How to Choose the Perfect Name for Your Baby
Head over to any parenting website and you’ll find list after list of potential baby names, including – but not limited to! – lists for families who “ love to rock”, lists of the top 100 and lists of names that are “ rarely used but beautiful. … “That’s not it. Rather than giving you names, I’m going to embark on a journey that will surely lead you to come up with the perfect name for this cute little girl along the way.
Consider the meaning of the name
You might just want to love the name. Or you can dive a little deeper and pick one that has a pleasing meaning: Megan, for example, means pearl, and yes, I’m a pearl, thank you. You might want to honor a beloved family member, choose a name that has traditionally been used in your family, or a name that has special meaning – middle names are great for this.
Choosing a name that is compatible with your language education and your partner’s language education can also be an important factor; this tool can help with this . Think about what is important (or not important) in a name to you to narrow down your choices.
Remember, this is a popularity contest that you don’t want to win
For a time, my son’s three best friends were Matthew S., Matthew S., and Matt. And listen, Matthew is a very beautiful name – I have nothing against Matthews, there are too many of them, that’s all. This is where the Popular Baby Names lists come in handy – look at a few and notice how you don’t want to name your child so that he doesn’t end up being one of four with the same name in a kindergarten class.
Funny story: Obviously, even certain syllables can become popular. Several years ago, my son’s first grade was Aiden, Jaden, Jaden, Hayden, and Reagan (and Matthew S.). So you can consider not only the name itself, but all the other popular names it can rhyme with.
Also, be careful when choosing a “unique” name inspired by pop culture. You’re not the only one who thinks ” Arya ” is a pretty cool name for a little girl.
If you already have one (or more) children
If it’s a second child (or older), you’re not just testing how one name looks, feels, and sounds – it’s a luxury that only newbie parents can afford. Now you need to make sure that the name is not only beautiful in itself, but also goes well with the names of your other children.
To test this, close your eyes and imagine that your children are a little older – say, 7, 10, or 12 years old. You are trying to get out the door – in fact, you are already late! – but where are they and why are they so long? You shout down the stairs to their bedrooms, “Riley, Hayley, Bailey, let’s go!” No, no, that won’t work. This is too-sings-song, a combination you’ll definitely regret. What about “Samuel, Alexandra, Veronica, we’re late!” Lord, you’ve been talking for so long that you’re even more late. The perfect combination will be smooth and a little edgy, but not overly witty.
It should also go well with their last name.
The importance of the combination of first name and last name cannot be overemphasized. I’ll omit this list of very unfortunate names right here as an example of the most egregious mistakes that I hope you won’t make, but again, flow is key. If you have a very long last name, a shorter name may be fine (or vice versa). You probably don’t want the names to rhyme – Amelia Bedelia is better off staying fictional. And you have to be careful with alliteration; who wants to represent themselves as “Brad Brown” all their lives? (Say it out loud, it’s useless.)
You will also want to consider any possible nicknames. William Shrilli is good, but Billy Shrilli? Don’t do this to him. Introduce your child as an adult attending a professional networking event, during which he has to reach out and introduce himself several times. Did you give them a name combination that they can proudly announce?
Do not ask an outside opinion under any circumstances.
Do you know why you should keep this to yourself until you know for sure a name? Because someone won’t like it. They’ll work with Ben, who was a jerk, or went to high school with Carly, who nagged them, and that leaves a bad taste in their mouth and should be banished for good. Once you see someone react negatively to your dream title, it spoils it a little for you.
But they will likely only tell you this when the name is just an option. Once this is written on the birth certificate, they are much more likely to lie and say they like it, although not always, so be prepared for your mother-in-law’s reaction just in case.
And finally …
You must like this name. It is important. Because you will say it (and scream) for years to come.