So you’re having a baby and you need to come up with a name.
Maybe you’re worried about choosing a name you’ll later regret. Maybe you feel pressure from your family to pass on a family name that you don’t like. Or maybe you and your partner simply can’t agree on any names.
Whatever the case may be, choosing the right name can be hard. So here are twelve guidelines to help you along the way:
- Avoid passing trends
It may be tempting to name your baby after a popular character in a movie, TV series, or book. But how will it sound ten years from now? Most passing trends don’t age well, so giving your baby a name that is trendy now might lead to regret later.
- Look at your family tree for inspiration
If you’re struggling to come up with names, take a look at your family tree. You may find an ancestor’s name and want to give it to your child. Then your baby’s name will have extra significance.
- Consider how popular the name is
Popular names like “John” or “Sarah” can be great names, but they’re not for everyone. Your child might not appreciate being one of three Johns in the same class, for example. To gauge the popularity of a name, search it in the Social Security Administration’s name list to see where it ranks. But keep in mind that even the most popular names only make up a small percentage of all names given, so choosing one isn’t the end of the world.
- Be careful when going with a unique name
Many parents want their baby’s name to be unique, but this comes with its own risks. For example, it may be hard for others to pronounce or spell and require your child to correct people for the rest of their life. Or worse, they may be teased, bullied, or made fun of because their name is obscure or has a weird spelling. So find the right balance between unique and common.
- Make sure the name is legal
Contrary to popular belief, you can’t name your baby anything. According to UK laws for baby names, you can’t choose a name that:
- Is impossible to pronounce
- Has numbers, symbols, or punctuation marks (not including hyphens or apostrophes)
- Is considered offensive, vulgar, or blasphemous by the deed poll service
- Is fraudulent (inferring the child has a rank, title, or inherited honor with a name like “Doctor” or “Sir”)
- Run through the possible nicknames
Many names have common nicknames like “Bil” for “William” or “Rick” for “Richard.” Though you may like a name, you may not like its associated nicknames. So this is something you must factor into your choice. Alternatively, you can just tell people which nicknames your child will go by (if any) and which they won’t.
- Say the full name out loud
The name you choose should fit well with the child’s middle and last name. Say the full name out loud to see if it flows. If not, try changing it up. Also, check to see if anyone famous has the same full name. If you don’t like the person, you may not want your baby to share a name with them.
- Make sure the initials don’t spell something unattractive
It’s important to consider what your baby’s initials would spell. You wouldn’t want to name them “Ashley Sarah Simons” (A.S.S.), for example. Write out the initials to be sure it’s not something unattractive. The same goes for the first and last names put together. You wouldn’t want to name your child “William Anchor” and risk their work email address becoming wanchor@businessname.com.
- Look up the meaning of the name
Another often overlooked step in naming a baby is looking up the name’s meaning. You can easily do this online at behindthename.com. You may or may not like the meaning. Or you might not care either way, but you should still know what it is.
- Make sure the name will work well for an adult
It can be easy to think of a name that is cute for a baby, but it should also work for an adult. After all, your baby will grow up eventually. So pick something that makes for a good adult name, too. If you’re worried that a name isn’t cute enough as a baby name, you can always come up with cute nicknames for while they’re young.
- Consider if you would want the name for yourself
A good baby name test is to consider whether you would want the name for yourself. You may love the idea of naming your son “Amadeus,” but would you personally want to be called that? Put yourself in your future child’s shoes.
- Compromise with your partner
Ideally, you can find a name that you and your partner both like. But if not, compromise. For example, you could each choose a name and then use one as the first and the other as the middle name. Alternatively, you could have one person choose the name and let the other partner name the next baby. Find a solution that works for both of you.
- Don’t stress too much
Lastly, don’t stress too much. Even if you end up choosing a name that you regret later, you can always give your child a nickname or have them go by their middle name. And if you really want, you can even have their name legally changed later. So don’t sweat it too much. Follow the guidelines above, and you’re bound to settle on a great name!