Things To Consider When Naming Your Baby

The first gift that parents give their child is life itself. The second is equally as important; his or her name. It can be a subject full of discussion, compromise, and history. The most important thing to remember is that whatever name you choose, your child will carry that name and be identified by it for a very long time. Some names will hold a child up to ridicule, and they certainly won't thank you for it. So before you name your child "Talula does the Hula from Hawaii" , as one Australian couple did (the daughter went to court to have it changed), discuss possible baby names with your partner.

A lot of expectant parents buy baby name books to help them with their selection. Usually these will list both popular and traditional names for both boys and girls. One couple I know had such difficulty, they simply closed their eyes, opened the book to a random page and pointed. They ended up naming their daughter "Vivian", which coincidentally was the baby's grandmother's middle name. Grandma was thrilled, and I don't think they ever had the heart to tell her any different!

Think about how the name you choose is pronounced and how it's spelled. You may have visions of your child being a world famous rock star, but until that time, they're just like everyone else.

If you choose a unique first name, how does it fit with the baby's last name? Is it a good fit, or will it give others a fit of the giggles? Consider too the initials of the child first, middle and last names. Alicia Susan Smith and Peter Eric Evans are perfectly good names, but once the grade schoolers master spelling, little Alicia and Peter will likely be teased to tears.

Does the name you choose for your child conjure up preconceived associations? Parents who name their child Adolf, even though it may be a perfectly good name, can expect that their child will be associated with Hitler. Likewise, naming your child Bart or Madge will likely summon references to the Simpson's cartoon.

A lot of couples are pressured by members of their family to honor a relative by choosing that name for their baby. If you don't really like the name, but want to honor your family's wishes, consider using that name as the middle name, and choose a first name that you like. An alternative is to do some research and use a name that is a variation of the name. For instance, your father's name is Alex, which you don't really like. But you do like the name Sasha. Problem solved, since Sasha is a common variation of the name Alexander.

Similarly, if you're expecting a boy and you want to name him after your grandmother, consider the masculine form of her name. One friend of mine whose grandmother is named Nellie, gave their first born son the name Neil. If your favorite uncle's name is Julius, and you're expecting a girl, you might want to consider the name Julia.

Expecting a baby is an exciting time for all involved, and choosing your baby's name is definitely an important part.

This article was written by Shawn Wilson, a member of the customer support team at Datepad, where internet dating is always free. Datepad has a massive directory of informative dating articles along with a great list of dating site reviews on their dating blog.

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