Choosing a Name
e-mail
For many parents, choosing a name is one of the most exciting parts of pregnancy. Sometimes, parents have already chosen names before they even were pregnant. Some, come up with a great name during the pregnancy. And then there are some who are in labor and haven't picked a name yet. Whichever situation you find yourself in, picking a name can be fun and also challenging.
Because for some, choosing a name for your new family addition can be a daunting task, there are several fantastic resources at your disposal. A good place to start is usually the bookstore or library. New books come out every year filled with baby names--popular and classic, unique and widely-used. There are shelves upon shelves of them at any bookstore.
Your second option is to find applicable baby names on the internet. Not only is there a limitless supply of baby naming websites, it is free. If you prefer to do electronic research, going this route is the most economical. One of the best features on these websites is the search and display features. With some websites, you can see nationality, meaning, how common it is, and so on. If you are looking for a unique name from a specific region, searching online is your best bet.
And for some people, the best naming resource is their own family tree. Family names are very popular. Honoring relatives is a common way of naming a child. Also, old-fashioned names often come back into style. Maybe there is a family tradition--shared middle names, sons named after fathers, or perhaps the same initials. Any of these might give you some ideas where to start.
Once you have that start, try investing in some notebooks. Make lists. You can have lists for male or female names, or names for your favorites versus your partner's favorites. With luck, some of these lists will agree with one another and you can narrow them down that way. And the best part about having the physical lists is that you can keep them in a baby book or scrapbook, along with various other memorabilia.
If, however, you and your partner don't agree on the final choice, you will need to reach some kind of compromise--whether that is one choosing the first name and the other choosing the middle name. Or, one can choose the complete name for the first child, while the other person choosing the complete name for the next child. The most important thing is that the baby has a name you both agree with, even if it is not your number one choice.
Whenever and however you choose a name, remember that there is no perfect answer. Each parent needs to feel comfortable and happy with the name choice of their new, beautiful child.
