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The 7 Biggest Mistakes Newbie Baby Namers Make
Filed under: Baby Names
There are few things more thrilling in life than having your first baby. But newbie baby namers are prone to making some mistakes that more experienced name choosers are able to avoid.
If you're choosing a baby name for the first time, don't make one of these seven common mistakes:
1. Believing that the names that were popular -- and creative -- when you were a kid still have the same status.
Name tastes have changed radically over the last decade or two. Goodbye, Jessica and Josh, hello Layla and Serenity, Landon and Tristan -- all top 100 names.
2. Thinking that the playground rules are the same as they were back in the day.
Kids no longer get teased for having names that are unique, androgynous, exotic or hard to pronounce or spell. Rather, name diversity is celebrated.
3. Letting your parents have too much say in the baby's name.
Baby names can undoubtedly be a fun topic of family conversation. But the person who changes the diapers at 3 a.m. gets to name the baby.
4. Clinging too tightly to the name you always swore you'd give your first child.
A lot of people -- let's face it: girls -- spend their childhoods coming up with fanciful names they want to give their children. But if that name you always loved has suddenly become uber-popular or clashes with your new last name, let it go.
5. Caring too much about how cool the name choice makes you look.
Sure, pregnancy is cooler than it used to be, with cuter clothes and celebrity role models. But putting a name's cool factor above all else won't make little Bronx's life very easy.
6. Not considering subsequent children's names.
First-time namers are likely to think about, well, their first child's name, but if you name Baby No. 1 Tallulah, then you pretty much rule out Lula, Lila, Delilah, Sula, Tally and maybe even Louis for subsequent children.
7. Not realizing that there's going to be a real live baby ... and child ... and, eventually, grownup on the other end of the naming decision.
We get it that it can seem like your pregnancy is all about you. Sometimes, it can almost come as a shock when an actual baby emerges in the delivery room, instantly asserting her own needs and personality. Try to keep that little (and eventually big) person in mind when you choose the name she'll live with forever.
Want to get the latest ParentDish news and advice? Sign up for our newsletter!
The Name Babes are Pamela Redmond Satran and Linda Rosenkrantz, founders of Nameberry.com, innovators of baby-name content on the Web. Got a name craving? Learn more about baby names at Nameberry.com.
If you're choosing a baby name for the first time, don't make one of these seven common mistakes:
1. Believing that the names that were popular -- and creative -- when you were a kid still have the same status.
Name tastes have changed radically over the last decade or two. Goodbye, Jessica and Josh, hello Layla and Serenity, Landon and Tristan -- all top 100 names.
2. Thinking that the playground rules are the same as they were back in the day.
Kids no longer get teased for having names that are unique, androgynous, exotic or hard to pronounce or spell. Rather, name diversity is celebrated.
3. Letting your parents have too much say in the baby's name.
Baby names can undoubtedly be a fun topic of family conversation. But the person who changes the diapers at 3 a.m. gets to name the baby.
4. Clinging too tightly to the name you always swore you'd give your first child.
A lot of people -- let's face it: girls -- spend their childhoods coming up with fanciful names they want to give their children. But if that name you always loved has suddenly become uber-popular or clashes with your new last name, let it go.
5. Caring too much about how cool the name choice makes you look.
Sure, pregnancy is cooler than it used to be, with cuter clothes and celebrity role models. But putting a name's cool factor above all else won't make little Bronx's life very easy.
6. Not considering subsequent children's names.
First-time namers are likely to think about, well, their first child's name, but if you name Baby No. 1 Tallulah, then you pretty much rule out Lula, Lila, Delilah, Sula, Tally and maybe even Louis for subsequent children.
7. Not realizing that there's going to be a real live baby ... and child ... and, eventually, grownup on the other end of the naming decision.
We get it that it can seem like your pregnancy is all about you. Sometimes, it can almost come as a shock when an actual baby emerges in the delivery room, instantly asserting her own needs and personality. Try to keep that little (and eventually big) person in mind when you choose the name she'll live with forever.
Want to get the latest ParentDish news and advice? Sign up for our newsletter!
The Name Babes are Pamela Redmond Satran and Linda Rosenkrantz, founders of Nameberry.com, innovators of baby-name content on the Web. Got a name craving? Learn more about baby names at Nameberry.com.
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ReaderComments (Page 3 of 14)
4-11-2011 @ 2:51AM
mia said...tony orlando didn't think so. (dawn may have thought so, though. they were always kinda closed-mouthed about the whole affair.)
4-11-2011 @ 4:14AM
Alandra said...I work for the family court and my favorite is Praise God Allah, Chericola (Cherry Cola), and N'ric-a (which i can assume is Enrique)...poor things
4-11-2011 @ 4:38AM
Amos said...I also work in an ER, and I once had a patient named Q'lamdiya -- pronounced just like "Chlamydia" -- which is an STD, of course.
I know a teenage boy who goes by "De-Ron, but whose real name is, get this, D'Ront'sh'a, which I think is pronounced something like da-Ront-ta-shay.
Years ago there was an Oprah segment about little girls with messy rooms. One was a darling little girl named "Chinese." Seriously.
The auther claims children don't tease each other about names. Nonsense! But what's worse is hiring managers and others in a position to change a person's fortunes. How do they look at names like, "Q'lamdieya" "D'Ront'sh'a" and "Chinese"? Do you think they just go ahead and offer them every opportunity?
4-11-2011 @ 7:40AM
weasiejr said...Actually Allegra is an old name. Even used in Shakespeare.
4-11-2011 @ 12:55PM
S. Shuman said...Was the mothers name Yo Idiot ?
4-11-2011 @ 6:44AM
nell said...one guess as to the pigment of the mother and child
4-11-2011 @ 3:05PM
Cailyn said...I know what it's like to grow up with a name that no one else has. It's AWFUL. People mispronounce and misspell it all day every day and after having this name for nearly 24 years I can tell you the last thing it makes me feel is special. What's worse is that my name is only 1 letter off from being one of the most popular and common names. So while my brother, who got a normal name, gets personalized cups and keychains, I have to settle for things with only the first letter of my name. Parents need to remember that these are PEOPLE they're naming. Someday this child is going to be an adult and I can tell you right now that when an employer sees some weird-ass name they're going to look at your child oddly instead of the person who saddled them with that name, YOU! Also, when you give your child an outlandish name because it's "cool" you're basically saying you don't trust your child to grow up and be special and unique on their own. Give them a respectable name, nurture them properly, and let them create their own uniqueness. And that's all I have to say.
Reply
4-10-2011 @ 8:23PM
rai9901 said...Numbers 2 and 6 are in direct contradiction. If No. 2 is true, than No. 6 must be false. Think about it. What's so hard for "little Bronx's life" if "kids no longer get teased for having names that are unique, androgynous, exotic or hard to pronounce or spell"? The fact is, No. 2 is false and the exact reason No. 6 is the true statement!
Reply
4-11-2011 @ 12:00AM
arliparli said...Why give up names that were "once" popular? Who wants to name their child with the current fad name? People think they are people so original using these names or way-out "creative" names, but really, they are just following the trend and trying to be cool. Much more original to give one's child a tried and true name.
4-11-2011 @ 2:45AM
L-a said...They are not in contradiction: There is no implication that "little Bronx's life" will be hard because of teasing. It could be hard for any other reason like not being taken seriously by adults, being painfully aware of parents' selfishness, negative associations with the name...
4-11-2011 @ 1:42AM
Sarah said...Arliparli, you are so right! You, too, rai9901. (Hope that's not your real name. Just kidding!) I swore when dreaming about my beautiful baby girl that we were going to name her Savannah. It was so original yet not too far out. I knew NO ONE who had used that name. Well, shortly thereafter, it was the name of a character in a Pat Conroy novel, Jimmy Buffett named his baby Savannah, and a thousand other people did so five minutes after that. So much for original. Wouldn't have worked anyway 'cuz 'she' is 13 and 6'1' and very much a boy. Which is another pet peeve of mine, all these androgynous names. Give your daughter something beautiful -- feminine is not a punishment.
4-11-2011 @ 1:53PM
my4salebox said...I sort of agree. People below are saying that it does NOT matter when naming your kid because it might affect their careers in the future. I saw versions of "That's not how it should work!" and "They shouldn't want to work there anyway!" as excuses.
That's just wishful thinking at the expense of your kids.
4-10-2011 @ 8:22PM
Kevin said...Lets face it. Some parents are ding-bats.
Reply
4-10-2011 @ 10:57PM
Niki said...Here we go again....I'm a 4th grade math teacher. I haven't heard about a kid getting bullied even once because of a NAME. Come on people! With the cultural melting pot that is America, and the constant stream of immigrants with "weird names", you would think that name acceptance would be a no-brainer. Instead of bashing someone over a name, something you have nothing to do with, how about you live and let live. If someone won't hire someone because they have a weird name, I would think long and hard about THAT person having the mental capacity to hire anyone. Being discriminated aganist because of a name shouldn't be something we shrug off and accept. Whatever happened to diversity?
Reply
4-12-2011 @ 8:26PM
VW said...If I remember correctly, teachers never knew half of what went on at the monkey bars then, and still don't. I've HEARD kids making fun of names or giving others nicknames that werent so great because of their given & sir names.
4-11-2011 @ 12:18AM
Nona said...I prefer being able to at least have a clue as to how I am supposed to pronounce a person's name. Some of these silly concoctions with apostrophes all over the place just don't do the trick there. When we are having a meeting, and we all see a list of who is with what department, it can be downright embarrassing to try to address someone in the group when you don't even know how to pronounce their name.
4-10-2011 @ 8:26PM
tyrebitre said...Pamela Satran and Linda Rosenkrantz NEED to be attacked by pitbulls for writing this article.
Reply
4-10-2011 @ 9:04PM
Jill said...Pitbulls have a bad rap because of people like you who want to use Pitbulls for violence. Such a stupid statement, "NEED to be attacked by pitbulls for writing this article"
4-10-2011 @ 9:15PM
Babs said...Pit bulls? What the heck are you talking about? A chihuahua is more likely to bite. How about a base ball bat?
4-10-2011 @ 11:01PM
bob said...ok the difference is a chihuahua may Draw blood, But a Pit bull WILL scare your face for life or even KILL. I know a Girl who's family Pit For no reason bit her face and would not let go!!! She is scared for life. Dont give me that B. S. they are a gentle nice dog. Too many have attacked others!!! I ran enough Calls to see the Pits handy work!!!