that sounds like it belongs on to alien, flower, or a superhero, it may give your child an interesting zeal, but it might also result in a lot of chastisement from classmates. That doesn't mean you need to choose a common name, (And what teacher doesn't appreciate a reprieve from a classroom of Michaels and Dakotas.) But an absolutely bizarre name means your child might have an extra social hurdle to negotiate. A 2009 study in Social Science Quarterly suggests that unusual names might leave a boy prone to criminal activity. *

Trendy Baby Boy Name No-No #2 - Misspellings. Misspelling common names like Mikk (Mike) or Nayte (Nate) is a common trend lately. But when you give your child's name a unique spelling with extra consonants or alternative letters, not only do you make it more difficult for others to properly spell your child's name, pronunciation may also suffer. Consider purchasing a baby names book if you're not sure of the traditional spelling of the potential name.

Trendy Baby Boy Name No-No #3 - Mismatched or Poorly Considered Combinations. I went to school with a boy whose initials were PMS. In addition, I knew Richards Small and Burns. Though not trendy for these times, choosing trendy names for your child that go poorly with the child's last name or middle name are as bad as naming the child something monsterous. Rhyming names are also not recommended unless you feel your child will want to become a used car salesman.

Trendy Baby Boy Name No-No #4 - Starry Names. Copying the trendy names chosen by stars to help their children stand out in the California crowd may not be the best plan of late. Last names are not much better. Jolie, Gaga, and Eastbood are not well accepted names for a baby boy.

Trendy Baby Boy Name No-No #5 - Location, Location, Location. So many people have been naming their children after locations, (and no, this is not a new trend) that these locale names have become mainstream. That doesn't make them better. Naming your child after actual places or things may seem like a good idea until you realize that those places have meanings. Baby name dictionaries state that "Dakota" means smiling. It actually is a name for the "Souix" or defines as "Friend". Austin means Royal. But as Dakota and Austin are too popular, Indiana, Cincinatti, and the strangely popular LA (just L. A., those are not initials) are names that indicate a place of origin that may not be correct. Your child may spend his life explaining that he's never been to the popular place his name indicates.

Whatever you choose to name your baby, don't let your heart and hormones decide. Be sure to research and consider what can happen if you choose a particular name for your little one. Sparrow might make one think of the childhood song, "Oh I Wish I Was". I can't imagine summer camp for that boy if that particular song is chosen as a fireside favorite.

*Adolescents with Unpopular Names More Prone to Committing Crime. Contact Amy Molnar. Available online at http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-01/w-awu012809.php