Things to Consider When Choosing a Baby's Name

The birth of a child is a strenuous task in and of itself. But for some parents, it is the aftermath which is the biggest challenge. Choosing the perfect name for your child may oftentimes seem an impossible task. How do you decide what your child should be called for the rest of her life? Here are some things to consider when choosing a baby name.

1. Keeping it in the family

Many families have spanned longer than several decades and with every generation, traditions have dictated what would and would not be appropriate. The naming of your child should not be one such thing. Don’t let your great-aunt or great-great-grandfather tell you what would be a good name for your child, in their opinion.

Remember, times change and with it, names. Don’t let your child be condemned to being called Boniface for the rest of her life just because your great-great-great-grandfather had a childhood friend named as such.

2. Do your homework

You might not be able to predict what your child might be like as she gets older, but there’s nothing wrong with giving her a name with a positive meaning. Always find out the history of the name which you are considering because you never know what it actually entails.

Take Electra, for example. It’s exotic and doubtlessly beautiful. But so was the Grecian girl who fell in love with her own father. You guessed it; Electra was her name, too.

With every name, there’s always a story behind it. So think of the story you want your child to have before deciding to call her Dementia (which means ‘crazy’ in Latin) or Yoko (which is a generic name for female spirits in Japanese). Never judge a name before you know it.

3. You mean like that guy on tv?

Never, ever give your child the name of a famous figure. You yourself have probably been the receiver of tasteless jokes or cruel taunting because of your name. Imagine your own child having to go through that, as well.

Isabella Swan? She’ll be the object of every girl’s misplaced envy (a lot of them think Edward’s real). Seuss? Who wants green eggs and ham? Kesha? You shouldn’t expect her to be back any time before three in the morning.

Just because you like some of these people doesn’t mean your child would. Constantly being compared to your namesake because of their popularity can be annoying.

4. What’s-his-name

Don’t get overboard when trying to think of a ‘unique’ name for your child. It might just backfire when the child gets teased for it, or if the child faces difficulty trying to remember how to spell their own name! Names like Katheryn, Skye or Ashe are still acceptable, but Alyra, Eddrienne and Reizer sound like something straight out of a fantasy world.

If you’re really bent on naming your child something uniquely them, then I suggest you use it as a middle name. Something that’s too unique will earn them taxingly repetitive questions on how to pronounce their name right as they get older.

5. What’s gonna work? Teamwork!

Don’t decide the name of your child by yourself. I’m saying that you should always consult with your partner. It’s your partner’s child, too, so having a say in it is his right. You wouldn’t want your child to grow up with you calling her one thing and your partner calling her another.

It’s not just that, either. When you name your child without even asking for your spouse’s opinion, it’s a disregard of his feelings. Don’t let the task of naming your child destroy your marriage. Your child may gain a name, but she may also lose a parent!

These are things which you should consider when choosing a baby name. It is the hope of all parents that their children will grow up to be useful and contributing members of the community and giving them the name which will make them proud is the first step towards this end.