Nine long months & the baby finally arrives - Beautiful bundle of fascination! But, what will the baby be named?
For many parents, a name has been chosen long before the child is even conceived. Perhaps you’ve always had a particular name in mind just waiting to spring it onto your child. For others, the task of choosing a name for the new baby is tiresome & becomes a chore. How do you go about selecting a name for your baby?
What comes to mind is an episode of Seinfeld where friends in the show chose the name "Seven" to give to their baby. The show centered around the fact that "Seven" was not a name, but a number. While this was a very funny episode, people do sometimes choose names that are not run-of-the mill, or perhaps even made up. Here’s some ways to go about finding just the right name to suit your little one:
- Start with looking in baby name books or online baby websites for a list of names and their meanings. Check off names you like, and go from there, narrowing it down by what the name means as well as how you like the way the name sounds & how it fits with the child’s last name. If you have a last name that could sound like a description more than a name once you add a first name to it, then your first name considerations will narrow so as not to launch a child into life with a name that sounds more like a label.
- Consider naming your child after the father, if it’s a boy and providing a Jr. title. Or, name a little girl after the mother. You could even honor a special family member by passing on a grandparent’s name. If you do not want your child to hold onto certain names, consider using it as their middle name. It’s even o.k. to give a child two middle names if need be.
- Some people use surnames as the baby’s first name. For instance, using the mother’s maiden last name as the baby’s first or middle name.
- Search baby websites to find out what names are popular. If you want to stay within a common trend, select a name from the top 5 listed.
- Consider nicknames that could possibly come from the name. For instance, if you don’t like the name Katy, then you might want to reconsider naming your child Katherine or other sources of the nickname.
- Think of the people in your life who have influenced you, and consider using their full name or even their last name as either a first or middle name for your child.
- Some parents enjoy naming their children all starting with the same letter of the alphabet.
- One consideration some parents may not think of is how the child’s initials will look - Do they spell out a word you might not want to have associated with your child?
The ways to find a name for your child are endless. Some parents even choose a couple names and do not make their final decision until they have seen the baby to see which one they look more like. Some parents don’t even name their child until a day or two after their birth just to make sure the name fits the child. Remember that the name you choose for your child will stick with them the rest of their life, even if they fall back upon a nickname as they grow. So, choose thoughtfully. Hopefully, your children will thank you for it!
