The name you choose for your baby will be the name he or she carries with them for life, and so it is important that you do take the time to consider your options carefully. Like it or not, your little baby will soon be at school, and before you know it, going out to make his or her mark on the world, so the name you choose today needs to be appropriate for a older child and an adult. Following are some things you should consider before setting your heart on a name!
The power of the nickname. Cute or practical? You can have both, consider a strong adult name which can be shortened into a cute nickname during the childhood years, Albert can become Alby, Catherine can be Catey. Choosing an easily shortened name is a great way to ensure that your child will have a more grown-up sounding name to fall back on when he or she becomes an adult, names with several nickname options also allow your child to let their personality decide on what they will be known as as they grow up. Remember though that the nickname has the power to be a strong school-yard sticking point, be careful not to give your child a name that can be added on to, or rhymed with anything that will be used to taunt them!
The search for meaning. Always consider the meaning of a name, at some stage your child will want to know what their name means, and more importantly, why you chose it for them! Ensuring that the name you choose has a great traditional meaning, or strong personal meanings to you will ensure that your child will grow up knowing that their name is something special that was carefully chosen just for them! Exotic baby girl names are getting popular. There are some really great resources of African girl names, Hawaiian girl names or Native American girl names found online.
Stand out from the crowd. Just make sure that its for the right reasons… Not everyone can get away with calling their children “Apple”, “Blue” or “Sunday”, while celebrities and their pampered offspring can make it through life with outrageous names, the same can’t be said for the rest of us. While its important to give your child a name that will be a little different, consider how they will enjoy spending the rest of their life dealing with the comments, and having to spell it out!
