You will all agree that it is a common point of confusion among parents as to what to name their babies. While some refer to books to search for the perfect name, others name their babies after their role models in life. Though we cannot tell you what to name your baby but we can surely give you some useful tips to follow while you are hunting for the apt name for your new born.
How to Pick a Name For A Baby?
First of all, don’t just stick to a few names and make your choice limited. There are thousands of names waiting to be picked up. Your baby is the most precious gift you can ever get. Also, he/she is born with specific talents and a specific personality. Though you cannot predict these traits right from the beginning, a name can define a lot about how you want to raise your child and what nature you would like them to imbibe in themselves.
For example, if you are naming your baby girl ‘Rosy’, you would want her to bloom like a beautiful flower. If you are naming your baby boy after your favorite singer Michael Jackson and calling him ‘Jackson’, you would want your child to practice singing later on in life but if the live up to the namesakes or not is a totally different matter. The point is to name your baby with such a name which can inspire both you as well as your baby.
10 Tips To Choose Your Baby’s Name
Your baby’s name is going to stay with the baby forever, so make a wise choice with the below tips:
- Avoid Affectionate Names: Another thing which you should keep in your mind is that the name you choose for your baby is going to stick with them for life, so avoid picking up names which you would call them with affection like, Sweetheart, Bunny, Munchkin, Doll, etc. The name should be such that it can be used at formal occasions as well as just about anywhere else
- Sound and Compatibility: Does your baby’s name sound good when you call it out loud? Is it so long that it almost sounds melodious? Does it go well with your last name? If your last name is shorter, try a longer first name. These are the questions you should take into consideration
- Simplify the Spellings: Yes. Go easy on the spellings – spare your child and others the agony of mis-spelling the name every time!
- Initials are important: Take a deep look at the initials. Ayush Suraj Singh may just not be the right choice. Your child will blame you for the rest of his life. You can avoid the fact that your child gets teased for funny initials at school. Though you cannot avoid the fact that kids will somehow even manipulate even a good name to make it funny but it you can avoid this situation by not serving them a name with funny initials on a silver platter
- Is the Baby Name Unique?: Isn’t it lovely to have a name which stands out in a crowd? That feeling of having other students of the same name in a class is not that great. No one likes to be called by the teacher and look back to realize 4 other students are standing up hearing the same name
- Ask your friends and family to suggest names: Ask you relatives to pitch in. This way you will have a lot of other options to choose from. At the same time, make sure you do not allow yourself to be pressurized in to choosing a particular name. The final choice should be yours
- Importance of Considering Ancestry: Many families have the tradition of naming their sons after their father and girls to take up their names as a middle name. If you have something like this then do follow it because it is something your child will carry with pride. Also, it gives a sense of belonging.
- Meaning of the Name: Derivation of the name is also important as well as the name should be meaningful. If the name is well-researched and have a unique name you child will get the opportunity to explain its meaning when asked with pride
- Will the name be okay in adulthood?: Some parents name their children out of affection but the name turns a nightmare into adolescence. For example, Sajan may sound nice to you when the child is a kiddo, but imagine when he is a teenager!
- Do you both love the name?: Now this is very important. Do not force your opinions and reasons, instead find common grounds and agree on a name that you both dote!
Announcing the Name!
Our suggestion is to start with the research for the perfect name when you reach your second or third trimester. If you have not decided on the name even after you have given birth, fret not. It is okay to name him/her even after a week or so.
Various studies show that 64% of people announce the baby’s name during pregnancy, 31% prefer to do it after birth and about 5 % people are so excited about a new possible addition in the family that they go ahead and announce the baby names even before conception. Announcing the name even before conception could be to honor a special person in their lives.
Your new born is almost here! So, what have you decided to name him/her?
