by Tamra Besch

Created on: June 10, 2009   Last Updated: June 17, 2009

Having a Unique Name is an Advantage

In this day and age, with millions of people on the planet, standing out is beneficial. Some people have a certain look, or possibly a certain personality or voice that makes them more memorable. But, these are not traits that we know about until after birth and possibly not until a much older age. However, having a name that is unique, a name that is not common, gives your child an advantage.

Why is this important? My oldest son's name is Stone. His name has gotten him many advantages. He is usually the first student whose name the teacher will remember. He is the kid on the team that the basketball coach will call on because his name comes quickly to mind. His name has gotten him attention and he is proud of that, therefore instilling confidence in himself. He has become his name. At 8 years old he will confidently introduce himself to someone, knowing that they will comment on the uniqueness of his name and that they will more than likely address him by his name later, because they will remember it. One summer, at a "Meet the Teacher Night", a teacher was quite excited to meet Stone because she wanted to know what a "Stone" would look like. In that example, she had already learned his name and was just waiting to attach a face.

You could try to argue that this could back fire, that this could bring too much attention. It might encourage people to notice way more about Stone than necessary. Possibly, get him into trouble more often. But, it hasn't. Everyone remembers his name, and everyone clearly speaks his name when they see him. This always brings a smile to his face. And after 8 years of people clearly recognizing him and remembering his name, he quick to correct you if you don't.

A neighbor liked the name Stone so much, she named her baby Stone. This did not sit well with a lot of our mutual acquaintances. I don't have a copyright on the name Stone, so she had a right to use it just like anyone else. There is definitely more than one Jonathan and more than one Mark. We don't usually hear people complain about the frequency of common names. But, there is only one Stone. Having a unique name has that effect on people. In fact, it has been brought to my attention more than once that my son is the "first" Stone. I don't mind sharing the name, but his name is so unique, it is my son that people think of when they hear that name.

I believe his name is so unique that it totally encompasses him and his personality. It makes his life a little easier because he gets to be recognized. He is going to be remembered, no t just for his name, but for the personality that goes with his name. We can often remember faces, but can't put a name to the face. Rarely do we remember the name and not what the person looks like. Using a unique name for your child will help people remember the whole child. This is an advantage will benefit them for the rest of their life.

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