Do’s & Don’ts of Naming Your Child

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I have several friends who are pregnant right now, and I’m so excited for all of them! I also know that a few of them are struggling with coming up with a name &so I just had to share this article that was submitted to me by Bounty, a great website for all things baby! Enjoy!

When looking at ideas for what to name your baby, you’re faced with a huge amount of choice. In days gone by, you could choose a name with religious meaning, a name from the family or one from a member of the royal family. However, along with other changes in advice for pregnant women such as Bounty’s pregnancy calculator, the choice of baby names has grown significantly. However, by consulting resources like Bounty’s pregnancy page, you’ll be able to work out what to do and what not to do when choosing a name for your baby.

Do’s:

· It’s not too late to change your mind while pregnant. If the name you initially chose doesn’t sound right after birth, have a few back-up names in case.

· Look on the web for resources like the Bounty Baby Names section for ideas.

· When you say a name out loud that you like, go with it.

· Pick a name which works well with your surname. You want to avoid giving your child a jokey name, as that could lead to teasing when they’re at school.

· Be wary of any name which sounds like your surname such as Roland Boland.

· Think about naming your baby after a much-loved relative like a great aunt or second cousin. It may surprise you that those names might not be as unfashionable as first thought.

Don’ts:

· Don’t forget that you have six weeks to register the birth and decide on a name.

· Choose a name which is hard to both spell and say. It could lead to embarrassment for your son or daughter throughout their childhood, and may even last well into their adulthood.

· Go for a name which sounds cute, exotic or quirky. Names like Fifi, Zowie and Apple should be left to celebrities. Choosing a more traditional name will work much better for you and will spare your child a lot of embarrassment.

· Pick a name which sounds cool and trendy. Those names tend to date very quickly, and it’s likely that those who’ve been unfortunate enough to be named after an 80’s celebrity will have changed their names by deed poll.

· Forget to give your child a second or middle name. When they’re old enough, they can then choose to either be called by their forename or middle name.

· Give royal names the cold shoulder. Names such as Anne, Victoria, Elizabeth, Philip and Edward never look dated, and they can even be shortened to Phil or Lisa if they want.

How did you pick your child’s name?