by Charlotte Howard

Created on: September 06, 2008   Last Updated: June 26, 2009

Congratulations!

You have just found out you are pregnant, and there are so many things to think about. One of the most important things though is choosing the baby's name. Whether you know the sex or not is irrelevant - they're not 100% about sex predicitions on scans, and there are several names that can be chosen for both boys and girls. When thinking about the name of your child there are so many considerations to take into account though.

1. The first thing to do is remember that whatever name you choose, your child will be stuck with it for the rest of their life. Yes, you can now change the name by Deed Poll, but at the end of the day, you choose your child's name.

2. Does the name go with your last name? This can be tricky if you have first name sounding surname, for example, Williams or Kelly. William Williams, Kelly Kelly... may be okay for a popstar but not really suitable for everyday names at school! If you have surname like Lee you could end up with a Grace Lee. Look out for rhymes, double names or tongue-twisters too, for example Edward Ward or Lionel Rynell.

3. Naming a child after your favourite brand, food, place or car is never a good thing. Chardonnay and Apple may seem cute, but it is starting to get ridiculous with some people naming their child Reebok or Ferrari. Trend setter names might be fashionable now, but what about in 20 years time? Will your child really thank you for naming them after where they were conceived?

4. Some people choose family names, but make sure it is a name that you like too. You might please your mother, grandfather or brother by naming the child after them, but you're the one who will have to use that name on a daily basis when calling your child in from the street.

5. Do you want a traditional or modern name? Older names such as Rebecca, William, Victoria and Jacob are all coming back into fashion at the moment. But, you could always choose a shortened version - Becky, Billy, Vicki or Jake are also trendy.

When choosing a baby's name, it is probably best to come with a small selection that you both agree with and wait until the baby is actually born before making a final decision. She may not look like a Caroline and he may look more like a Daniel. When you do see your baby for the first time though, the name you choose will fit perfectly. Just make sure that it is a name you both agree on. Listen to other people's advice and suggestions but at the end of the day the decision is yours.

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