What’s in a name? Only absolutely everything from here to the end of eternity. The moniker you give your child will be wrapped up in just a handful of letters strung together.
But fear not. Consider these tips to make sure your child has a fighting chance to for a unique—but not strange—and memorable—but not too common—name. Take a deep breath, grab your baby naming book and let’s figure this out together.
Be careful with family.
You may find it beneficial to leave family out of the naming process altogether. Though well intentioned, grandparents and parents are particularly dangerous territory. They might have the perfect name for a child, but the problem is, it’s not perfect for your child. On the flip side, you might find that when you float a name past family members, they give you unfiltered and unflattering feedback. What if you really planned on using that name, and now you’re stuck knowing your entire family hates it? Even more reason to consider keeping your lips zipped until you officially announce after the baby’s birth! No one is going to be critical of a baby name when they’re staring into beautiful newborn eyes, right?
Name associations do change.
Past life experiences give us all kinds of reasons to dislike a name right off the bat. Maybe it was the first person who broke your heart, or a boss that never let you take a day off. Regardless, try to keep an open mind. If you truly love a name and would enjoy it if it weren’t for that negative experience, don’t discount it. Over time the undesirable connotations can drop away, especially when you replace those bad associations with something you love more than you ever imagined. Obviously, some names are wisely discarded—like your spouse’s ex-girlfriend’s. Leave those names buried in the past.
Creativity is cool, but not always necessary.
So you want to name your child Greg. But Greg is a pretty common name, so you decide to add an extra g to make it more unique. Let me just stop you right there. Do you really need the extra g? If your reasoning isn’t because of family lineage, culture or something close to your heart, place yourself in Gregg’s little baby shoes. The rest of Gregg’s life will be filled with conversations that begin, “Hi, I’m Gregg. With two g’s.” Imagine Gregg going to school for the first time. The teacher is going to call him out to make sure she doesn’t have his name spelled wrong. Poor Gregg. Is the unique spelling worth it? If the answer is yes, there you have it. You’ve made your decision and that’s great. However, if there’s any hesitation, give it some additional thought.
Your unique name may not stay that way.
Every year, hundreds of couples pore over baby books, television shows, family trees and even the Bible to find that exquisitely quirky yet sophisticated baby name. Inevitably, they find it, name their baby and find out some celebrities just named their newborn the same thing. Next thing you know, it’s the number one name in the United States. While you can’t control pop culture or trends, you can make sure you really love your baby’s name, come hell or celebrity connotation. Know that it may not be as super unique as you initially hoped it would, and that’s okay.
Everything will be fine.
Naming your child can turn you into a big ball of anxiety. You have so many variables to consider, so at the end of the day, just remember this: Your baby is all yours and your partner’s. You are the only two people who can decide what’s best. So trust your gut. Choose a name that fills you with love and warmth for your child. Nothing else matters.
Kim Antisdel is a freelance writer and interior design sales rep for KC. She lives in Liberty with her husband, stepdaughters and toddler son.