Choosing a baby name is important as it will be with the child for life. Consider gender identity, future life choices, cultural issues, popular names, and ways to honor family members. Avoid names that may be mocked or corrupted. Children may reject their given name later in life.
Choosing baby names is a difficult task and one that your child will live with for the rest of their life. Unlike pets, which you may keep for some time without naming, there is usually pressure to name a child as soon as he or she emerges into the world. Most parents select baby names ahead of time or make a list of names they think they might want to use. There are a number of things to consider when choosing baby names, including gender identity, future life choices, cultural issues, popular names at the time, and ways to honor or pay tribute to family members. Fortunately, a large number of baby name lists on and off the Internet can be found, along with meanings, to help you choose baby names.
Many parents say that gender is of paramount importance when choosing baby names. Some names are obviously gendered: not many women are named Pete and few men are named Charlotte. Parents who choose to learn their baby’s gender early may want to compile gender-appropriate names or think of gender-neutral names. A growing number of parents recognize gender fluidity as an important concept for young children and believe that gender-neutral names, clothing and activities allow children to develop their own personalities, rather than feeling constrained into cultural roles.
Future life choices are also an important thought to think about when choosing baby names, especially quirky ones. Many people born with names like Sunshine Starlight are later forced to change their names to Mary Jones, to better fit a corporate or academic culture. By giving your child a unique name, you may be preventing him from pursuing personal dreams and subjecting the child to teasing on the playground. When choosing names for your baby, think about how your baby will explain her name: “That was my grandmother’s name” sounds much better than “my parents were hippies.”
Cultural issues and current popular names are also important things to consider when choosing baby names. If you are considering choosing a name from another culture, think about the meaning it has and whether or not it will pose a challenge for your child. Aisha may have been a faithful wife of the Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him), but she is also a popular black Muslim name that could cause some embarrassing questions for a Chinese child. If your child is adopted, you might consider a name that celebrates the culture the child is from to give him a deeper connection to his homeland. You should also think about popular names and the situations they can cause: Do you want your child to be “Lindsay” or “Catherine?” If you want to celebrate your ethnic heritage with a name like Bronwyn, Xiuxiu or Idowu, absolutely do it.
Many parents also think of beloved relatives or godparents when choosing baby names. Naming a child after a parent or a much loved relative is popular and helps the child feel connected with his or her family. When naming a child after a living relative or godparent, it’s polite to ask permission from the older person who had the name first—most people will gladly accept that they have a namesake. When you name your child after a dead relative, if that relative has a surviving spouse or children, confirm that it’s OK. It is also generally not advisable to name a child after a dead close relative, such as a sibling or previous child.
It’s also extremely important to think about how your child’s name might be corrupted or nicknamed, especially on the playground. Try to avoid names that might be used in hurtful nursery rhymes or mocked by other children – if your last name is Hunt, for example, you may want to avoid naming your son Michael. Most children have a nickname, which can turn into the name they use throughout their lives: Charlie for Charles, for example. If you find a particular nickname distasteful, don’t use a formal name that can be corrupted to that nickname, because it invariably will be.
Eventually, your child may choose to reject the name you carefully thought up for him or her in later life. There are a number of reasons for this, and parents shouldn’t take them too personally: It’s extremely difficult to name a young human being, especially a child. Children are blank slates that could develop in any direction, and sometimes a name just doesn’t match an adult personality or gender identity.
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