Top Ten Tips for Choosing a Baby’s
Name
Naming a baby is a big deal. It’s
one of the most important things that every parent should consider
as it is by far one of the most unforgettable things that you could
ever do for your child.
Most of parents spend hours and
hours, preparing the nursery, buying toys and other things for their
baby, attending childbirth classes and sessions without even
thinking for what name will they create for their child. Instead
of pondering on what name will be best for their child months before
the baby is born, some parents end up deciding on the child’s name
within a matter of seconds after the baby is born.
Well, naming a baby is no doubt a
very difficult decision to make. As we all know, the baby’s name is
a representation of the child’s existence and identity. He or she
will bear it for a lifetime, thus it follows that a well- chosen
name will infuse a sense of satisfaction and pride for your child’s
lifetime. Because of this, finding the right name for your baby is
crucial as it a vital factor on how your baby will be known for the
rest of his life. Yes, it can be exciting and enjoyable, but parents
should not pick a name that would drive their child to hide in their
closet.
As expected, there are a lot of
things to weigh out when choosing a name for the baby. It is
possible that you will have a long list of names before you finally
figure out and settle on a particular one. Out of the tens of
thousands of baby names to choose from, it is so easy to miss the
best name for your child. So the question is how and what are the
most brilliant suggestions for naming a baby that could help
soon-to-be parents decide on calling their child? The tips are
below, so please read on.
Tip #1:
Gather Ideas… Ask the Expert!
Most soon-to-be-parents usually
settle on a name that first popped into their minds. Well, this can
be a helpful considering that most names that first came into our
minds are the names that we really like for our child. However,
this is not always the case. Some parents think for a name that
sounds silly or funny; most don’t even fit with their surnames. So
instead of jumping immediately into a doubtful decision, it is best
to gather ideas first by perhaps asking the experts.
As you may know, the name choices
today are reeling with over a thousand of common names and these
names vary according to sounds and spelling. So before you pick up
one from these tens of thousands, start doing your homework first.
A lot of books for baby names are out there available in the
market. There are also a number of baby-name software programs that
could give you ideas on what to name for your child. You can check
out for these software programs either online through those
baby-name sites or offline through those baby-name stores and
outlets.
Speaking of online, the Internet is
highly available for you to utilize. So if you know how to operate
your computer and you have an internet connection, then start using
the cyberspace for gathering ideas and suggestions for your child’s
name. Tap into dozens of portals out there on the virtual world
that list baby names according to popularity, origin or meanings.
Note the names that best appeal to you and somewhere in the middle
of your pregnancy start sorting out some of your favorites.
Tip #2:
Don’t Just Get Your Skates On! Take Your Time.
Perhaps one of the worst things that
you could do when choosing a name for your baby is to hurry into it,
thinking that your baby is soon-to-be born and you don’t have a name
yet for him or her. Well, to tell you frankly, that’s the price of
not getting prepared long before the baby is born. But, let’s not
deal into blaming here for that won’t help. The idea here is that
not to hurry on deciding for a name. Take your time for nothing is
too late.
Remember that settling for the second
best may greatly affect you and of course your child for a
lifetime. The child will carry the name that you have addressed him
or her on his or her everyday dealings, and that will be for a
lifetime. So if a certain name suddenly popped into your mind and
you are not satisfied with it, then there’s no reason for you to
commit yourself to that first name. As mentioned earlier, do some
homework or keep on searching and settle only if you really find a
name that you are more than a hundred percent happy with. Most of
all, always remember that there’s no deadline for getting a name for
your baby. Some couples in fact have been known to wait for about
two to three weeks before deciding on the ideal name.
Tip #3:
Think for Compatibility
So you’ve started to find names that
you fancy. The next thing to do is to make sure that the name you
choose has a sense of compatibility. What I am trying to say here
is the name’s compatibility in terms of sound with your last name.
Start mixing or matching the first name and the middle name along
with your last name and see how the various combinations appear to
you. Does the name sound great? Try to say it aloud and ask
yourself if the name you picked sounds pleasant to the ear.
Remember that your baby will hear that name again and again, and you
will have to say it over and over again.
Another way to create a name based on
compatibility is to use it in sentences, aside from saying it
aloud. This will provide you a better idea of how much you really
love the name. And, don’t forget to see if the name really looks
great on paper. As what most experts say, there are names that
look great when written on paper, but the truth is, they sound
terrible when said.
Aside from compatibility with sound,
it is also best to choose a name for your baby based on the
spelling. Yes, spelling does matter. So instead of focusing just
on how the name sounds, try to consider on how the name appears on
paper. Note that names that are difficult to spell might complicate
your child’s life before he or she even made his/ her entrance to
school. Well, the key here is to consider the vowels and consonants
in the name. If your last name is multi-syllabic, then it’s better
not to pick a first name with a number of syllables. In addition,
don’t pick a first name that ends with a vowel if for instance your
name begins with a vowel, and if the name you choose rhymes with
your last name, disregard it. Most of all don’t choose a name for
your child that can be spelled as a word or can create an acronym.
If that happens, your child would no doubt be a subject of ridicule.
Along with spelling, consider
pronunciation of the baby name. Pronunciation is really a challenge
and it goes hand in hand with spelling. If the name is hard to
pronounce, chances are it would be hard to spell. So again, never
complicate your child’s life with names that are hard to pronounce
and hard to spell. Note that creative pronunciations or spellings
of names may only cause your child to take the task of correcting
people that make mistakes in pronouncing or spelling his or her
name. That’s not a good name choice for in the end you will get
the blame for it.
Tip #4:
The Meaning of the Name Matters
Do you know what your name means? If
not, then start knowing the meaning of your child’s name. Do you
want your big, strong boy to bear a name that means “pretty
flower”? Remember that although name meaning may sound less
important, it does create a big deal. So it is then necessary to
create a name that contains a positive meaning for the reason that
it sometimes be associated with the personality or character of your
child.
I bet you will agree with me if I
will say that there’s nothing lovelier than to know that the name
you have created for your child has a pleasant origin. Yes, it
is! So if possible, try to decide for a name that has a positive
meaning. Choose the ones that are associated with good qualities
and desirable traits that you wish your child may possess. However,
creating a name that is associated with good qualities or traits is
not easy as pie. If you have picked a name that means “kind”, for
instance, then it follows that you must teach and show your child
the virtue of kindness. Raise him or her up with kindness in your
heart, in your mind and in your deeds. And, if the meaning you
chose means “brave”, then you should also show the difference
between braveness and foolishness to your child for him or her to
deserve such name.
But, how can you know the meaning of
the name you have chosen for your baby?
The solution is just so simple.
There are hundreds of books out there that contain information about
baby’s names and their meanings. Aside from this fact, a myriad of
websites are out there today that could help you generate a name for
your baby and find that name’s meaning. All you have to do in these
websites is to enter the names that you are considering and your on
the way to knowing what those names mean. In addition, there are
some online portals these days that display hundreds of names in
alphabetical order, with their corresponding meanings. So start
exploring the web now.
Tip #5:
Be Creative, but Not Too!
I bet you’ve heard someone saying be
unique or creative, but not too. Well, this is certainly true when
choosing a name for your baby. Note that creating a name that is
unique is not a bad idea, but to create it with too much uniqueness
and creativity may end up your child regretting the name and blaming
you in the end. A name that no one has heard of or can’t pronounce
can no doubt bring embarrassment. It may even bring unwanted
attention to a child. So if possible, don’t be too unique when
deciding for a baby’s name. Common names that are easily recognized
or can easily be spelled may fare much better to your child’s
future, although having a unique name may make your child stand out
in the crowd.
Tip #6:
Trendy and Popular? Think Twice!
A name’s popularity is also a matter
of consideration when choosing a name for your baby. Parents must
remember that names that are too trendy are likely to go out of
style in the years to come. Also, choosing a name that is on top of
the popularity list has certain risks. The name being on the top
will be a favorite to so many that your child may end up with a name
that everyone else has.
For starters, having a name that most
everyone around you has, may create some difficulty and confusion
especially in school. It can be tough for your child to find three
or more of his or her classmates answering to the same name. A
teacher of this class may also find it daunting to call a student ,
John and three or four of the students get up and respond to the
same name. Given this fact, it is then best to avoid the so-called
“top ten” names. Look for certain names which are rare, but are
not too, or simply look for a name that is mid popular and not too
trendy.
Tip #7:
Consider Nicknames
Creating a nickname for a child is
another important thing to consider. Always remember that most
children are addressed by their nicknames. So when you think of a
nickname for your baby, always consider what possible nickname can
be derived from the first name. Before you choose one, again test
the nicknames for compatibility. Think of what the nickname you
chose could subject your child to in the future. Nicknames can be
fodder for playground teasing as kids can sometimes be cruel.
Tip #8:
Watch Out for Initials
As what most people have noticed, the
initials in a name can be a devastating factor, this is perhaps the
reason that most couples or parents do not really look at the
initials when deciding on a name for their babies. Well, initials
should not appear undesirable. It is worth noting that most of the
time in our lives, initials are highly required. So it is important
for parent to think about it and make sure that the first initials
of their child’s first, middle and last name do not spell anything
that is undesirable. To put it simply, the words that will be
formed from the initials of a given baby name should not be a
subject of ridicule. For instance, the name Precious Ivy Gonzalez
may be a beautiful name for a beautiful baby girl, but the downside
is when you take a look at the initials and the words that will form
is “PIG”. Now, are those initials great to hear? These initials
can no doubt become a source of anguish and shame for your child.
Besides, who loves to be called “PIG”? No one, I think so. So be
very careful when choosing a name for your baby.
Tip #9:
Name after a Family Member’s Name
A lot of parents have recognized the
advantage of naming a child after a family member’s or relative’s
name. Well, according to some resources, naming a child after a
family member’s name is like honoring that member. So if you want
to show honor to your grandparents perhaps, then start checking out
with their names and collect as many family names as possible. You
can use the same for your child, but this is not by far a very good
option for the initial is worthy of consideration here. Perhaps the
best way to do is to create a variation of the name or do a matching
with the first initial. For example, you can name your child “Jack”
after your grandmother’s name “Jacqueline”.
Tip #10: Think About the
Gender
Most people think for a name based on
the name’s gender. Well, this is a pretty considerable matter as it
is important for name to be clearly identified by gender. In this
way, names that are being used for both girls and boys can easily be
ruled, thus choosing the right name for your child can be done as
easy as possible. Simply put, it’s advisable to make a name with
clear gender identification.
So, all the possible options are laid
down to you. Perhaps the best thing for you to do now is to note
and understand everything that has been said. Always remember to
think for your child’s future when deciding on a name for your
baby. And, don’t forget that ultimately, the name of your child is
your decision, so if you consider the tips mentioned above carefully
and choose a name based on what you really feel or love, then
there’s no way for you to go wrong.
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