Expecting Soon? 7 Tips for choosing the perfect baby name

Mums Tips

Parenting Skills

Published on Wednesday, 26 August 2020 06:56

Last Updated on 18 October 2023

Monica Costa

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Naming a human being is a huge responsibility and the pressure dramatically increases if it’s your own baby. In his play Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare famously wrote, ‘What’s in a name?’. Well, a lot! A person’s name is an important part of their identity. 

If you’re expecting soon, there is a lot of stress that comes with becoming new parents. Are you struggling to find the right name for your newborn? Let us take one thing off your plate and help you figure out a rare beautiful name that you’ll adore forever.

 

• Don’t Give Into Trends

Trendy names aren’t necessarily bad but think about it before you decide to give into trends. When the Game of Thrones finale aired, many soon-to-be parents wanted to name their child Arya. Don’t get us wrong, it’s a beautiful name. But imagine how many babies born in 2019 were named Arya- way too many. 

 

The word trendy signifies impermanence. It should be reserved for fashion choices and not baby names. Choose something that will suit your baby at the present as well as the future.

 

• Stop Chasing Unique Names

Celebrities are notorious for giving their kids the most bizarre names. For instance, Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin named their daughter Apple, which doesn’t even top the list of weird names.

Yes, you don’t want your child to be named something extremely common like Jennifer or Alex. That being said, it’s possible to find the perfect baby name, a name that’s unique and yet doesn’t invite ridicule. 

 

• Pick What Makes You Happy

You may feel pressured to honour certain members of your family by naming your child after them. But at the end of the day, it’s important to pick a name that you genuinely love. Trying to please everyone will just make you choose a name that you aren’t really happy with. If you must include a family member’s name, sneak it in the middle name. It’s a win-win.

 

• Check Meanings Before Choosing

Did you fall in love with a name that you read in a book or heard it in a movie? Don’t just pick something because it sounds cool. Always check the meaning before naming your child a name you’re not familiar with. Also, certain words mean different things in different languages. Make sure you cover all your bases to avoid giving your child a name with an embarrassing meaning.

 

• Consider The Initials As Well

When you pick a name, make sure you write down the initials. Sometimes the initials can end up making a humiliating word. You don’t want your child to carry around such an embarrassment for the rest of their lives.

 

• Say it With Middle & Last Name

The first name and the middle name may sound lovely on their own, but it’s a different story when they’re said together. For instance, Comedian Amy Schumer named her child Gene Attell Fischer, honouring her good friend David Attell. When you say it out loud, the child’s name sounds like ‘genital’. Yikes! Thankfully, Schumer’s mom pointed it out and the new parents quickly changed it. So say all the options out loud to ensure they sound right.

 

• Think About Nicknames

We’ve all seen kids come up with the cruellest nicknames in school. For example, Peggy is a sweet name for a baby girl, but kids can tease the kid by saying ‘Piggy’ instead. Therefore, make sure the name can’t be shortened into a mean nickname.

 

Yes, finding the perfect baby name seems like a permanent decision, but it isn’t irreversible. If you named your child after a now-disgraced public figure or it’s a name your child hates with a passion, you can change it. Applying for a deed poll and changing a child’s name is a lot easier than you think. So don’t psych yourself out too much!