by Caitlyn Hair

Created on: April 18, 2009

Naming a child is a lot of pressure. Since they're going to be stuck with whatever you give them for at least eighteen years, parents employ countless strategies to come up with something perfect and unique. As a result, there are a lot of weird ones out there. Here are a some of my ideas about naming babies:

1. Does your last name look or sound like another word? Boys, especially, are going to be stuck with it for the rest of their lives. Girls may have an out, but nothing is for certain. I am a perfect example of this because my married name is Hair. Yes, Hair. I have a niece who is four months older than my daughter. When her mother was pregnant, her parents loved the name Madeline. Thankfully they had the foresight to think of nicknames, because elementary school wouldn't have been easy for a girl named Maddy ("matty") Hair. Other names off limits to my family include: Angel, Horace, Harry, Catherine ("Cat"), and, as my husband always says, Arm Pit. He's a charmer.

2. Is your last name long or short? Mine is short, only one syllable, so I'm inclined to use first names that are two or more syllables long because I think it flows better. If your last name is Lee, for example, you may want to consider a name like Andrew over one like Dave. However, if your last name is Patterson, Dave would be an excellent choice. People with medium-length surnames like Miller are lucky, they can give their children any length name they want and it will usually sound pretty good.

3. Do you want to be traditional or unique? Many parents prefer uniqueness, and I've noticed a lot more names like Montana Skye and November Rain in the past few years than when I was in school. Those names are certainly beautiful, and might be perfect for the heroine of your romance novel, but they're a bit ornate for everyday life. Of course, you won't find me with a son named John Michael, either. There is a fine line between "individual" and "weird" that someone caught up in the excitement of baby naming can cross without noticing. Comb baby name websites and run your ideas by a trusted friend or family member to make sure you're not getting too far out there. Traditional names are easier to come by; often the best sources are people you know and love. My daughter, for example, has a fairly unique first name, but her middle name is after my mother. If you're curious about the popularity of a name in the U.S., check out the Social Security website. They have lists of the top 1,000 names for the last one hundred and fifty years or so.

4. What does the name mean, and what is its history? Many of today's popular names actually have extremely unflattering meanings. For example, Kennedy translates as "misshapen head." Your child will probably get curious about what their name means one day, so even though you love the sound of Devlin, its meaning ("son of the unlucky one") may disappoint your child when he looks it up for his third grade project.

Those are my top four priorities when I research baby names, even though there are several other factors to consider. Does your partner like it? Can it be turned into a nasty playground nickname (really think about this one, children are both creative and cruel)? Is it the name of one of your or your partners ex's or someone you just couldn't stand? In any case, think long and hard before you sign that birth certificate. Say the name out loud by itself and in combination with the middle and last name. Most importantly, remember that everyone has different taste, and once you've decided on a name that you love, don't be afraid to stick with it! You can't please your whole family, your in-laws, and all of your friends, and they'll love your baby no matter what you name him or her.

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