The dangers of naming your baby

If you thought that naming your baby was the treat that comes after a hard labor and birth think again.

What you call your baby could have a significant bearing on which university she attends, her career and how she fits in with her peers.

According to the author of The Name Game and The Babyname Report Card, Albert Mehrabian, the more unusual your name is the harder you will find it to adjust in the future. “Irrespective of whether we’re aware of it, our names make statements about us to others,” he says. 

Mehrabian suggests that parents focus on the fact that their name is something children have to carry with them for the rest of their life. “This appendage (the name) can make a distinct pattern of positive-negative impressions on others if you mistakenly select a name that has an undesirable impression,” he explains.

What he’s referring to is parents who name their babies on a whim or a passing craze. This can mean lengthening or shortening an existing name to make it more ‘unique’, making up a name entirely, or following celebrity crazes such as calling your daughter Apple (Gwyneth Paltrow). Mehrabian adds, “there is evidence to suggest that children with made-up names don’t do well at school, they don’t do so well psychologically, don’t settle in.”

In short you should consider your child as a brand that you have to name – a brad that others are going to want to buy into. What do you expect from your child? All parents want their children to be successful but this doesn’t mean we should call them the most off-the-planet name we can think of purely to help them stand out in the crowd. In fact, calling your child a name like John can work in the same way. Because it may be seen as conventional and old-fashioned, your son John is perceived as being steady, totally reliable, good under pressure – employee of the year material for sure. Think about the future – do you want Allyianna to have to correct her teacher every time her name is mispronounced or misspelled? Also, Happy might be sweet for a toddler, but will the jury take her seriously should she become a lawyer one day?

So, the rules are clear. Think about your child’s future. Imagine her resumé arriving on a prospective employer’s desk and what preconceived notions they might have when they read her name. How seriously will they take Harley compared to Michael? Are they more likely to see Scarlet over Anne? Of course go with the name you love – just think very carefully about it first!

See our articles, the do’s and don’ts of baby naming and naming your child for more help. Also see our fantastic baby namer, with thousands of ideas for what to call your new arrival...

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.