Laura Wattenberg, the author of The Baby Name Wizard, says, “There are just so many more names in use today than there were even a few decades ago.” People have more resources to find a baby name, but this isn’t necessarily a good thing. Picking one proper baby name from thousands of names can be an extremely frustrating task. To get it done, please follow this guide below that helps you target the right name.
For many prospective parents, naming your little one is pretty much one of the most frustrating decisions you’ll need to make. You want it to be on-trend but not ubiquitous, classic yet not grandiloquent, exotic yet not weird; You want it to sound right with your family name, honor a respectable grandparent, and have a beautiful name meaning. In a word, it has to be right for your baby. As a result, you will spend hours poring over baby name books, websites, forums, and anything related to give your baby a name that will have a lifetime impact on him or her.
The Importance Of A Name
What’s in your name? Why is your name so important to you? Your name is an identification of you. In any case, the name you bear through life is something you must carry, and before others meet you, the name is sometimes the only thing they have to judge you by. Your name is like a portent of things to come that travels ahead of you. Others will make assumptions about you based on your name. For instance, the name “Einstein” exudes intelligence. “Charlie Manson” suggests negativity and uneasiness. Bellini would be an Italian name, O’Donnelly would be Irish, Hernandez would be Spanish, etc.
Also, your name is an artifact of your parents’ lives, their histories, their culture, and their dreams and best wishes for you. It is the gift they gave you, and you will live with it for your whole life. Your name has importance to you and your family, your friends, your community, and all humanity, identifying you in space and time.
How To Pick A Name For Your Baby?
Baby naming has become an industry, with paid consultants, websites, books, which are flooding with trend data, and academic studies exploring connections between baby names and future success. It was once a really simple task of coming up with a monogram for the baby blanket; however, nowadays, it has become a high-stakes exercise in personal “branding.” Not sure where to begin the journey? Sometimes, ideas can be hiding in plain sight. Take a look at some tried-and-true ways to choose the right baby name.
1. Start With A Nickname
Take it easy. You don’t have to start with a full name. Instead, whether you’re thinking of baby girl names or baby boy names, just pick the cute and short names you prefer to call your little ones. Then, choose a longer version based on the nickname. That would be much easier. For example, Sam would be the right nickname for Samuel or Samantha; Liv would be a sweet nickname for Olivia; Lex would be a cute nickname for Alexis.
2. Use A Family Name
Check out your family tree to pick a name for your child. There are a ton of names to choose from. You can either pay attention to the people that are important to you or look for last names that can honor a branch of your clan. Many surnames can make for wonderful first names, such as Parker, Ryan, Harrison, and Mackenzie.
3. Popularity
Though your little ones don’t want to be the only student at school with their name, they never want to be in a class where five other kids respond when the teacher calls it, either. So, Google “most popular baby names” in order to avoid the ones at the top of the list. Besides, you should also avoid trendy names that have appeared out of nowhere because these names will wane soon in succeeding generations.
4. Inspired By Movies
If you have any favorite character from a movie, T.V. show or book, you can get inspiration. For example, Jacob, Isabella, Jasper and Emmett, which are names from Twilight, have been popular for many years.
5. Uniqueness
Beautiful babies deserve beautifully unique names. If you are hunting for unique girl names or unique boy names for your little one, you can just Google “unique baby names” to get inspired. However, don’t go too far. Sometimes a super unusual name will instead bring your child too much unwanted attention.
6. Consider The Initials And Monogram
Don’t forget the formal monogram, where the last name appears in the middle, bigger, with the first and middle names on either side. If your kid’s last name begins with an S, then she definitely doesn’t want her first and middle name to be Alice Susan. And, you also should avoid names like Bill Dixon Adams because that would be B.A.D.. Nah!
7. Significance
If you can’t come up with a name with a beautiful meaning, it’s effortless to research “baby name meanings” online to choose the right one for your baby. For example, if you love names that mean flower for your baby girl, you will get Clover, Daisy, Flora, Hana, etc.
8. Learn To Compromise
If you and your partner think of a name that’s wonderful but not quite right, then you can use the variant which is similar to the original one. For example, Ashley can become Asher; Nathan can become Nathaniel; Mary can become Molly.
9. Go To Baby Name Websites
Sometimes, if you have nothing in your mind, it’s an option just to open a baby name website, such as BabyNamefor.com. It provides thousands of girl and boy names with meanings, origins, and themes. If you’re hunting for baby names based on themes, such as biblical boy names and girl names, or you prefer names based on origins, such as Greek names, Spanish names and Norse names, BabyNamefor can always inspire you right away.
10. Match Your Other Kids
Some parents want their kids’ names to be similar, so if you’ve already had one kid, think hard on why you love his or her name. No matter what it is, use that feature to create a name for your new baby. For example, Lily and Rose, Liam and Maeve or Henry and Hazel are all perfect names for siblings.
There’s no right or wrong way to choose a name for your baby. Actually, it’s a matter of what you think or love. It’s vital. If you love the name you give your kid; hopefully, he or she will, too. Ultimately, your baby will grow into whatever name you pick for him or her.
