How to Choose the Perfect Baby Name

One of the first decisions that parents make for their child is choosing a name. Baby naming has become somewhat of a pre-baby hobby for many pregnant women and their partners, as internet sites, baby naming books, and well-intentioned relatives offer their best name picks for the baby-to-be. Choosing the perfect name for a baby may be more complicated than it looks, however, and there are many things to keep in mind when choosing the perfect name for a baby.

Baby Naming Tips

There are many ways to decide on a name for a baby. Some parents choose the traditional route and name the baby after ancestors or favorite relatives. Others pass the father's name to a first born son, adding a junior or second designation to the name. Sometimes, pregnancy hormones take over and parents go with unusual names, the way Gwenyth Paltrow did with baby Apple. Celebrity baby names may not be the best choices for the average parent, however. While, little Apple may fit in fine with Hollywood classmates, Violet, Moon Beam, and Jett Starfighter, your baby may stand out too much with that name in middle America. Before you sign the birth certificate, take the time to think about how well the chosen name will fit for your baby.

Last Names Matter

Last names do matter, when choosing the perfect name for a baby. Long first names may not fit as well with extrememly long surnames, and your child will have to work extra hard in Kindergarten writing a name with 36 letters. Generally, longer last names work better with shorter or average length first names. Some baby name book writers suggest using the syllable rule for choosing the perfect baby name combination for your baby. If your last name has three syllables, it would generally go better with a first name that has one, two, or even four syllables, than a baby name with three. Jessica Doe sounds better that Jess Doe, for example.

Check the Initials

There's nothing worse than poor little Bradley Aidan Drew being stuck with the initials, BAD. Though initials may not seem important at first, they will likely be used at some point during a child's life. What will Lisa Susan Dell think when she sees her initals are LSD? It may seem silly now, but who really wants to be stuck with odd initial combinations? Penelope Iris Garner will probably not like being stuck with initials that spell out a farm animal. Write down baby name combinations on paper to see how they match up in initial form.

Bud and Jonathan

If this is the first baby in the home, take some time to consider how the name you choose might fit with your plans for future children. The first baby name chosen will set the pattern for future baby names. Likewise, parents who have children, should consider how well the new baby name fits with sibling names. Third child Bud may not be the best choice for a family with siblings Jonathan and Elizabeth. Some parents stick with the same first letter of a name as the baby naming guide, creating homes with Samantha, Stephen, and Serenas, or Katie, Kaden, and Kellys.

Extreme Spellings

Everyone wants their baby name to fit perfectly for their one-of-a-kind baby, but that should not mean tagging the baby with an extreme name. Names with extreme spellings are those that the majority of well-meaning people will not be able to spell correctly. There is a differnce between a unique spelling and an extreme spelling of a baby name. The traditional spelling of Alyssa might be spelled Alissa, Elyssa, or even Alysa, to make the name unique. The extreme version of Allyyssa or Allysza might be harder for many children to carry as their name, though.

Too Trendy?

Top ten lists for baby names may not be the best place to search for a baby name for your baby. These lists almost guarantee that your child will find five other kids with the same name in their Kindergarten class. Do you really want to have the same name for your baby as 76,000 other parents in America? Popular baby names change with the decade, and some even quicker than that. Some baby names can be tracked down to a few year period of years when everyone had to name their baby the current fashionable baby name. While popular baby names come and go, consider using one of the more popular baby names as a middle name if you really like it. Variations of popular names can work too, for choosing the perfect baby name.

The Perfect Baby Name

Finding the perfect baby name for your baby requires time and patience. Many parents find that their idea of the perfect baby name is not the same as their partner's idea. Compromise is the key to resolving baby naming differences. Honesty plays a role too. Start by picking up a baby naming book or printing out a list of baby names from an online website and marking your favorite names. Work together and see if there are any matches for baby name picks. Narrow the list down to a top three to five baby names and play around with different name combinations to hear what sounds best when you say the baby name aloud. Don't forget about common nicknames that people often make from names too. If you want your baby to be called Jacob, rather than Jake or Jakey, make sure that you remind people from the beginning of your preference. Names tend to stick.

For all it's worth, after all the work that you put in deciding on the perfect name for your baby, it is likely that once your baby arrives, you will call your child many different names throughout their life. Affectionate nicknames are the sign of a child that is loved, and these are the names most commonly given to children by close family and friends. Who knew that my son Christian would call himself "Chi Chi" at two, or that Matthew would think that he was Superman at three, running laps around the house in his cape and costume, eventually becoming our little, "Mattman." You'll see what I mean, once you find that perfect name for your perfect baby.