What's in a name?

You may have decided long before getting pregnant what your child’s name will be, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t start to doubt the name, and want to just ‘check out’ some others to make sure. Many people are sure of the name they have chosen early on or even before the pregnancy only to hear or read a name and think oooohhhhh I think I like that better. So what to do?

Selecting a name for your new baby is one of the joys of becoming a parent. But with that excitement also comes huge responsibility.

When considering baby names spare a thought for Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii, from New Zealand or Russell Sprout from the UK and Mangled Brown Fence-Post from London. Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii, 9, was so embarrassed by her name that she told friends her name was simply ‘K’. So traumatised by the name she was given at birth, a judge made her a ward of the court so that she could change it. The judge in Talula’s home town of New Plymouth, New Zealand said “The court is profoundly concerned about the very poor judgment which this child’s parents have shown in choosing this name.” Judge Moffitt went on to state that, “It makes a fool of the child and sets her up with a social disability unnecessarily”.

This is not a one off case, other unusual names that have been allowed in New Zealand are, Violence, Number 16 Bus Shelter, Benson and Hedges (Twins) and Midnight Chardonnay. Officials in New Zealand did, however, block the following names, Fish and Chips (Twins) Sex Fruit, Keenan Got Lucy and Fat Boy.

So when choosing your baby’s name remember that this name is with them for life, as a child and an adult, or at least until they are old enough to change it! Funny as these names may be the reality is that naming your child is very important and the name you choose can often influence their character and identity.

The initial excitement of naming your child can quickly wear off when you realise what a daunting task you are now faced with.

So how do you narrow down this seemingly endless list to make this extremely important decision? Many factors can influence your final choice with many parents choosing to make a final list then wait until the baby is born to see what ‘suits’ the child the most.

But how to get down to this final list? We have gathered some top tips to help you make your choices.

Choosing a name can be as time consuming as trawling through endless baby name books willing the perfect name to miraculously jump out at you. Or you may make your decision based on the following:

Family Tradition, which can make the decision easier, or in some cases, harder if not everyone involved, can agree. In this situation using the family name as a middle name is a fantastic compromise and should hopefully keep everyone happy.

Other popular choices are taken from top names from previous years or are inspired by celebrities own choices such as Mia jumping to the top of the Victorian names list since Bec Hewitt named her little girl Mia 3 years ago.

For some of you though this is the exact opposite type of name that you want. Some people want names that are different or unique and try to stay away from the most popular names.

Now after taking all of that into consideration when choosing a name don’t forget the following points:

 

Meaning: Names chosen for their origin or meaning have also become popular, if this is not important to you though, you may still want to check the meaning of the names on your final list, because you can be sure that when your child grows up they will find out the meaning of their name and it could be embarrassing for them and you if the meaning is ‘young goat’ (Giles)

Spelling and Pronunciation: A name with unique spelling can be really special but it can also be too complicated which could become frustrating for your child if they have to constantly correct people as they move through life.

Length and Rhythm: If your last name is long or hyphenated you may want to think about a shorter first name to avoid the entire name sounding too complex. Alternatively, if you have a short last name a longer first name may be a nice fit. Syllables and the rhythm of a name are also important, generally the number of syllables in the first name should not match the number of syllables in the last, so practice saying the first, middle and last name together, then the first and last to make sure it has a nice rhythm to it.

Initials need to be thought about when choosing a name as you may think that Cara Olivia Williams sounds like a lovely girls name but her initials will spell C.O.W. Not the best initials to have when she gets to high school!

Nicknames and variations of a name is yet another thing to think about, you may want your child’s name shortened or you may not, but think of all the possible variations that may come up, remember children are very inventive and sometimes extremely cruel.

Gender: with so many popular unisex names think about how this could affect your child as they grow?

 

Now, after narrowing down your list, one of the last things I suggest is to practice saying your chosen names out loud, can you imagine yelling them out the back window to tell your child that dinner is ready, or whispering it to your child to calm them down after a bad dream.

If you are lucky both you and your partner agree on the chosen name and all that’s left to decide is if you will telling people your choices before the precious new baby is born. Do this at your own risk; other people may not love the name as much as you and sometimes they have no qualms about telling you so. If you are passionate about the name then it shouldn’t matter what other people think.

Finally, Remember Talula and ask yourself will your child thank you for your decision?

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