by Jana Louise Smit

Created on: May 27, 2010   Last Updated: May 28, 2010

Choosing the perfect name for a new baby can present its challenges but it can also be a fun experience. Names can be handed down, picked for their popularity or simply be invented by the more adventurous.

If tradition is prevalent in a family, then new parents might first consider naming a child for a parent or grandparent and in some families such names have been passed down for generations. If, however, a break from family names is considered, then the choices are as limitless as the sky.

On the down side, it is this broad name bank that sometimes frustrates actually picking a favourite and sticking to it. If you have ever read a menu on which every item was simply superb and you couldn't make up your mind, then you get the idea.

A good anchoring for such a choice would be to think about future consequences. Kids love to own a name that hold a special family significance or simply have a catchy meaning.

One day the new baby will either love or hate its name and that should be taken into consideration before actually picking it. While parents cannot predict what their newborn would love or dislike in ten years' time, common sense is still available.

Strange names may be popular in Hollywood but calling baby Tiger-Lily or Free Tibet may invoke a lifetime of teasing from peers and get the child singled out on the playground for all the wrong reasons.

There are many sites on the Internet dedicated to baby names and their meanings, as well as countless books owning the same purpose. With such available resources, any new parent will find all the ideas they can handle.

Use them to draw up a list, discuss it with other family members such as any older children the expectant couple may already have. Making name picking a family activity is a great way to bond but everyone should accept that the final choice belongs to the parents.

If all else fails, parents can invent a new name. It can be a mixture of two names and that is very useful if there are two grandfathers or grandmothers to be considered when it is a family name the baby is inheriting. Or it can be an entirely new name nobody has ever heard of.

The only drawback with such unique and original names is that they have no meaning in the literal sense. If that isn't a concern, then inventing a name for their sprout can be a fun and bonding experience for the couple during pregnancy.

When choosing a new name for a child, parents often find it hard to pick between several firm favourites and in that case, there is nothing stopping you from giving a child a second or even third name. The singer Madonna was given three (Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone) and Prince William has four names (William Arthur Phillip Louis Windsor).

The important thing is to make sure that the name picking is a special time for everyone involved and once the name is decided, then the baby, even though it is still not born, can then be referred to by his or her name. This way, parents and older siblings can begin to feel even closer to the newest addition to the family.

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