Fun on a Friday: How to Choose a Baby Name
Fun on a Friday: How to Choose a Baby Name
Cara Terreri, LCCE, CD(DONA)
Choosing your baby's name is often a fun and exciting process. Personally, I have loved picking out names for each of my three children. During each of my pregnancies, we came up with a short list of names (most of them I already had in mind), and mulled them over for a while before settling on the perfect one. I culled the numerous baby names databases online, but I also had the habit of reading closely through movie and TV show credits looking for names that sparked my interest. The middle names we chose for our children are family names. It was satisfying to choose and honor a family member by giving our new baby their name.
For some, choosing their baby's name can also be stressful. Partners may have a difficult time agreeing on the same name, family members may get upset if their name wasn't chosen, and friends may be all-too-giving of their opinions when a name is shared, causing hurt feelings and doubt for the parents-to-be.
If you're smack in the middle of the naming process and feeling stuck, below are some ways to come up with new name ideas and choose one that best suits your family.
Keep a name log. Whenever you come across a name you like, write it down. Even if you don't think it will be a "winner."
Climb the family tree. Looking for a name with familial ties? Look within your extended family tree. If you don't know your ancestral names, ask your parents or grandparents or look into an online ancestry website. Find out the first and middle names of great, great aunts and uncles and great, great, great grandparents.
Look to the stars. The movie stars, that is. Consider both present-day and classic Hollywood names.
Find meaning. Look up names by their meaning. It certainly can't hurt to name your child something that means "peaceful," for example
Ask for suggestions. Social media is a great place to poll a larger audience. Put up a post asking for name suggestions. Or, if you've narrowed down your names to just a few and are having a hard time deciding, put up a poll.
Whatever naming process you use, the name that you choose for your child will be the perfect fit. Parents often say that they can't imagine their child with any other name.