Choosing your baby’s name is a massive decision and often the cause of many an argument. Some parents haven’t even agreed on a name before their bundle arrives, preferring to wait to see if he or she looks more like a certain name. With so many to choose from it can be hard to figure out where to even start, but here are a few things to keep in mind during this process.
Important things to consider when choosing a baby name
1. You’re naming them for life
Sure choosing a name of someone who is famous or hip right is kinda funky; just remember you’re naming your baby for life. Consider this name will be the one they use to introduce themselves to friends, future partners and of course their employers! We don’t suggest you be boring, just think long term.
2. How it sounds
Saying your baby’s name aloud will help you decide if it’s a sound you like, consider if it sounds good with your surname. Sometimes having a shorter first name goes well with a longer last name and vice versa. Listen to how the vowels sound and consider if the name rhymes with your surname and if that is something you want or not. In the interests of making sure you kids avoid any flak, it might be best to avoid puns such as Anna Conda, Chris P. Bacon!
4. Smile and nod
Everyone is going to have an opinion on your name, EVERYONE, so keep this in mind before you tell the world what you’re considering. If you want to throw everyone off the scent give them a bogus name and just watch them love or hate it!
Tip: Consider how hard it’s going to be for your child to write their name, especially if they have a double-barrel surname!
5. Family traditions and pressure
Be mindful that often older generations expect you to pick up a family name and chuck it in for good measure. If you’re choosing a few first names then it can be nice to incorporate great aunt Margaret’s name in there, but don’t take the pressure on board. Then again having a family name is a nice way to remember someone you’ve lost or love dearly.
6. Won’t someone think of the child!
While anything goes these days it’s still not a fabulous idea to give your child a name that is clearly going to cause them grief. Giving a boy a name that obviously consider a girl’s name by the majority of the world might seem very forward thinking of you, but think of your son. He’ll spend his days fighting kids and standing up for his name, it’s sad but true, kids will be kids and they do tease each other.
Hint: Don’t get too caught on the meaning of a name, those days seem to be almost behind us.
7. Nicknames and initials matter
As much as you tell yourself you won’t shorten your child’s name, this doesn’t mean that other people won’t. Sure it’s not your preference but it happens a lot; especially in those teenage years or when kids are part of a team. For example it might not be wise to call your child Richard Handcock. When considering initials consider how life might be for a child named Zane Isaac Thomas.
Bonus tip: It’s your child, your choice and we don’t mind if you completely ignore all this advice, just make sure you choose a name that you both like, not a name you feel like you ‘must’ have. And don’t feel bad if you want to name your child with the same name as one of your friends, they don’t own the name!
