How to Choose a Baby Name

Your new baby needs a name to begin his journey into life. Read about the serious business of choosing the right name for your baby.

Getting ready to bring a new baby into the world involves a lot of preparatory work. Your baby needs his own clothes, accessories, toiletries, toys, etc. One of the most important requirements though is his own name. Your baby's name will identify him in a crowd and be a word which he will associate himself with for the rest of his life. Your child will not choose his own name. You, as his parent, will select it for him. With such an important decision to make for your child, deciding on a name for your baby should take into account the following factors.

Uniqueness:

Would you like your child to have a rare and unique name? Remember that this name will then make him stand out in a crowd. This can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. He will easily recognize when he is being called. At the same time, rare and complicated names have immense potential for misunderstandings and mistaken pronunciations. Teachers and caregivers may unintentionally mangle your child's name if they have difficulty speaking it aloud.

At the same time, do not give your child a name that is too common. Varsha regrets the name she gave to her son Anil. There were five boys with the same name in her son's class at school. Everyone kept getting confused. For the entire year, her son would proudly introduce himself as Anil B whenever he met someone. Even at home, he would only respond if she called him by the same name.

A good tip is to go for a blend of rare and common names. If you have a common surname, consider giving your child a slightly unusual name to make it easier for him in school and later on, at the workplace. On the other hand, if your surname is uncommon, give your child a reasonably well known name.

Heritage:

Your baby's ancestry and religion is a big part of who he is. Many parents name their child keeping these parameters in mind. It is perfectly all right to choose to name your child after a god or religious figure. Many religions also have guidelines as to how to go about naming your baby. Sometimes, you may like a name that does not fit into the traditional category. Do not be disheartened. Perhaps you can use it as a middle name. Another trend that is catching on is to name a baby based on Numerology. This is believed to help the child achieve success as he becomes older.

Many families also follow a tradition of naming children after elderly or recently deceased members of the family. Some people also tend to name the first-born son after his father and then suffix the name with 'Junior'. This creates a potentially confusing situation in the home. Merely calling your child Junior may seem fine at first but is that what you want him to be known as when he is thirty years old? It goes for choosing names of elderly family members. Your child will have to bear the brunt if you decide to stick him with a name that went out of vogue over fifty years ago.

Memories:

Some names may be associated with bad memories. Hence, it is best to avoid using them for your child. The name you select may be a nice name but if you had a nasty colleague with the same name, think twice. Are you going to be reminded of him every time you call out to your child? If there is a possibility of that happening, then discard the idea of using that name. Both parents must agree on this subject. If either parent is uncomfortable with a potential name, drop it. At the same time, do not press your partner for an explanation as to why he does not like the name.

Do not be browbeaten by other people when it comes to choosing your baby's name. After all, you are the child's parents. Ultimately, it is up to you and your spouse to choose a name that both of you are happy with.