7 Traps to Watch for when Choosing a Baby Name ...

By Alison

Choosing a baby name is certainly a challenge. You want to pick something that you like, and that your child will be happy with when they grow up. Unfortunately, there are many traps that you have to watch out for. Try these tips for choosing a baby name, so that your child won't want to change their name as soon as they're old enough to do so …

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1

Awkward Initials

When choosing a baby name, it's essential to look closely at what their initials will be. If your surname begins with S, you certainly won't want to pick a name beginning with B! This may mean that you have to rule out a name you love, but your child will thank you. It's probably wise to do a search, as there may be some less obvious abbreviations that you haven't considered.

2

Suspect Sound

Phonetics can be a hidden trap when it comes to choosing a name for your baby. Do you remember poor little Drew from a previous article? This was not the best name for Mr and Mrs Peacock to give their son. Always try speaking the full name out loud, as a name that looks fine on paper may reveal an unfortunate side when spoken.

3

Imminent Popularity

It's common for parents to be inspired by a name of a character in a book or film that they like. Unfortunately, thousands of other parents are likely to do the same. Be careful of choosing a name that is about to become very popular, as your child will then share their name with two or three classmates. They will spend their lives thinking that someone is calling them when the person is addressing someone else.

4

Surname

Having tried out different names, you may have ruled out one because it sounds awful with your partner's surname. But what if you really love a name that doesn't go well with your partner's name? There is an alternative to discarding it altogether. In most countries, there's no reason why your child can't have your surname rather than their father's name.

5

All Beginning with …

Picking a name becomes trickier as your family grows. If you have more than one child, be careful that you don't keep choosing names with the same initial. It will be a problem as time goes by if mail arrives simply addressed to S Jones, if you all have names beginning with S. Imagine the confusion when mail arrives at the Duggar house …

Famous Quotes

Meaning is not what you start with but what you end up with.

Peter Elbow
6

Similarity

Avoid picking names that are too similar to others in your circle or family. It's fine to want to name you child after a favorite grandmother, but a child needs their own identity. Use the name as her middle name, or take your grandmother's name as inspiration (say, if her name is Rose, use another flower name).

7

Dating

This is a bit tricky, admittedly. But if you can, try to avoid choosing a name that will date your child. Many names become associated with a particular time and give a pretty good indication as to how old that person is. You can't entirely predict which names will become popular and which will go out of fashion - hopefully if this happens, their name will become popular again!

Choosing a name for your child is complicated, but do try to avoid the more obvious traps. You may have had a name picked out for years, but for one of these reasons find that it doesn't work. Never mind - there are so many names to choose from. Have you already chosen names for your future children?

Feedback Junction

Where Thoughts and Opinions Converge

I personally love older names. Depending on what they are. But I think going back helps me think of more unique names than what's common nowadays.

Old names are becoming more popular!

Personally, I love the name Violet, but it sounds terrible with my last name and my boyfriends!

Why not s and b ? Did I miss something

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