How to Pick a Baby Name?
A baby name is one of the most important things you give to your baby boy or baby girl. According to Kylie from MSU, a baby's name helps determine your child's identity. Will they be lazy? Shy? Aggressive? or maybe creative? Thoughtful? and determined? Of course, other factors are involved, but choosing a suitable baby name is something you have immediate control over. It is an excellent way to give your child's life a head start towards a great future.
With the warning out of the way, don't forget, there is still hope to find the perfect baby name. Here is our guide to choosing the perfect baby name.
Finding a suitable baby name can get very involved and take a long time. There are a lot of things to consider. Is the name too unique? Is it too common? Will it affect my child's ability to get a job? According to NBC News, a name affects your chances of landing a job. As stated in the article:
Shuki Khalili: I tried using an American name, ‘Andrew Warner,’ and suddenly I could at least engage them in conversation and sell them some ads so I could build my business.
This quote emphasizes the importance of a name!
Different Methods of Choosing A Baby Name
- Choose names that have stood the test of time. If you look at the trends for baby names on ssa.gov, you will notice that certain names seem to hang around the top 10. Boy names, such as Liam, Noah, William, and girls names such as Emma, Olivia, and Ava are at the top for a good reason. They are safe, nice names, and there is nothing wrong with being safe every once in a while.
- It is always a good idea to choose a name from your heritage. If you are French, you can choose names like Adelynn, Aubrey, Holly for girls, Ray, Lee, and Oliver for boys. It is a good way to honor your heritage and find good baby names at the same time.
- You can also find names based on meanings. If you want your baby boy to be brave, strong, or courageous, then names like Everett and Dusty fit. For your girl, if you want names that represent beauty, then names like Anabella or Ebony are great choices.
- With the amount of bullying that goes on in school today, you should definitely consider the possible derogatory names that can be used as nicknames for some names. On nickname stories, there is a list of the different effects of awful nicknames. You can always do a Google search on a name to see any derogatory nicknames you may not be aware of
- Always remember to check the initials. There have been instances where parents inadvertently give their child the worst initials. Take these real-life examples into consideration:
Frank Ulysses Kemper
Amber Samantha Sampson
Unity Geraldine Lia Irvin
Tommy Oliver Adam Dean
This is definitely something you will want to look out for because someone else will definitely notice.
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Pregnancy is stressful on its own, choosing a baby name doesn't need to add to it.
Our tool will baby name suggestions; since an advanced algorithm is choosing the name, neither parent will feel cheated or overruled.
- Our name generator app will suggest baby name ideas randomly or using family names (parents' names) if you choose to do so.
- Look at names separately from your spouse. Keep notes on the ones you like, and if you find a matching name, then you have a winner.
- One parent can choose the first name, and the other can choose the second name or multiple middle names.
- Get a calendar of the month your child should be born. Take turns writing names down each day. The day your baby is born is the name.
- Put an even amount of baby names that each parent likes in a bag and have someone else pull a name out.
- Let the mom name the girls, and the dad name the boys or vice versa.
- Choose names that are a dedication to a beloved family member.
- Pick a baby name that goes with the last name.
- We have a lot of Name Games that will help you discover new ideas.
Choosing Baby Names That Both Parents' Agree On
Agreeing with your spouse on a baby's name is one of the first and hardest steps. The internet is littered with blog posts and forum threads about the parents' not agreeing on a baby name. This forum thread has 270+ answers from parents offering help and warnings on how disagreeing on baby names can cause resentment between parent/child and husband/wife. Here is a notable quote from the forum that emphasizes what you want to avoid at all costs:
My husband refused to compromise until the baby was three days old, and we had to leave the hospital. The experience was a nightmare and ruined what should have been a good memory.
As stated in the forum, baby naming should be a loving and enjoyable process. It is never a good thing to start off in the wrong direction. Always be understanding, listen to reason, and compromise.
Choosing a Middle Name
A second name isn't always necessary, but it is definitely recommended.
According to an article in mental floss, the term "middle name" originated in 1835 in a Harvard University periodical called "Harvardiana", but the practice of using middle names started long before. Simply put, a middle name is a name or multiple names between the given name (first name) and the family name (surname or last name).
Examples:
- Christopher Edward Johnson
- Marie Sarah Thomas
- George Herbert Walker Bush
- Samantha Alice Winthrop
Why should I choose a middle name?
- Middle names are very common; it almost seems wrong not to choose a second name.
- You can give your child an alternate name to honor a family member, such as a grandmother or grandfather.
- You are giving your child another name to choose from. A lot of people go by his or her middle name, such as Bruce Willis. Bruce is his middle name and, Walter is his first.
- Second names help distinguish people with the same first and last name from one another (regardless of the baby's gender). Michael B. Jordan uses his middle initial, so he isn't confused with Michael Jordan, the basketball star.
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