The pitter-patter of tiny feet is just a few months away and, however, surprised you were to discover your pregnancy, one of the questions most parents spend a long time over is the perfect name. Your name means a lot. It is how people come to know you and it often represents an idea or a quality that your parents have come to love. It’s no wonder that when you have the joy of naming, the stress can quickly become overwhelming!
You might be prepared to deal with the changes going on in your body and figure out your finances to match your new needs. But nothing will prepare you for the passion with which your friends and family will discuss names and just how much input everyone expects to get!
So, to make your life a little easier, here are 3 ways to choose baby names.
Family Names
There is no greater honor than naming a child after a relative. It is the best way to show your love and respect and no doubt whoever the namesake is will be deeply touched by your gesture. This tradition is particularly strong with fathers and sons. The best part of this tradition is that you don’t need to worry about being original or panic that the name you choose will be rejected.
If you aren’t a big fan of everyone being named the same thing, a nice way to make this tradition your own is to use derivatives of the same names. So, a family may contain an Elizabeth, a Beth and a Lizzy, maintaining the tradition but ensuring that you don’t end up having to clarify who you’re talking about all the time!
Beware Unfortunate Nicknames and Being Too Cool
Most kids will get a nickname at some point, which means that, as a parent, you need to be prepared. If you love a long name but hate it’s shortened version, it’s probably best to steer clear! You should also pay attention to the initials you choose. Plenty of parents don’t realise what they’ve done until it’s too late…
With this in mind, you should also avoid choosing a cool hipster name that you might come to regret. A unique spelling might look awesome in the moment but remember that your child will inevitably have to spend the rest of their life spelling their name out for other people and, in a world of autocorrect, forms are going to take them a lot longer!
Let Your Baby Grow Into Their Name
A cutesy name is all very well when your baby is still little and adorable but giving them a name that works now but might sound ridiculous in 10 years is quite a risk. A good way to figure out if this is the case is to imagine speaking to someone at work with the name you want to give. If you find that you can’t take them seriously, avoid that name like the plague!
The name you choose for your child is entirely you choice but please, think about what they would want too!
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