For some expectant parents, choosing a name for their new baby is a no-brainer. Some women have had their baby’s name picked out for years. Some families look forward to passing down a family name. Some couples will even name their child after the city or place in which they were conceived, like all four of Ron Howard’s children. (Can you guess which state daughter Bryce Dallas was conceived in?)
For those of us who don’t have a name lined up, however, picking out a name can be pretty tricky. After all, you’ll probably say it about 3 million times in your lifetime, so you don’t want to pick a name you won’t like after you utter it for the 1.5 millionth time, right? That’s a lot of pressure.
Someone once told me you should go to your backdoor and yell the potential name, as though you were calling your child to come inside. If you like how it sounds, that’s the name you should pick. A more systematic approach would be to print off two copies of the list of top 500 most popular names from the Social Security website, privately circle your favorites and then compare the results to see which names you both like and narrow it down from there. If you have a particular meaning you’d like to use, you can use an online name library that includes the origins and meanings of different names. Some families prefer to use biblical names. Some name their kids after their favorite celebrities. I first heard my son’s name while meeting several of my best friend’s coworkers, and I really liked the sound of it. There are tons of places to look for names, and sometimes the name just pops out of nowhere.
Remember that you don’t have to have the name picked out before your baby is born. You usually have a few days after your baby is born to fill out the birth certificate. Some moms want to see their baby’s face before choosing a name, believing the child will look like a certain name.
How did you pick out names for your children?