Baby Names – Do’s and Don’ts

Dont’s

• Don’t call the fetus Jellybean or Ladybug. Such names stick even after the child
  is born.
  
• Don’t name your baby after someone you hate or dislike.
• Don’t name
  your baby with terms that have slang meanings related to parts of the human anatomy.
  
• Check your baby name initials together with your surname. Initials of names like
  Christopher David Player (C.D. Player) or Annie Sue Stiles could be embarassing.
  
• Don’t
  make your baby name sound like a tongue twister.
  
• Consider the confusion involved in
  naming your child after yourself or someone in the family.
  
• Make sure to fully research
  your chosen name, especially if it seems unique and foreign. It would be embarassing to discover
  later that your child has the name of an infamous character from history or a foreign country.
  
• Avoid involving your friends in your name search. Their input will only complicate a process that is
  already difficult with two people. And, in the worst case, someone might ‘steal’ your perfect name
  for their baby before you have claimed it.
  
• Don’t wait until the delivery to decide on
  the name if you want to have any say in the matter. If you do, make sure you’re ready to give in to
  whatever your wife decides. When the baby is handed to you, the doctor or nurse will ask what you
  have decided for a name. At this point, it is very difficult to argue with a woman who has been in
  labor for eight hours. Forewarned is forearmed.
  

Do’s

• Use online naming engines to help you throw a wide net for your name search.
  
• Select the top 5-10 names you like. After your baby is born, you might find the fifth
  name more suitable to his or her appearance.
  
• Let the baby’s appearance dictate the
  final choice. Of-course, you wouldn’t keep terms like Toothless Wonder or mashed potato in your
  list.
  
• Meaningful names or names of historical personalities you admire can help
  children gain direction in their lives.
  

Do you have any Do’s or Don’ts you would like
to add to the above list? Write to us using the Comments form below.