Babyname Do's and Don'ts...
When it comes to naming babies we have too much choice! It means there are a lot of opportunities to give your baby a great name that suits her perfectly… but plenty of opportunities to get it wrong too, especially if you used up all your favorites with your first child! With this in mind we’ve drawn up a list of do’s and don’ts for you to consider when naming your baby…
Do…
- Wait to meet your baby before you name him. If he comes out with shocking red hair, Rufus might be an option; but if he cries day and night will you still want to call him Happy?
- Write a list of names you like all the way through your pregnancy – being pregnant makes you forgetful!
- Remember to write the name you like down with your proposed middle name and surname. Always check the initials don’t spell something like ASS…
- Sit in your local playground for a while and listen to the names being called. If you hear your favorite name a lot you may want to re-think your list, as your child will probably end up in school with a bunch of these kids.
- Think about the impact a name will have on your child. Imagine their resumé landing on a desk one day and what their prospective employer will think if you named her after Britney Spears…
- Factor in your family name. Rhyming a first name and a surname, Daisy Lacey or Jayden Grayden for example might not be a great idea. If you have a long family name, a short first name might suit better and vice versa.
- Try to be original when it comes to repeating names – David Davies just looks like you didn’t cast the net very wide on your name search.
- Look into your family tree to see which intresting family names come up.
- Include your older child – but be warned: don’t tell him he can actually choose the name, or your new arrival could be stuck with Spiderman-Power Ranger or Hannah Montana! Better to tell him your shortlist of favorites and see what he likes.
Don’t…
- Tell people what you plan to call your baby. That way you won’t have to hear their opinion on it, and always know they didn’t like the name (this especially goes for telling your parents!).
- Think you have sole right to a name. If someone you know calls their baby the name you’d chosen for yours, accept and move on. Unless you choose the strangest name you can come up with, they’re rarely exclusive.
- Be tempted to spell a classic name in an unusual way to be different – your child will spend her whole life being misspelled and mispronounced.
- Be fooled by celebrity crazes where names are concerned. The celebrity may go out of fashion and your child may resent you for it.
- Let others change your opinion about a name if you really like it. It’s your child and this is one of the fun things you get to do yourself.
- Be too trendy. All names go in and out of fashion but classic names will probably still be cool in 50 years, whereas trendy names might just sound silly.
The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.