How to Choose a Baby Name

Steps

1. Remember that your child will have his name for his whole life, so make it something special to be proud of.
2. Write lists of names you love, people you want to honor, names that have special meanings, etc (both you and your partner should do this). Compare the lists - are there names you both love? Maybe your partner likes a name that you can't stand. Cross off the names you don't like and add names you do like to your list. These lists will change over time.
3. Make sure it's a name that you both love. Try saying your child's name over and over to see if you'll get tired of hearing it. One very important factor is if the name will age. It's easy to imagine a teenage Britni, but can you see a grown up Britni?
4. Make sure the name sounds good with your last name. Don't ever use a name whose last letter is the same as the first letter in your last name, i.e. George Johnson, Annabell Loor, Roger Rine.
5. Decide when you want to reveal the name. Some couples wait until the baby is born, while others tell their family, friends, and anyone who asks right away.
6. Think about how it might be shortened. Lots of people shorten their names, and you need to choose one that you like and will still sound good with your surname - e.g. the names Richard Wickes might sound OK, but what if he prefers to be called Rick?
7. Try not to choose names so that your children - particularly if they are the same sex - have the same initials. When they are older and a letter arrives for J. Smith, how will you know if it's for Josh, Jack, Joseph or Jordan?

Tips

• If you are expecting multiples, see if the names sound good with each other. Are they too similar? Twins Alexander and Alexandra are never going to forgive you!
• Also think about not naming all of your kids in a theme, such as Emerald, Ruby, and Opal.
• If you last name is the butt of many jokes (Hogg, Pigg, etc.), don't name your kids anything to accentuate that. Ima, Shesa and Youra is just cruel.
• Make sure your kid can live with the name.
• Put your name through the "bully" test. Rhyme it with anything you can think of, look for hidden words in the name, etc. Have a small child help you if you can't think of anything. Kids are very quick to spot odd things about names...and exploit them.
• Look at the initials to see if they spell something embarrassing. Andrew Samuel Sanderson won't be happy to share his middle name with anyone.
• Google your choice to make sure it hasn't been co-opted by strippers and porn stars.
• Check the Social Security Administration's website to see the popularity of the name.
• Don't get cute and creative with spelling. It doesn't make the name more unique or different, it will sound the same. This just causes problems with no one ever getting your child's name correct and a lot of bureaucratic hassle later in life.
• Don't make your kid sound like a stripper...avoid Brandii, Mandii,Candii, Tamii...etc.

Warnings

• Your child will carry this name for the rest of his/her life. This living being will be an adult for far longer than they will be a cute adorable baby. Choose a name that will serve them throughout life, not one that is cute and adorable. Don't embarrass this future adult by being overly whimsical and silly. Wayne Dwopp won't thank you when he is being teased in school.
• If you use an invented spelling of the name, carefully look at it and show it to others in order to avoid embarrassing the child later in life. Analeese might seem like a good way to respell the name Anneliese, but many people will see the word "Anal" immediately.