Choosing A Name for Baby

by Dale Harcombe | More from this Blogger

16 Jan 2009 12:10 PM

Choosing a name for your baby can be fun. Or it can end up as a nightmare.

Firstly the couple needs to decide if they want to use the name of any family members either as first names or second names. One thing we were agreed on was that we didn't like the idea of a child having the same name as a parent, even though I love the name Michael, which I think is a romantic sounding name. Mick doesn't. like it. That was a compromise I had to make when we started going together.

Each time Mick and I knew we were having a child, we sat down and made a list of names individually that we liked. Of course the inevitable happened, some of those I liked he hated and vice versa. These ones immediately were scrapped.

Some couples I have known reached the decision where the woman named any girls and the man named the boys. In another couple they went with whatever the wife wanted since she was the one having the baby. I'm inclined to think both husband and wife should be happy with the chosen name. Again it's one of those things that needs discussion, a bit of give and take on both sides and listening to the other person. They might have a very good reason why they don't like a particular name. People you or your spouse have known in the past can negatively affect the way you view a name.

Names have been in the news recently given the names or the number of a names some celebrities have chosen for their babies. These days there seems to be a trend to using what used to be surnames as first name, like Harrison, Bailey, Hunter etc. Sometimes they are named after countries like India, or cities like Paris and the one we heard yesterday - Brooklyn.

Names go in fashions. It is often easy to tell a person's age by their name.

Having a child should be time of great joy, so don't let the name issue become a hassle. I suggest make separate lists, see if there are any names on both and then talk it over calmly till you arrive at a name you both like.

Please visit these related blogs

7 Tips for a Good Marriage

Choosing a Name for Your Baby

10 Tips for Choosing Your Baby's Name

Learn more about Dale Harcombe

Dale has a passion for books and writing. She writes in various forms, from articles to poetry to fiction for children and adults.

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Heidi (5269) 16 Jan 2009 04:54 PM

We just had our second, a little girl, in September and she didn't have a name until about 2 hours before she arrived, eventhough we'd known her gender for months. I had a list I liked, my husband had a name he liked and there wasn't a single name we could agree on. After I was in the hospital and was in labor I looked at him and asked "So, do you think we should come up with a name, yet?"

When we had our son we had a name picked out years before I was even pregnant. We could still have 5 more boys and name them all easily because there are so many boys names we agree on! :)

Dale Harcombe (10399) 17 Jan 2009 12:12 PM

Yes, that happens too. Just before our daughter was born we had no boy's name picked out, because at the last minute we both decided we didn't like what we had chosen. Well, we liked the name but not the shortening of it which is what peoeple often seem to do. But I wasn't too worrried because I was convinced we were having a girl, thoguh we'd never wanted to know beforehand. Thankfully we did.

oweirdo (33643) 28 Mar 2009 06:34 PM

We are running out of girls names, Cristi was a named I begged for for almost 10 years. We both agreed on all names until her, but my DH said it was time I was able to pick a name, and he liked the comprise of Cristianna. Courtney was not named until an hour or so after she was born. we were at odds over the names, my SIL suggested it and we both said YES!

Dale Harcombe (10399) 29 Mar 2009 05:23 PM

Amazing with all the names out there, how hard it can be, isn't it? Glad you eventually got your choice.