by Timiarah A. Camburn

Created on: January 01, 2011   Last Updated: January 02, 2011

A child's name is one of the most important things that a mother and father can give. It will somewhat define who he is and set the overall feel of his life. It will either give him a deep sense of pride or a horrible touch of shame. A name is something that can not be changed easily once it is given and could not be erased from the mind even then. For those reasons, it is important to choose carefully and follow a few simple guidelines:

Think Focker: Many people have seen the "Meet The Parents" movie and its sequels. When choosing a name for a baby one should consider the ridicule and turmoil of the fictitious character Gaylord Focker. This individual was so ashamed of the laughter inducing combo he had for a name that he went through life pretending his real name was Greg to avoid embarrassment. Parents to be should think of the child's feelings first and avoid names that can be used as jokes.

Avoid Jumbalaya: Although it is really cool for a child to have a name that is unique it should not be over done. Parents sometimes go too far to the extreme attempting to be different so that their baby's name is not like anyone else's. This is a great concept, but remember the child will have to write his own name one day and the process should not take an hour. Also, try to steer clear of names that produce large amounts of phlegm during pronunciation.

 What Would Jesus Do?: Consider not giving your baby the name of a historical figure or a deity. The reason being is that he may at some point in his life feel pressured to live up to the name and it may be impossible for him to do. For example, no one can even come close to being Jesus, so why put that kind of responsibility on him? What would Jesus do? The child will have no idea whatsoever. Any time he is less than perfect, he may feel bad about himself. Your child probably would not like to be King Tut, George Washington, or General Patton either. Give him his own name and let him grow into his own person.

Be Gender Specific: Aunt Gertrude may have been the sweetest woman who ever walked the face of the earth, but please do not pass her name on to a male child. Grandpa Butch was probably wonderful as well but a female child should not carry on his name either. When children are not given gender specific names it is like asking for playground teasing and teenage cruelty. Some adults might even slip in a joke or two.

This is not an attempt to deplete any of the joys of naming a baby. It still can be a very exciting and pleasurable experience. There are literally billions of names that can be given. Variety can still be found and uniqueness can still be achieved. Parents should just make sure not to pass down anything that may cause confusion or lower the baby's self esteem.

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