Remember that Names are for a Lifetime

Most likely, your baby will wear the name you bestow on her not only through her baby days but as a growing child and adult. She'll be known on the playground and to her teachers by her name, she'll interview for a job by that name, and she'll ultimately be known to future generations by the name you choose. Try to make sure it's a name that your child will happily accept as an expression of who she is, and even take pride in. Don't choose a name that is so outlandish your child will be forever handicapped by it (or ultimately drop it), or a name that is so stultifyingly conventional that it fades dully into the background.

Choose a Name that Gives You a Warm, Comfortable Feeling

Your baby deserves a name that conveys a positive, desirable value. Don't choose a name that you associate with stupidity, dullness, or awkwardness. Avoid names that remind you of people you genuinely dislike. Instead, think of names that you associate with beauty, intelligence, affection, strength, and energy, and that readily bring to mind people with the same name whom you admire.

In general, child's name will sound better if his first name does not have the same number of syllables as the last name. Practice saying the first and last name aloud, as well as the first, middle and last name, to find out how they sound. Is the name easy to pronounce or does it sound very awkward? Does it rhyme in a too-obvious way (Mary Berry, Bart Dart), or have a meaning that will provoke derision, like the famous "Ima Hogg" or, perhaps, "Hamm Bone" or "Jack Daniels"?

Would you name your baby Richard Alexander Thompson? Maybe - until you saw "RAT" on a monogrammed baby gift!  Try to choose a name that doesn't spell out an unexpected word with an unpleasant connotation, to save your Richard from being known by the nickname "Ratface" throughout his school years.

Are you prepared to hear your child called by a nickname? Andrew will inevitably become "Andy" some of the time, even if you insist on the formal name. If you like the potential nicknames associated with the name you choose, well and good. But if you have strong feelings against them, think about choosing another name with nicknames you like better, or consider names without commonly used nicknames - like "Eric" or "Mary."

If you genuinely like the idea of naming your baby after a family member, then by all means go ahead. But if you feel obligated to do so but secretly dislike the name - maybe it sounds too old and tired to you, or reminds you of someone you never liked - then think of an alternative. Perhaps you would feel comfortable using the family member's name as a middle name, then selecting one you favor more as your baby's first name. Or you might prefer a variant or alternate spelling of the family name.

However, if neither of these alternatives will work for you, just remember it's your decision! No law says you have to choose a name you don't like, just because it's been used before in your family. Perhaps it's time for a new name to be introduced!

A name reflecting your own ethnicity or religion - or that of your partner - can be a positive way to affirm the baby's heritage as well. Or perhaps you like the historical meaning of a name that springs from a language used by your distant ancestors.

However, you can also feel free to consider names from other traditions as well. If you really like the uniqueness of such a name, don't hold yourself back! With one exception: when first names and last names are from very different origins, the result may be a peculiar-appearing combination - like Guillermo Max Smith, or Hayley Josefina Segelowsky.

Throughout history, famous people have boosted the popularity of the names they bear. If you would like to name a child after a famous person you admire, there's nothing wrong with that - as long as you avoid names that may conspicuously draw attention to the original, such as Cher, Elvis, Hamlet, Fred Flintstone, and Bart Simpson.

You've always loved the name "Kaitlyn" - until the day you realized it was the number one choice for girl babies across the country! Should you go ahead and use a popular name - or even seek one out - or should you choose a less well-known name?

The benefits of a popular name for a child are the familiarity and ease with which others will use a name they know and can recognize immediately. A child with a popular name may have a leg up on acceptance in the peer group, and does not have to explain how to spell or pronounce his name. She also will always be able to find the right personalized pencil, keychain or cup in novelty stores.

One of the most common disadvantages of a popular name is never finding yourself in a group without four or five people who have the same name. Your name is not distinctive enough by itself; you have to have your last initial attached before people can distinguish you. And extremely trendy names may fall out of favor quickly, after people grow tired of them.

People usually greet a less common first name - as long as it isn't too unique - with pleasure and interest. However, should you choose wisely and end up with the perfect name - well-known and nice-sounding, but not too popular or trendy - you may end up with an unexpected consequence: never being able to find that personalized cup, pencil or keychain without ordering it from a catalog!

If it weren't for people injecting a little creativity and originality in the process of choosing a name, we wouldn't have as many interesting variations as we have now! Names with less-common spellings or pronunciations should not be automatically disqualified. However, use common sense to spare your child frustration. A boy with the name of "Ian" in the United Kingdom may have no problem - but a boy in the United States may be forever correcting people over the phone who think they're hearing "Ann." Similarly, a girl with the name of "Merry" may start sounding sharp when arguing for the umpteenth time with someone who insists that her name can only be "Mary!"

So many things to consider! Yet, after all, it may not matter - certainly not after you find the perfect baby name, the one you love best over any others. At that point, you realize it's all a matter of feeling, not logic. And your feelings (as well as your partner's) matter more than any opinion offered by friends or family. Stick with the name that you genuinely love! And look forward to welcoming your child, its proud bearer.

Courtesy HealthAtoZ