by Lucius Trae

Created on: May 15, 2010   Last Updated: May 16, 2010

There are a lot of options for choosing a baby's name. There are a lot of things to consider, and most of them are things to "avoid doing." Parents often select names they "like" and leave it at that. There is much more to selecting a name, and here are some things you should weigh when choosing a name:

1. Both parents should like the name. Unless one parent is out of the picture, it's only fair that both parents like the name.

2. Recognize that the name will be shortened. If you name your child "Christopher" or "Nicholas," you're going to be hearing "Chris" or "Nick" from teachers, friends, and family. It frustrates my Dad that he is the only one who calls me "Nicholas."

I don't mind people calling me "Nick," but you should realize names get shortened.Some children may agree with your choice and request to be called their full name, but most kids won't care.

3. Be careful about naming after relatives. Many people like to name children after their Father or Grandfather. I think middle names best serve this purpose. If a child is named Robert, like their father, they won't be called Robert in most cases. This means you should expect one of two things. 1.

Your child will be called their middle name, which hopefully isn't Wilbert, or they will be called a shortened version of the name. Chances are, the Father is already called Rob sometimes. This means your kid is going to be stuck with "Bob."

If you don't like that, you should have been more careful naming your son. Except in the case of tradition, I think it's best to stay away from using first names of people you know. It's just confusing.

4. Avoid naming your child after a celebrity or current historical figure. Some people like George Bush, but you shouldn't name your kid George after him. They might be embarrassed by the fact later in life.

You also don't know what a person will do in the future. I know someone with a middle name belonging to a pedophile. Not a pleasant thing for them to know. They keep it out of respect for their parents, I suspect. Similarly, the fascination with naming children Edward (from Twilight).

Twilight isn't going down in history as a great literary work. It's also a romantic book. No boy is going to be happy you named them after Edward Cullen. Edward is a nice name, but choose it for another reason.

5. Don't go with trends. While I'm on the topic of Twilight, check for popular names before naming a child. Bella and Edward are going to be everywhere. I grew up with tons of Nick's.

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