Baby Names
April 15th, 2010 | 
Author: 
Usually the first thing people will ask you once your baby is born is “what’s
the baby’s name.” One of the first difficult decisions a new parent needs to
make is deciding on a name for their child. Faced with this tiny pink scrap of humanity,
we want to put a name to it, as if by doing so, we welcome it to the realm of individuals.
We always name the things we love. There are so many choices, and we all want to choose
the one that is just right for our child-but how to choose the right name for a child who
either hasn’t been born yet-or we have just met? Here are some considerations that
may help you when you are trying to decide on a name for your baby.
Popularity:
Do you want one of the top ten names? Do you want one that is more unusual? What about
a name that is in-between? What about traditional names? Namesakes? The decisions seem
endless and overwhelming.
Here is the top-ten list of baby names for the year 2001
| Boys Names | Girls Names |
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Source: USA Social Security Administration
Click for the top 1000 names of 2001
Namesakes and Juniors:
It is honorable to want to name your child after your favorite great-aunt, but what if
her name is Mildred? It suits 80-year-old Aunt Mildred perfectly but just doesn’t
seem right for a little girl. Generally when using a namesake be sure you also like the
name and would choose it on its own merit even if it did not have the association with
your favorite aunt. Also remember that if you choose a namesake for a deceased relative or
friend that the child will one day be aware that he or she was named after a dead person-a
pretty large responsibility for a child. If you are determined to use a namesake why not
try using the name as a middle name. This way the person for which the child is named
after is still honored but the child will still have his or her own first name.
Exact reproductions of a parent’s name, even followed by a Jr. or II, can be
confusing for everyone involved. Some parents may vary the middle name and call the child
by that name or shorten the first name but the potential for confusion still exists. In
addition, on top of it the child never gets the satisfaction of having his own name and
therefore an identity all of his own. (See below)
“Phooey on These Juniors”
By Abigail Van Buren (Dear Abby)
Dear Abby: Please print my letter so other mothers won’t make the
same mistake I did. After 19 years, I realize the error of naming our son after his
father.When he was a baby, it was no problem we called him Billy and his father was Bill.
When he got older he decided that Billy was too babyish, so he asked us to call him
Bill, which wasn’t too bad-we called on Big Bill and the other Little Bill. That
worked out fine until Little Bill got bigger than Big Bill.Now it’s worse. It’s Young Bill and Old Bill and you can imagine how thrilled
father is to be Old Bill at 44. Not only that, but their voices are identical, and they
are constantly being mistaken for one another on the telephone. Moreover, their mail gets
mixed up too.It’s a pain in the neck. I should have named him Lawrence, like I wanted too.
I’ve always loved that name. Phooey on these “Juniors.”Too Late Now
Dear Too Late Now: New mothers take note
Gender Considerations:
Some parents feel that a unisex name like Robin, Chris, Pat and Terry, allow them with
certainty to choose a name before the baby’s sex is known, and that such names are
less likely to “type” children in sex roles that the traditional gender-specific
names. Not everyone agrees with this and argue that it’s a challenge for the child to
explain which sex he or she is. In addition, gender confusion can cause psychological
damage, though there are indications that boys tend to be more threatened when they are
presumed to be girls than vice-versa. There is actually a song called a “A Boy named
Sue.”
There also seems to be an emerging trend, to giving girls names that were once
considered the exclusive domain of boys such as Jordan, Riley, and Arden-this is to
presumably give them an edge by making their names sound more masculine.
Sounds and Rhythms:
Some names just sound better together than others, there seems to be a flow in some
names and not in others. Alliteration, as in Barbara Braun or Penny Paulson is fine but
rhymes such as Joe Blow or Kerry Berry invite chuckles and teasing. Punning names and
other displays of wit may sound funny, but living with a joke name is no laughing matter.
In fact I have 2 acquaintances that are named Holly Wood and Green Peace respectively. You
can just imagine the amount of snickers and teasing that they have endured over the years.
On anther note, most naming specialists agree that names with unequal numbers of syllables
create pleasing rhythms, for example Quinlan Mead sounds more pleasing than Quinn Mead and
so on.
Pronunciation and Spelling:
Having your name constantly mispronounced is annoying and wears on your patience, ditto
for spelling. If you choose a name with a unique pronunciation don’t expect people to
get it right-people tend to pronounce names as they see them spelled-so keep that in mind.
Ordinary spellings have the force of common sense behind them and most people will assume
that the common spelling is the correct one. On the other hand, a new and different
spelling can give an old, classic name a new twist. Consider for a moment the different
impressions you get from Kerry, Kerri, Keri, or Carrie.
Meanings:
Most names have literal meanings and root origins. This does not seem to be too
terribly important in naming conventions these days, but may help if you are having
trouble deciding between two names. Remember the name is what you will call the child-even
if the meaning is less than desirable. For example Aubrey means “Blond Ruler” or
“Elf Ruler”, Brendan means “Stinking Hair”…you get the idea.
Initials and Nicknames:
Before you settle on a first and middle name, consider first, what your child’s
initials will be. Just think of what the initials Brian Anthony Davidson (BAD) or Hilary
Anne Granger (HAG) spell-this can be embarrassing and a source of shame for the child to
have these stamped in sweaters or on suitcases. Similarly think about what a short form of
your child’s name will be. If you want to name your child a short form such as Trina
remember she will probably always have to explain that her name is really Trina and not
Katrina. Many people will go through different stages of life with many different
variations on their given name. For example Timothy may go by Timmy as a child, Tim as a
teenager and Timothy as an adult. So if you don’t want your child’s name to be
shortened don’t give them a name that is easy to shorten. Consider to, what your
child’s name rhymes with as children often will make up chants and songs around a
name and the cruder the better it would seem-Bob the Knob, Scary Terri and so on.
Stereotypes and Associations:
Most names bring to mind physical or personality traits that often stem from a
well-known namesake, real or fictional. People think of Abe as honest, Albert as fat,
Adolph as cruel, Damien as evil, Mallory as the cute and likeable, Raquel as beautiful,
Roseanne as loud and so on. You liked the name Richard until your husband informed you
that a boy named Richard in grade 2 bullied him. Your husband loves the name Jennifer but
you had a nasty great-aunt by that name plus the neighbor’s daughter is named that
and you don’t want to copy them. The name you select for your baby is likely to be
that child’s label for a lifetime. It is important to consider how others will
perceive that name before making your final choice.
Some Final Thoughts:
So you are tired of the traditional names- Michael, Sarah, and Megan are just to common
for you-why not opt for a more unique name. Consider names of countries (Asia, Columbia,
Kenya), States (Dakota, Montana), Cities (Houston, Victoria, Sydney) gemstones and
precious metals (Ruby, Jade, Copper) geographical features such as mountain ranges and
rivers (Sierra, Nile, Thames) Seasons (Summer, Autumn) Flowers (Daisy, Lily, Dahlia). The
possibilities are endless, you can even make up your own unique names by combining two
names together (Jenna + Lee). If you are having trouble narrowing down to your final
choice do the playground test-bellow out the name a couple of times and see how that sits
with you-if you have difficulty shouting it out, then perhaps you should consider a
different name.
Finding a name for your baby can be difficult; there has been many a baby that has come
home from the hospital being called simply little girl or little boy for a time. However,
by the time your baby is a few months old, his or her personality will match that chosen
name so well that you will have difficulty ever thinking his or her name could have been
anything different. Any previous associations you may have held with that name will have
been erased and the name will become, quite simply the name of your child and you will
have made the right choice.
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