by Joy Oneisis
1) BRAINSTORM
It is a good idea to pick a baby boy, girl, or a unisex baby name, even if the
sonogram has already shown you the sex of your baby, after all, surprises do
happen. Set aside time with no interruptions to clear your mind and brainstorm
names that appeal to you and write them on a piece of paper. You may want to
honor an endeared relative, or choose a name with religious meaning. Or perhaps
you have heard a name before and said to yourself `Hey, that's a cool baby
name'. If you want the name to have a specific meaning, for example `strong', do
an internet search, or look it up in a book. Check out the most popular baby
names list for the last few years. It is surprising how many names you thought
were unique are actually very popular. If you want an unusual baby name, skim
the dictionary or a favorite book to see what pops out at you. Surf the internet
for sites with free or paid baby name wizards, usually you answer a few
questions and the wizard suggests possible baby names, for more ideas.
2) ELIMINATE
Hopefully you have a good-sized list of possible baby names by now. Takes a few
days break after your brainstorming session to clear your mind. Then, write your
names neatly on another sheet of paper, including all combinations of possible
first and middle names with your last name. You may be able to automatically
eliminate a few that may have sounded appealing when you were brainstorming, but
now you wonder `what was I thinking?'
Now, eliminate names in which the last letter of either the first or middle name
ends with the first letter of the last name, for example Allison Newman, or
Allison Ann Newman (makes pronunciation difficult because there is no clear
distinction where the last name begins and the first name ends). Eliminate names
whose initials spell undesired acronyms, for example Richard Arthur Turner =
RAT, unless you want to make it as easy as possible for other children to poke
fun at your child in school. Do some internet or book research to find out the
meanings of remaining names. You may want to eliminate names with undesired
meanings, for example `naïve', while you may discover others that are definitely
keepers, for example `brave'.
3) DECIDE
I know, deciding on a baby name is easier said than done. Give yourself a few
days break again, and then reassess your list. You should be able to eliminate a
few more. Ask friends and family for their opinions, or post your finalists on
an internet poll. You can do this for free on many sites nowadays.
And you also have to decide how you want to spell it! Many people nowadays are
creating exotic ways to spell traditional names for example Kaysey or Caisee,
and like most things, this has pros and cons. It gives originality and
uniqueness to your childs name, however your child will go through life
constantly correcting the spelling of his or her name.