Choosing a baby's name can be one of the hardest, or easiest, moments of one of the first decisions a parent makes about their new baby.
Some new mothers and fathers have a name they agreed upon immediately, or a name that they have been set on for years.
However, most new parents wrestle with the decision, sometimes even after the baby is already born.
To avoid the frustrations and pitfalls that some new parents make when picking a name for their new baby, here are some useful tips on how to choose your baby's name.
Start Early You may not know the sex of the baby until you are months along, and you may want the sex of the baby to be a surprise, but this does not mean that you cannot begin an early search on the perfect name for your baby.
An early search for the baby's name will help to keep last minute decisions that you may later regret from occurring; and an early search will help you to explore all the possibilities of different names that you and your partner may want to look at.
Keep A List Keep a list of all the names that you are considering.
Talk with friends and family about the choices for their opinions, and try different names out for awhile to see if you think they are really right for you baby.
If you do not know the sex of your baby, make a separate list for each sex.
The list will also help you to look at nicknames, and how the baby's name will look spelled out with a middle and last name too.
Check Different Resources There are many resources for different types of names, and some of these resources are a lot more useful than "Top 100 Baby Names For The Year..
..
" You can check for unusual names, names that represent religious meanings, the meanings of names, and beautiful names that are not often used from different origins and cultures.
For example, if you want to give your baby a name that means peace and tranquility the Japanese name Yasuo for boys means 'peaceful one.
' Internet websites can provide a valuable resource for free sources of baby names, origins and meanings; books, magazines, and libraries may also help you on your baby name search.
Keep Baby In Mind Parents can sometimes be a little too creative with a baby name, and almost everyone knows of somebody that has a particularly embarrassing name.
Some names that sound great when a baby is still a baby do not carry well into adult hood, and other names look great on paper but they don't sound so good in real life.
Parents that have unique last names sometimes think it is funny to combine the last name with the baby's first name for a little theme or funny pun, such as 'Rosemary Tyme.
' However, most children do not appreciate this little joke from their parents and often remain un-amused into adulthood.
Always keep the baby in mind when you are choosing a name for the baby, and think about whether it is a name that you would like to have.
It is also a common mistake for a new parent, especially for the first baby, to try to compliment too many relatives in the family by including their names in the baby's name.
Sometimes this can be really sweet, but it may also offend.
For example, one grandmother from the father's side may wonder why her name was not included in the baby's name, when the maternal grandmother's name was.
Sometimes the different combinations can lead to pretty odd names, like Maybelle Rachele, which really don't go together.
If you wish to compliment someone by naming your baby after them, take some time to think about whether the name will really suit the baby or not.
Do not Let The Baby's Name Come Between You And Your Partner Arguing over a baby's name is normal for most parents.
Rarely do both parents immediately agree on a name for the baby.
A little arguing and debating is completely normal, but don't let arguments come between you and your partner.
If your husband is set on naming the baby after his grandfather, and you are set on naming the baby after your best friend, than you will both have to reach some sort of compromise.
This is another reason why it is so important to talk about baby names early; it gives you both time to discuss the right name for the baby before either of you are under strain from the baby's impending arrival.
Stand Firm On Your Baby Name Decision Some parents feel especially pressured by their family to give the baby a certain name.
Maybe the family has religious traditions or cultural obligations that corner new parents into a certain name for the baby; relatives may also try to pressure parents into naming the baby after them.
Whatever the case, parents should not feel obligated by anyone when they are trying to decide what name to give the baby; this is a decision between the parents that involves the child, and it should be their decision only.
While giving a baby a name that the family does not agree upon may cause some disagreements at first, stand firm with your decision on the baby's name and over time the family will eventually have to accept it.
Be Creative And Have Fun This is a special time for you, your partner, and your new baby.
Do not let baby name decisions cause arguments or stress; start early, use all the resources you can, and keep a list.
These tips will help you to choose a name that you and your baby will enjoy for years to come.
Some new mothers and fathers have a name they agreed upon immediately, or a name that they have been set on for years.
However, most new parents wrestle with the decision, sometimes even after the baby is already born.
To avoid the frustrations and pitfalls that some new parents make when picking a name for their new baby, here are some useful tips on how to choose your baby's name.
Start Early You may not know the sex of the baby until you are months along, and you may want the sex of the baby to be a surprise, but this does not mean that you cannot begin an early search on the perfect name for your baby.
An early search for the baby's name will help to keep last minute decisions that you may later regret from occurring; and an early search will help you to explore all the possibilities of different names that you and your partner may want to look at.
Keep A List Keep a list of all the names that you are considering.
Talk with friends and family about the choices for their opinions, and try different names out for awhile to see if you think they are really right for you baby.
If you do not know the sex of your baby, make a separate list for each sex.
The list will also help you to look at nicknames, and how the baby's name will look spelled out with a middle and last name too.
Check Different Resources There are many resources for different types of names, and some of these resources are a lot more useful than "Top 100 Baby Names For The Year..
..
" You can check for unusual names, names that represent religious meanings, the meanings of names, and beautiful names that are not often used from different origins and cultures.
For example, if you want to give your baby a name that means peace and tranquility the Japanese name Yasuo for boys means 'peaceful one.
' Internet websites can provide a valuable resource for free sources of baby names, origins and meanings; books, magazines, and libraries may also help you on your baby name search.
Keep Baby In Mind Parents can sometimes be a little too creative with a baby name, and almost everyone knows of somebody that has a particularly embarrassing name.
Some names that sound great when a baby is still a baby do not carry well into adult hood, and other names look great on paper but they don't sound so good in real life.
Parents that have unique last names sometimes think it is funny to combine the last name with the baby's first name for a little theme or funny pun, such as 'Rosemary Tyme.
' However, most children do not appreciate this little joke from their parents and often remain un-amused into adulthood.
Always keep the baby in mind when you are choosing a name for the baby, and think about whether it is a name that you would like to have.
It is also a common mistake for a new parent, especially for the first baby, to try to compliment too many relatives in the family by including their names in the baby's name.
Sometimes this can be really sweet, but it may also offend.
For example, one grandmother from the father's side may wonder why her name was not included in the baby's name, when the maternal grandmother's name was.
Sometimes the different combinations can lead to pretty odd names, like Maybelle Rachele, which really don't go together.
If you wish to compliment someone by naming your baby after them, take some time to think about whether the name will really suit the baby or not.
Do not Let The Baby's Name Come Between You And Your Partner Arguing over a baby's name is normal for most parents.
Rarely do both parents immediately agree on a name for the baby.
A little arguing and debating is completely normal, but don't let arguments come between you and your partner.
If your husband is set on naming the baby after his grandfather, and you are set on naming the baby after your best friend, than you will both have to reach some sort of compromise.
This is another reason why it is so important to talk about baby names early; it gives you both time to discuss the right name for the baby before either of you are under strain from the baby's impending arrival.
Stand Firm On Your Baby Name Decision Some parents feel especially pressured by their family to give the baby a certain name.
Maybe the family has religious traditions or cultural obligations that corner new parents into a certain name for the baby; relatives may also try to pressure parents into naming the baby after them.
Whatever the case, parents should not feel obligated by anyone when they are trying to decide what name to give the baby; this is a decision between the parents that involves the child, and it should be their decision only.
While giving a baby a name that the family does not agree upon may cause some disagreements at first, stand firm with your decision on the baby's name and over time the family will eventually have to accept it.
Be Creative And Have Fun This is a special time for you, your partner, and your new baby.
Do not let baby name decisions cause arguments or stress; start early, use all the resources you can, and keep a list.
These tips will help you to choose a name that you and your baby will enjoy for years to come.