Does your baby really care what you call her? All she needs is milk, sleep and some comfort; and she will be fine.
Is a name important? Yes, in a way it is. Let us say you randomly choose a name for baby. Once your little one grows up, she might wish you had spent more time thinking about it.
Of course, there is no definite way to tell if she will eventually like the name, you give her. Yet, a little thoughtfulness and creativity will not hurt.
A few things to keep in mind while choosing a name for baby:
Put yourself in your child's shoes.
Try to give baby a name that you would like having.
Make sure both you and your spouse like it.
Choosing a name for baby is a wonderful process. Do not deprive your spouse of this pleasure. Make a list of names you both agree upon and choose one of them.
A name with a meaning would be nice.
Give your child a sense of belonging by choosing a name that means something to you or to the world in general. Consider the name of a loved one, a mythological character or a historical icon. Or a name based on one of baby's physical attributes like the color of her eyes or hair.
An unusual name?
Choose an unusual name by all means cause it will help your child stand out from the rest all her life. But it would be nice to avoid the ones that have high chances of being mispronounced.
The John Smith identity
An unusual name might be mispronounced, but beware of common names too. Do you want your child to be one of the eight Amys or nine Davids in the class?
Check the initials
Check if the initials spell anything that could make your baby the butt of jokes. Picture the name Martin Andrew Dale and you know what we mean.
The year's hottest name
When you choose a name from the list of top ten pop stars of the year, you run a risk of making your child uncomfortable later in life. These 'stars' might soon become obscure or outdated or even worse infamous. If your last name were Anderson, would you want to name your child Pamela?
Family feelings
You don't get to name your baby everyday. So, do consider family feelings, but do not place them over your own.
Check how it sounds
In general, long last names go well with short first names and vice versa. For example, Rob Anderson is better than Jonathan Anderson. Just as Angelina Ben better than Ann Ben.
Ultimately, a name is a matter of personal choice. These tips are just to help you finalize on one of the names you have chosen. Go ahead and give your baby a name that is close to your heart, and chances are that she will love it too.
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About The Author
Michelle Higgins
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This article was posted on October 10, 2005
