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Baby Naming Tips
Choosing a name for your child is one of the most important early decisions you
can make as a parent. Some parents want to choose a more
traditional name, while others want a popular contemporary name.
Others wish for a more unusual name that no other child in the
classroom has, while an ever-increasing number are looking for a
name with a particular meaning - be it a Biblical name, a name
from Roman or Greek mythology, or even one associated with a
particular place, color or plant. Here are a few tips to help you
to pick the perfect baby name for your little boy or girl.
Rhyme and Rhythm
When you pick a name, you should think of the rhythm of the name
in combination with your last name. Try and avoid repeated
sounds, as in Herman WAYMAN or Mary PERRY for example. Also try
and avoid rhyming names like Jane VANE, Travis DAVIS, Ronald
DONALD, Tucker DAKER and names that repeat part of the surname -
e.g. John JOHNSON.
Name Initials
When you pick a name for your baby, you should write the full
name and check the initials. Don't choose names which make
"bad" initials, for example: Christian Oliver Wilson =
(C.O.W.), Madison Ashley Davis = (M.A.D.) etc. So, take into
consideration our advice when you choose a name for your baby.
Popular and Traditional Names
Be careful when you choose a popular or traditional name. About
85% of all the first names in the U.S. are from a list of just
200 boys and girls names. The same statistic is in other
countries too. In the 17th and 18th century about 50% of all the
men and women had biblical names such as: George, Joseph,
Charles, Henry, Emma, Margaret, Sarah, Grace. When you choose a
popular and traditional name, you should think, that your baby
may get confused in a class, where three or four children have
the same name.
Unusual Names
Today, American parents often give their children brand
names, such as Loreal, Chevrolet and Armani. Two boys - one in
Michigan, another in Texas were given the name ESPN in honor of
the sport TV channel. This tendency was noticed by professor
Cleveland Ewans, who was analyzing the documents of the U.S.
Social Security Administration for 2002 year.
Professor Ewans has been studying the
baby names of Americans for 25 years. According to his opinion,
one of the main sources of inspiration for parents choosing names
for their babies is car brand names. For example, girls are given
names like Infiniti, Civic, Kia, Lexus and boys like Chevy,
Dodge, Chrysler etc.
The most popular names in 2005 were
Jacob and Emily. Professor Ewans thinks that parents, who give
popular brand names to their children, want them to be different
from others. This phenomenon also reflects the parents' hopes for
their children, named as Armani or Chanel, to become rich and
famous.
Make a Unique Name
If you don't want to use a popular or traditional name, there are
many ways to create your own unique name.
The easiest way to create your own name is by adding a diminutive
ending to the name that you like, for example: Angel + ina =
Angelina, Julia + anna = Julianne, Paula + lina = Paulina or try
to add a prefix before a name, for example: a combination of the
prefix De + Lacy = Delacy, Da + Marcus = Damarcus, La + Tisha =
Latisha, Ta + Nita = Tanita, Be + Linda = Belinda, Ka + Sandra =
Kassandra.
You can also change the spelling or the pronunciation, for
example: [o - a] = Olivia - Alivia, [v - j] = Vanessa - Janessa,
[i - y] = Addison - Addyson, [k - l] = Keyla - Leyla and etc.
Feel free to experiment with name combinations, it is the best
way to create the unique name you will like.
How does it sound?
During all our life we don't hear any word as often as our name.
That's why it is very important how it sounds. When you pick a
name for your baby, make sure that the first name has a good
sound with the middle name or your last name. Usually, short
names sound well with long family names and conversely.
Nicknames and Variations
Diminutive pet names and variations on names and spellings are
endless. While an especially cutesy pet-name for a toddler may be
endearing early on, it may be a great source of exasperation for
a young adult. An exceptionally aberrant spelling of a common
name may also prove frustrating to a school-aged child whose name
is perpetually misspelled or mispronounced. A thoughtful parent
needs to take these matters into account.
Syllables
Look at the length of each name and the number of syllables. Very
long names can be difficult to fit in forms, while very short
ones may look odd. In terms of syllables, try to vary the number
of syllables in the first name and surname, and avoid first names
that stress the same syllable as the last name.
Meaning of Name
A name's meaning these days extends far beyond the original
"spear carrier" or "God is gracious." You'll
want to consider what a name means in terms of your family
history, your individual experience, your personal style. Can you
find a name that relates to your family tree? Your ethnic
background? How about a place name of a word name or an
occupational name that signals something with personal
significance to you? Explore what different names mean in
relation to your sense of style, of history, of yourself and you
partner. A name that connects deeply on several levels will
resonate into the future for both you and your child.
Middle Names
Middle names are a means of including relatives who might
otherwise feel excluded from the baby-naming process - as long as
the names all work together. The syllable rule also applies when
picking out a middle name, so do check how all three sound
together.
Anne, Lynne and Marie are popular girls
names due to the number of syllables they contain. Most first and
last names have two syllables and the emphasis is places on the
first, so these names change this and make for a comfortable
rhythm. There are, however, plenty of other names accented
differently that can be used instead, like Alexandra, Fiona,
Evelyn and Valerie.
Middle names for boys can be trickier,
as most male names follow the same pattern of having two
syllables, with the accent on the first. There are, however,
plenty which differ, like Adrian, Anthony and Xavier.
We hope that some of these baby naming tips will help you in your
final decision. Good Luck!
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