Warning: Some of you may not agree with me on this one. In fact, many of you may not. This post is more of an opinion piece than an informational piece. Most of my posts are written to give you facts and information since those two things help you manage life with a baby much more efficiently than my two cents can do.
But sometimes, it is good to add a little spice to the informational mix.
Especially on something as important as naming your child.
My humble suggestions for you to consider when creating a name for your baby:
-Check the meaning first. My favorite site for doing so is: http://babynamesworld.parentsconnect.com/
-Consider if this name will make life difficult for the child: will they constantly have to correct the spelling? the pronunciation? does the name sound like or rhyme with a bad word? Once again, http://babynamesworld.parentsconnect.com/ offers a great service here where people who have the name you are considering fill out a survey answering those very questions. I learned a tremendous amount reading their feedback.
-Will everyone else in the classroom have this name? While you do not want something so unique that it becomes a burden to the child and makes them feel strange, you do not want them to be one of six kids in the room with the same name.
-Picture the baby as an adult: is the name appropriate for a grown up? Is it a name they can use in a professional setting and a personal setting? For instance, I never liked the nickname I was given because it ended in an “ie” sound, which felt (and in linguistic terms, was) diminutive. As I got older, I started to use my full name instead.
-Does the name have a story behind it? All people, but especially children, like feeling that a choice as important as a name has some deliberate meaning behind it. Were you named after a person your parents really liked? a loved relative? a favorite character in a book or in history? Think about the answer you will give your child when they ask “Mommy, why am I named…”
-Check the initials: do they spell out a silly or foul word? Nothing is worse (in a kid’s mind) than when a teacher puts the kid’s initials on a project and they spell out “BAD” or something equally uncool.
-Make sure the first, middle, and last names go together: There are some baby names that I love, but they simply do not go with my husband’s last name, which has both a strong “s” and a strong “en” sound. Practice saying the first and last names out loud together several times, as well as all the first, middle, and last names together. Make sure it all flows.
-Tell everyone else to politely take a hike. Other people may have a strong opinion about the baby’s name, but the bottom line is that unless they will be changing at least 50% or more of the diapers, attending 50% or more of the public restroom potty training trips, teaching the child to drive, having a birds and bees sex talk with them, and paying for at least half of the college tuition, they don’t get to vote. It is your child; you name him or her using your heart and your head.
And if you feel like it, this list.
Because in the end, your child will blame you or thank you for their name no matter who talks you into it. So do your homework and give it your best shot.
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Over to You: What did I leave out? What are your regrets about your name? For all the teachers out there who see thousands of names, do you have any advice for us? Let us know!
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Small world, I just blogged about baby names too! I love that my name, Kara is unique, but I've definitely had problems all my life with people mispronouncing it. We chose an easy name for our son as a result. Thanks for these site links, great resources!
Most of the pregnant women prepared different names for the coming baby to to prepared and to choose the best name in town
I think that parents shouldn't disclose the name before their baby is born. It adds a bit of surprise to the birth day. I told our girl name when we found out our first was a boy and sure enough someone knew someone with that name that was a total ____ (fill in the blank). There was a name we loved and had prayed about totally thrown away… lame.http://elislids.blogspot.com/
I like the name Kara! I'll have to check out your post on the subject.
That is a very good point! Add that one to the list everyone: keep it
a surprise!
I think your advice is excellent on selecting a name for your new baby, keeping in mind this is something a child carries all his life is the point. Giving your child a name he/she can be proud of is key, not a name that will be cause for kids to taunt. Kids can be so cruel in that way. If you are considering naming your child after a grandparent or other relative(which is such an honor) using this name as a middle name. You are still honoring that person but perhaps you are saving the child from taunting as he grows. Names are important and it is something every parent considers carefully.
Karen:
That's a great way of phrasing it: “a name they can be proud of” That
says it all!