5 Things to Consider When Naming your Baby If You Are Being Confused
How do you ɴᴀᴍᴇ your baby? It’s a huge decision that can feel ᴇxᴄɪᴛɪɴɢ, ᴏᴠᴇʀᴡʜᴇʟᴍɪɴɢ, ᴀɴᴅ…ᴄʜᴀʟʟᴇɴɢɪɴɢ! In the last couple of decades giving a baby a ᴜɴɪǫᴜᴇ ɴᴀᴍᴇ has become extremely trendy.. So, in the end, we are here to help you choice one ᴜɴɪǫᴜᴇ ɴᴀᴍᴇ for your baby in 5 rule.
The problem with choosing a child’s ɴᴀᴍᴇ based solely on ᴜɴɪǫᴜᴇness is that this rarely works. Full disclosure, my children all have very, very traditional ɴᴀᴍᴇs. But of course that isn’t for everyone either. Instead, when naming a baby, perhaps parents should consider a ɴᴀᴍᴇ inspired not merely by a desire to be different, but by something greater.
Here are five things, besides ᴜɴɪǫᴜᴇness, to consider when choosing a baby’s ɴᴀᴍᴇ:
1.Meaning
Think first of what you want your child’s ɴᴀᴍᴇ to mean, and then look up the corresponding ɴᴀᴍᴇ. Do you want your daughter to associate herself with strength? Consider Audrey, Jaiyana or Valerie. Do you consider your son a gift? ɴᴀᴍᴇ him Jonah, Mateo or Kendrick.
2. Family ɴᴀᴍᴇs
So your dad is Earl and your mom is Sue. Maybe those aren’t your first choices for your precious bundle. Okay, dig a little deeper. Talk about some unusual ɴᴀᴍᴇs! Most family trees have a them.
What was your great great great grandmother’s ɴᴀᴍᴇ? Or your favorite aunt? What was her maiden ɴᴀᴍᴇ? The point is, whether it’s ᴜɴɪǫᴜᴇ or not, a family ɴᴀᴍᴇ has significance and meaning. Family ɴᴀᴍᴇs honor another person without whom you and your baby would not even exist.
3.Family origin or culture
Even if you don’t identify strongly with a specific ethnic group, choosing an ethnic or regional ɴᴀᴍᴇ can be a cool way to acknowledge and honor your family’s heritage.
4. Rᴇʟɪɢɪᴏɴ and ʟɪᴛᴇʀᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ
This, of course, makes much more sense if you happen to be religious. My kids all have saints’ ɴᴀᴍᴇs. But even if you aren’t, there are countless stories of saints and sages in religious ʟɪᴛᴇʀᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ that offer an inspiring story and a ɴᴀᴍᴇ to go with it.
5. A favorite place
A meaningful place ɴᴀᴍᴇ can be a cool option with a great story to go with it. Did you meet your husband in Denver? Did you grow up vacationing at Avila Beach, California or Bryson City, North Carolina? A place ɴᴀᴍᴇ is a special way to pass down a special memory.
A ɴᴀᴍᴇ is no guarantee of passing on a specific value or characteristic, but it can be a great reminder to your child of what’s important to your family. But the whole point is that a child’s ɴᴀᴍᴇ should be about more than just what sounds cool.
