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- Listen to advice from family and friends - but utltimately make your own decision
- Making others 'think' they are part of the process can make your life easier as you search for the perfect name
- Arabic names tend to be religious, usually referring to worship and faithfulness
- Research names from your favorite band, or choose the name of your favorite singer
- Go to the library and find some classic books - there are usually great names from which to choose for your baby
- Choose the name of your favorite celebrity or movie star
- Realize that celebrities may not have all of the answers - Is Apple a fruit, or a child's name?
- Pick a name of a character from your favorite television show
- Soap operas are a great source for unique, popular names
- Choose a character from your favorite movie - Rocky or Sonny for example
- If the name doesn't seem to fit the baby once he or she has arrived, you can always change the name, but don't wait too long
- In China, a name contains one unique character while the others are shared by all family members in the child's generation
- Name the baby after your favorite town or city - Florence or Diego for example
- Invite your friends to participate in a contest - ask them to choose the day your baby will be born, and the one who is closest gets to pick the name
- Give a unique name - choose a top 100 name from a different country
- Research other cultures or naming traditions
- Babies do grow up - a cute name may not always be cute
- Name the baby after the doctor (or nurse) that delivered the baby
- Research your ethnic background to learn naming traditions as well as superstitions
- Ask you older children to participate in naming your new child - it can be fun and lead to great bonding moments for your family
- In a large family, be careful of using the same name a cousin or family member may already have - family events can become quite confusing
- Consider using a last name as a middle name
- See if using the first letters of names from people in your family result in a potential name
- Look through your family tree and see if there are any ancestors with names you like
- Give a family member the honor of selecting a name for your child
- A mother's maiden name can become a unique, meaningful first name
- Select the name you always wanted to have for yourself had you been able to choose your own name
- Name a child after your favorite attribute of someone you love, for example, Cassidy (girl with curly hair) or Ahisma (gentle)
- Pick a name after your favorite flower, like Lilly or Rose
- The French have traditionally given names from the Roman Catholic calendar of saints
- Pick you favorite gem or stone - Ruby or Pearl
- Choose a popular name from other countries
- Name your child after a grandparent
- Greeks typically use the paternal grandfather's name for the first-born male and the paternal grandmother's name for the first daughter
- Choose a name that ultimately makes you happy
- Five distinct requirements for a Hindu name 1) the name should be easy to say and have a pleasant sound, 2) the name would need to have a set number of syllables, as well as vowels, 3) the baby's name would indicate his or her gender, 4) the name would represent the family's status, specific to power, wealth, and fame, and 5) the caste of the family would be suggested with the chosen name
- Hispanic first names frequently have biblical histories or are named for Saints
- Write down the initials from the baby's full name - make sure it does not spell something else, especially something bad - Dana Angela Madison (DAM)
- Think of the child's middle name as well - does the first and middle names sound together?
- Irish children are often named after family members - First son named after father's father, first daugter after mother's daughter, second son after mother's father, second daughter after father's mother
- There is a custom in Italy that 1) the first male is named after his paternal grandfather, 2) the second male is named after his maternal grandfather, 3) the first female is named after her paternal grandmother, and 4) the second female is named after her maternal grandmother
- Japanese believe that a baby's name will decide its future, which is why the Japanese look for names that bring good fortune to the child
- Ashkenazic Jews have a strong tradition that a baby be named after a deceased relative
- Sephardim Jews name their children after living grandparents, where the first son is named for the father's father, the first daughter for the father's mother, the next son is named after his mother's father and the second girl for her maternal grandmother
- Select a last name and use it as a first name - the last name can be in your family, or just a name you like for your child
- Pick a name that has a special meaning
- Make sure the name you've chosen does not have a negative meaning
- Consider the first name and last name and make sure they sound good together - Jim Shoe or Trixie Pixy may lead to future teasing
- Pick some attributes you'd like your child to possess and use a baby name meaning tool, like on www.babynamesusa.com, to determine which names have the meaning
- Select a name that brings up positive memories for you, from someone you once knew or maybe someone you met and had an influence on your life
- Make a list of names you definitely do not like, as it may make it easier to find the one you do like
- Pick a name that can be easily shortened or abbreviated, allowing your child to pick the one he/she likes best as he/she gets older - for example, Michael can become Mike, Mikey, Mickey, etc
- If you have a lucky number, pick a name with the same amount of letters as your lucky number
- Choose wisely - some studies suggest that people with more popular names are treated better than those with less popular names
- Some names will likely become unpopular or too popular, but don't spend too much time trying to determine if the name you've selected falls into one of these categories
- When naming multiple kids with the same first letter, consider if it will strip some of your children from feeling unique or special
- If you are having multiple babies, choose names that are unique - Dave and Dale are too similar, try Dave and Steve so each child feels a special affintity for their name. It will also makes things less confusing when calling a child's name
- List your favorite names and see if a combination results in a great name - Michael and Jason = Mason
- If you have multiple kids (or plan on it), some families pick a consistent letter for each child's name: Steve, Sarah, Sonya, etc.
- Nature is a good source to consider when trying to find beautiful names - trees (Willow), flowers (Rose), or plants (Fern)
- Consider what nicknames can, and will, come from the name, and make sure you are not setting your child to be made fun of later in life
- People shorten names - James will likely become Jim, or Nathaniel will likely become Nate
- Norwegian tradition names the first-born son for the paternal grandfather, and the second-born son for the maternal grandfather. First and second born daughters were named after their grandmothers in similar fashion
- Numerology helps many people find their perfect name - visit a site that explains uses numerology like www.babynamesusa.com
- Name your child after a parent, John can become John Jr., this is one of the most commonly used traditions
- Avoid naming the child after a past boyfriend or girlfriend of significance, it can only lead to friction
- Visit the past to find a classic name by going to www.thetop100babynames.com and looking through history's top names
- Don't select a name that had previously been held by your pet
- Poems can contain special, meaningful names, and there are many to choose from in the local library
- Polish people usually give one or two names and typically choose a traditional Biblical or saint's name
- In Poland, law mandates that a person's given name must clearly inidcate the baby's sex
- Name your child after a politician of significance, from the United State or abroad
- Make sure you have a name selected for each sex, boy and girl, so you are ready when the big day gets there
- The name you've selected may look beautiful on paper - but make sure people can easily read and pronounce the name too
- The baby will become an adult so make sure you select a name he or she will be proud of sharing and using
- Name your baby for a religious figure. There are many to select from and this is one of the most common sources of names
- Certain religions honor the living by naming a child after a loved one - while other religions only honor the deceased, make sure you know your religious traditions
- Read a religious book to find names of faith
- It may not be wise to have the first and last name rhyme - Dwight White
- Keep your favorite names secret - avoid someone else stealing your favorite name, it could lead to arguments
- Listen to a favorite song - there may be a good name and you can tell the child exactly where there name came from, and listen to it together
- Pick your favorite name and change some letters - Taylor or Tayler - make it unique for your child Alice or Alyce?
- Add a letter to a name you like - from Linda to Blinda
- Name your child after a sports hero from your favorite team
- Take the babynames test at www.babynamesusa.com to find a perfect baby name
- Don't name 'on a whim' - give it time and thought to ensure you select the right name
- Some families give the same first name to each of their children, passed down from generation to generation, but call them by their middle name
- Names can be for a boy or a girl - Taylor, Dana or Jordan - make sure you are comfortabel knowing a child from the opposite sex may have the same name as your child
- Vietnamese people use different given names (first names are not traditionally passed down), and the name reflects a meaning Most Vietnamese names can be used for either sex
- Choose the name of the best man or maid of honor in your wedding
- Astrology, a method of self-exploration, may help you find some good ideas for the right name
- French people traditionally have one or two (sometimes more) given names, with the first name being used in most social settings and the additional given names in honor of family memebers
- Children's movies or cartoons may contain some good names for your consideration
- Ask your children for names of children in their class as school
- Name your child after your best friend, or the best friend of your significant other
- Grab the newspaper and see if there are some good names in the articles or stories of interest
- It may sound gross, but the obituary section of a newspaper can be a good source of great names - as well as classic names from the past
- Name your child after a prominent business person, a doctor, a lawyer, or a favorite teacher
- American Idol is the hottest reality show on television right now - pick your favorite contestant and use that name for your child
- If the child is a boy, name the child after a President of the United States of America or your country of origin
- Name your child after a past winner of the Nobel Peace Prize
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