When a newborn comes into this world, it brings you loads of joy and responsibility too. Among those responsibilities, naming your baby is an exciting but equally arduous one. And not to mention, this is one of the first responsibilities that you must take care of after you become a parent.
Thus, you wouldn’t want to choose a name you regret as you see your baby grow. A beautiful name adds to your child’s personality. So, you’ve got to choose your baby’s name wisely.
A lovely baby name may contain a beautiful meaning, literary value, wonderful sounding note, catchy initial, and a lot of other things that you see fit.
If you’re struggling with naming your little one, let’s share the seven best tips to name a newborn baby. It’s good that you mostly don’t need to find the middle and last name. Thank goodness!
Finding a nice first name can be easier if you incorporate the seven tips we’ve listed. Don’t worry; you don’t have to put all the tips to use at the same time. It’s just a few you must ponder and explore.
Or you might love some names from ancient Egypt, Rome, China, or another exotic civilization. Think about names like ‘Akila’ or ‘Atiyah.’ Both are from ancient Egypt, meaning intelligent and God’s gift, respectively.
But if you’re not into ancient names much, here’s what you should look at before stamping a name on your junior’s identity for life:
What Does the Name Mean?
Almost ninety percent of people won’t care about this. However, it’s still good to choose a name for your baby with a deep and beautiful meaning.
A name that’s innately and phonetically beautiful can instill a humane sense in your child. Growing up, they’ll learn to value other wonderful things in life. They’ll learn to explore the essence and the thought behind any name.
The other way a meaningful name helps a child is by making them confident.
Take ‘Ava’ for instance, which sounds nice, meaning ‘blooming’. Moreover, ‘Emily’ is a widely used name that originates from the Latin root ‘Aemilila,’ which means ‘rival.’
Nobody usually cares about a name game. But imagine what happens if somebody asks your kid the meaning of their name someday. Your kid may be disappointed if their name does not have a beautiful or deep meaning.
Does It Have a Literary Value?
Is a penchant for all things literary common within your family? In that case, you should seriously think about literary references when naming your newborn baby.
Furthermore, we’d like to assure you that keeping a baby name with a literary connection isn’t backdated. Many parents these days might think otherwise. However, literary names have a richness that other names seldom have.
Take, for example, Nathan or Nora. Both are beautiful names.
But how many people actually know (except for literary nerds) that Nathan links to an alter ego created by American writer Phillip Roth to narrate many of his fictions. And how many know the name Nora as a witty female character from Dashiel Hammett’s ‘The Thin Man?’
Indeed, you can flip and toss a list of literary names to choose one for your baby. Just see to it that it goes with the era.
Does It Bring Your Culture to It?
Cultural names are still popular among American parents. Traditional names for males like Joseph, Anthony, Michael, James, Robert, etc., can go easily with the modern age.
If you’re looking for a girl’s name, Mary, Jessica, Lisa, Karen, Barbara, etc., can be your choice.
However, these names represent a fraction of a long list. And these names are what American parents have relied on for centuries.
Choosing a cultural name could be tricky. We get it. When your kiddo becomes an adult, they might be fussy about an oldish name.
But hey, you’ll see myriad young boys and girls having traditional names. And surprisingly, they’re completely okay with it.
However, if it bugs you still, you can name your baby Nash, Ashton, Maverick, Evie, Bella, and other names of this kind. It’s your baby and ultimately your decision and yours alone.
Do You Fancy Celebrity Names?
Celebrities are sometimes so hyped that we try to attach to them in many ways. And naming babies after popular celebrities is one of those ways.
Imagine your toddler, whom you named James (after James Franco) or Hillary (after ‘you know who’). It feels and looks so good for a while.
But imagine things after five or ten years. You’ll realize you’re not the only one. Thousands of moms and dads seemingly had the same taste for names as yours. So, you’ll find many adolescents who share the same name as your child.
Therefore, you should avoid taking inspiration from celebrities if you want to remain unique. But if you want a name that will be relatable and trendy, then it’s perfectly fine to go with your favorite celebrity name.
See If It Has Nice Initials
Your kid’s initials could be the story of their school-life bully. Why?
Are you going to name your daughter Mariette? Let’s say your middle and last names are Andrea Dominic. And the initials? M.A.D.
Or, your son’s full name Henry Oliver Gardener? H.O.G. for short.
See, it’s not a crime, or there’s no standard for keeping intelligent initials for a name. But since you’re naming your child for life, don’t make yourself or your child regret it later.
Take your time, and we’re sure you’ll come up with something special.
Beware of AI (Artificial Intelligence) Names
Social Security Administration data and the Washington Post reported in 2015 that more than six thousand girls were named ‘Alexa,’ after the Amazon artificial intelligence.
Such notions are prevalent to this day, and they might continue in the future too. How should you take it? Will you name your baby girl ‘Siri,’ the famous Apple AI?
As our homes become more futuristic and smart as the days pass, naming your kids’ names that are similar to ones shared by AI voice assistants is likely to lead to massive confusion at the house.
Imagine if your daughter is named Alexa or Siri and you have such smart home systems installed in your house. Then think about the cacophony every time you call out the voice assistant and/or your daughter. Just think for once what a communication hassle it may create.
Don’t Ignore Your Second Thought
There are instances when you can’t backtrack on a given name for your baby. Often, it’s because you’ve already revealed the name to people already. Or, it could be the case that you only had a better idea after you had already named your baby officially.
Hence, let us tell you that you don’t need to rush naming your infant. A newborn will even take time to adjust its hearing to the surroundings. Then why so jumpy about a name?
You might have been keeping a name journal during pregnancy. If you haven’t, start listing now. Sit with your partner and let the names flow.
If you’re confused between several beautiful names, select the top two or three. Let some time pass to look at the list with fresh eyes so that you can choose the most suitable one for your kid.
To Conclude
You can’t patent your baby’s name, true. But it’s always your choice eventually.
You’ve brought your sweetie to this world and want to raise them with your love and devotion. So, it’s your duty to find the best name for it.
We’ve shared the seven best tips to consider before naming your baby. This article isn’t a hard and fast rule but is intended to provide you with some food for thought regarding naming your newborn.
We hope you’ll be a smart parent to choose the best name for your baby by considering as many of the tips listed in this article as possible.
