Uniqueness: The current fashion is to give baby an unusual name or a traditional name with different spelling so that she stands out from the crowd. A friend has a daughter called Emily. At school there are 2 other Emilys in the class, so she is known as Emily T. It was a year before the little girl understood that her name was Emily and not Emily T! So it is easy to understand the temptation to go for a name that’s different.

However, there can be problems too: the name will be misspelled and mispronounced. “My name is Elvira, but children and teachers would make it Elmira, Olivia, Alvera …I soon learned to come to whatever sounded like my name”, said Elvira Bates. Only my mother and husband get it right!.

Sound and Compatibility: Someone suggested that, before you finally decide on a name, you go into the garden and shout the name five times to see how it sounds! A bit drastic maybe, but it is important to ensure the name sounds right.

General advice is to avoid a name that ends in a vowel if the last name starts with a vowel - the names tend to run together. Also, if the surname is long, choose a short first name, or vice versa.

And please avoid the puns. I once worked with a girl called Hazel Nutt! Fortunately she had a strong personality and coped with the laughter and jokes, but many in her position could have developed a complex about the name.

Once, when I was in hospital, there was a nurse with the name Rosie Bottom! (If you are reading this in the USA, Canada, or anywhere but in the UK, you may be wondering why that should be amusing - well, it translates as ‘Rosie Butt’!) Of course the patients found the name amusing and I suppose anything that cheers up the patients has to be beneficial, but what were her parents thinking of when they named her?

Initials: Obvious really, except some people miss this one. Spell out the initials of the first, middle and last names to see if that makes a word.

Finally, consider whether the name suits a grown-up as well as a child.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

When selecting baby names, it is important that the couple choose a name that they both are fond of and will be proud to place on the birth certificate. Many infants are named after one parent or the other and, in some cases, even a grandparent or other family namesake.

Choose a name that fits well with the childs last name. It doesnt matter whether baby names are short or lengthy, but how they sound together will follow the child throughout their life.

When deciding on a middle name, say it to yourself and aloud several times. And, you can even write it down on paper and see how it looks. Either of these exercises will give you a good idea as to how the full name will look and sound.

Its a good idea to select a name that is unique. While there are certain baby names that are very popular for newborns, it is nice to give your child a name that is not so common and may set them apart from the rest. There are a large number of uncommon, but beautiful, baby names that are ideal for infants.

When choosing baby names, its nice to select one that sounds classy and elegant. One of the best ways of accomplishing this is to read the meaning behind each name. Did you know that all baby names have a meaning behind them? Many parents not only look at the name itself, but of its meaning and definition to help guide them toward a decision. If a child was unplanned, but a nice surprise nonetheless, perhaps a name that is inspired by luck or good fortune would be one befitting of your little one. If your new child is one that was hoped for over a long period of time, then a name that is inspired by hope and a blessing would be the perfect of all baby names.

The internet is a wealth of information where baby names are concerned. From resources to purchasing books and CD reference guides to free listings of baby names, the world wide web is the best place to find every resource imaginable.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

But wait a minute!

Remember that the unique baby name you choose will help define junior’s life - how they are viewed and accepted - for many, many years. What sounds cute and original for a 5-year-old, may not sound so funky for a 15-year-oldand what about a 55-year old?

Time was when only celebrities could get away with unique baby names (Zowie Bowie, Dweezil and Moon Unit Zappa, etc), but in the modern world, individuality is more prized than ever before, and increasingly, this starts with our names. Great idea - but don’t allow a flash of a self-indulgence to condemn your child to a lifetime of problems; it’s reported that a Chinese couple named their child “Saddam Sars” to mark the current world events at the time of the birth! I just hope it means something nice in Mandarin, or Cantonese!

This probably wouldn’t have happened in Germany, where names can only be registered if they recognizable, do not ridicule the child and are gender specific. Perhaps there is at least one Chinese child in the world, who will grow up wishing he/she were German!

So - assuming you are not German - what should you do if you want to create a unique baby name, without creating too many problems? Here are some tips and some warnings to make the process less painful:

1.Anagrams: try creating an anagram of an existing name.

2.Father and Mother: try using derivatives of one of the parents’ names, or a combination of both. Alternatively, how does the mother’s maiden name sound as a first name?

3.Telescoping: try dropping letters from another name or a word, until you get a nice-sounding unique baby name.

4.Spelling: an unusual spelling of a common name creates uniqueness. However, remember that your child will be condemned to a lifetime of “that’s David spelt D..A..Y..V..I..D” conversations.

5.Pronunciation: another trick is to pronounce a common name in an unusual way. But this can also lead to a lifetime of corrections and explanations - as well as teasing and accusations of pretentiousness.

6.History: do some research into names that were popular in previous eras, but have become less so.

7.Family History: are there any unusual baby names that can be used to honor family members or ancestors? But beware family politics

8.Nature: many names come from the natural world, particularly flowers (e.g. Rose) and it’s a great source for unique baby names (e.g. Gwyneth Paltrow’s daughter Apple).

9.Geography: another useful source of great names - grab an atlas and start searching. David and Victoria Beckham called their first son Brooklyn, which many people think is a cool-sounding name. However, it’s reported that the choice was made because that’s where conception took place. Hmmm, imagine a lifetime in which your name is a constant reminder of your parents having sex! Eeeuuuuww!!!

10.Celebrities: famous people with slightly unusual names are a common source of inspiration. There are lots of teenage “Kylie”s running around the UK since Kylie Minogue’s arrival on the music scene at end of the ’80’s, and her recent resurgence, will have created a second wave of them. And I’m sure many little “Be’yonce”s have been popping up over the last few years. The only problem is that names like these very soon begin to sound a little silly and “wannabe”.

11.Foreign Names: consider using a foreign version of a name, e.g., Pedro, instead of Peter. Or try using a name from a completely different culture.

12.Nicknames: try using a nickname e.g. Angie, instead of Angela or Angelina. However, make sure the name is will pass the “age test” - see number 17 below.

13.Middle Names: a great way to accommodate individuality when naming your baby, is to combine a common first name with a unique second/middle name. The benefit of this is that your child can avoid embarrassment throughout his/her life by ignoring it of keeping it hidden.

14.Initials: when you have settled on some baby names, check that the initials aren’t embarrassing. This is an easy trap to fall into and can lead to a lifetime of misery. “Zina Indigo” are may be nice sounding names for your lovely daughter, but make sure your surname doesn’t begin with “T”!

15.First Name-Surname: check how the selected first name combines with the surname. Make sure the two names do not create some something recognizable, to prevent a lifetime of teasing. Also, check the rhythm of the two names; a different number of syllables in each name usually flows much better. Avoid rhyming the 2 names at all costs or your child will hate you forever!

16.The loudness test: try saying the name softly, at normal pitch and shouting it very loudly. You may be surprised at the results.

17.The age test: try to visualize your child with the name as a baby, as a teenager, as a young adult, a mature adult and as a senior citizen. A name can create completely different perceptions of the individual at separate stages of life.

18.The meaning: the final test of the baby name that you choose should be to check its meaning (if any). Don’t leave your child open to getting a nasty surprise later in life.

Whatever unique baby name you decide, don’t fall into the trap of self-indulgence. Remember, it’s not about you, it’s all about your child. Your grand design to celebrate the uniqueness of this new human being, may eventually lead to a lifelong, desperate desire for conformity and anonymity. Even Zowie Bowie eventually changed his name to “Joey”

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

While the birth of a baby is a joyous occasion, there is little doubt that the introduction of a tiny person into a great big world necessitates an amount of work that can be seriously overwhelming. Not to mention the hard labor already undertaken by the female half of any baby-making duo, it all adds up to a draining and emotional time. And it is because of this wearisome emotionality that we can do nothing but throw up our hands at the choices some parents make at this time. Like saddling their beloved with a name that is guaranteed to have their peers point and laugh with enormous glee at some point down the road.

There is so much that a baby needs, and it is only when a child is delivered to a couple that the profundity of a newborns dependence sinks in. I mean youve got to do everything for the kid wash it, feed it, and deal with what youve fed it once it comes out the other end. Thank goodness it cant talk back just yet, even though it tries to compensate for what it lacks in terms of vocabulary with a good solid volume.

But considering the emotional fragility with which a newborn is greeted by his or her parents, a babys inability to quantify its thoughts might not be wholly for the greater good. How many new parents have been induced by absolute fatigue to make shortsighted decisions? Did you really think that baby wasnt going to throw that mush all over the floor as soon as you turned your back? Put this way, perhaps saddling our children with ridiculous names is the least of our worries.

But hang on a second even if you havent had more than two hours sleep in a month, thats no excuse to put the diaper on the wrong end, but lets face it, thats not something that is going to haunt baby for the rest of his or her life. But a poorly chosen name? Now thats going to hurt later. It might be a family legacy, but you know sometimes its a whole lot kinder to hurt old uncle Huberts feelings now than have poor little Hubert coming home from school in tears because even the teacher laughed at his name.

So the lesson to be learned is this: dont fill in the birth certificate until the painkillers have worn off. And better wait until youve had a good nights sleep before choosing a moniker too, just in case your judgment is impaired. Actually, maybe it would be better to let the kid pick his or her own name. You can just call them hey you for the first eighteen years. You never know, it might stick!

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Perhaps the most obvious place to start is using a duplicate name for your baby’s first and last names. William Williams or John Johnson for example. These names may cause some flack for your child going through school or they may provide a way to really set them apart. Mitch Mitchell, for example, was a famous drummer with Jimi Hendrix.

Common words as last names can present problems. My last name is Byrd and I have to think twice about names so my baby doesn’t end up with a silly name. Be especially aware if your last name is slang for something vulgar. You can be sure your child will never live down a name like Richard Johnson once they hit high school.

Next, make sure the first name you pick doesn’t end with the same sound that your last name begins with. For example, when saying Mark Kogan aloud, it sounds like Mark Ogan or Mar Kogan. And John Nolan becomes Jaw Nolan or John Olan. Just a small point to check for once you’re pretty certain on a name.

Also make sure that shortened first names don’t clash with your baby’s last name. Edward Jed will most likely shorten to Ed Jed which has a silly sound to it. The classic prank phone call name Ben Dover is the result of a shortened first name as well.

Any name you choose can be made fun of somehow, but these are just some ways to make sure you avoid the most obvious mistakes. Above all, be sure to say your baby’s whole name outloud so that you can evaluate its entire sound. Good luck finding that perfect name for your baby!

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Many people are looking for exotic and unique names for their babies today. Tired of the same old names like William and Mary, some are looking towards Hindu names to find one for their baby that will make them stand out as an individual.

Boy Names

Each Hindu name has a meaning and most parents look at the meaning as well as the name itself. If you are looking for a strong, powerful name for your son, consider these:

Jayin (Conqueror)
Nayakan (Hero)
Nirek (Superior)
Ojayit (Courageous)
Paranjoy (Conqueror of Life)
Paramjit (Heroic)
Ranjiv (Victorious)
Sabal (With strength)
Sahasya (Mighty)
Savir (Leader)

Many male Hindu names have royal connotations such as:

Adhiraj(King)
Akhilesh (Lord & master)
Bhupal(King)
Birendra (King of warriors)
Hemen(The King of gold)
Hiresh (King of precious stones)
Iravan (King of ocean)
Kanvar (Prince)

There are other beautiful male Hindu names to choose from with many meaningful translations including Aashish (Blessing), Bijoy (Full of joy), Chiman (Curious), Deep (Light), Ekagrah (Focused), Gandhik (Fragrance), Hardik (Full of love), Jawahar (Gem), Mitrajit (Friendly), Navrang (Colorful), Paran (Life), Rasul (Angel), Sadhil (Perfect), Tuhin (Snowy), Umang (Desire), Vatsa (Son), and Yamir (Moon).

Girl Names

Baby girl Hindu names are equally if not more beautiful than the boy names. Many names have gem and flower meanings such as:

Prithika (Flower)
Reena (Gem)
Samali (Bouquet)
Taj (Crown/Jewel)
Vainavi (Gold)
Vanalika (Sunflower)

There are also many names with celestial meanings such as:

Anamitra (The sun)
Arundhati (Star)
Bhumika (Earth)
Bhuvi (Heaven)
Chandrika (Moon)
Dhara (Earth)
Indulekha (Moon)

Of course, there are many more beautiful names to choose from including Alpana (Beautiful), Bimala (Pure), Chahna (Love), Devanshi (Divine), Fulki (Spark), Grishma (Warmth), Ipsita (Desire), Kala (Art), Lalima (Beauty), Mitali (Friendly), Nirali (Different), Panchali (Princess), Sarayu (Wind), Usha (Dawn), and Venya (Lovable).

For both boys and girls alike, there are many names with god and goddess meanings such as Ambika (Goddess Parvati), Bhaumi (Goddess Sita), Banke (Lord Krishna), Devkumar (Son of God), Hemavati (Goddess Parvati), Hiranya (Lord Vishnu), Lakshmi (Goddess of Wealth), Nadiy (Holy place), Narayan (Lord Vishnu), Parvati (Goddess), Rishi (Sage), and Sara (Goddess of Sound).

As you can see, there are many stylish and exquisite Hindu baby names from which to choose. If you are not Hindu though, you may want to check with someone who is for the exact pronunciation of a name.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

The baby name chosen will occasionally carry certain cultural significance. This happens often in the case of popular baby names as they are fashionable for a certain period of time and then the trend changes and so you can put babies with those names into a certain decade. Television, and to a lesser extent movies, can influence these trends as certain television shows have characters with names which are “different” and which parents like so this is added to the list of potential baby names. There are exceptions to this however, as there are some baby names which are timeless and have been handed down generation to generation throughout the family.

Whether or not to choose the baby name before the baby is born is a matter for personal preference. There are parents who decide what their baby’s name will be from the moment they have the pregnancy confirmed - and in some cases, they know what baby names they will choose before they are even pregnant! Then there are other parents who wait until the baby is born before naming it. Sometimes this is because they can’t agree on a name, or because they haven’t found one they like, or sometimes just because they want to wait to see how the baby looks before naming it.

Once the baby is born, there’s still time to pick the perfect baby name for your baby. Even if the name was decided months before the birth, it’s possible that having seen the baby, the name will change. When you see your baby for the first time, and hold it in your arms, you may decide that the name chosen doesn’t seem to fit with the baby you are looking at. Maybe the baby has more delicate features than the robust name chosen suggests, or vice versa. It’s also possible that there was someone instrumental in bringing the baby into the world that you want to honor by naming your baby after them - and this won’t be known until after the birth occurs.

Take time to choose the perfect name for your baby, and don’t be afraid to change your mind at the last minute if you feel it’s not quite appropriate, after all the baby is going to wear that name a long time!

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Here are some of the weird celebrity baby names you might see on Hollywood.

Weird Celebrity Baby Names:

Fifi Trixibelle (Paula Yates and Bob Geldof)
Moon Unit (Frank and Gail Zappa)
Apple (Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin)
Satchel (Mia Farrow and Woody Allen)
Peaches (Paula Yates and Bob Geldof)
Tiger Lily Heavenly Hirani (Paula Yates and Michael Hutchence)
Maddox (adopted by Angelina Jolie)
River (Arlyn and John Phoenix)
Dweezil (Frank/Gail Zappa)
Brooklyn (Victoria/David Beckham)
Zowie (Angie and David Bowie)
Phoenix Chi (Mel C and Jimmy Gulzar)
Banjo (Patrick and Rachel Griffiths)
Chester (Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks)
Cosima (Nigella Lawson)
Daisy Boo (Jamie Oliver)
Dexter (Diane Keaton)
Maddox (Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton)
Racer, Rebel, Rocket (Robert Rodriguez)
Willow (Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith)
Zola (Eddie Murphy)

I’m sure weird celebrity baby names will follow…

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

But then, my mother has her own issues; apparently her name (Kathleen) is a Celtic name meaning “Little Darling”. Hmmm, that isn’t the way I used to think about her during those regular occasions when she was punishing me for my “not like God” behaviour!

And that’s the fun of baby name meanings - parents make naming decisions based on many, many different reasons, including family traditions, religion, culture, uniqueness and “it just sounds really nice.” But - in the Western world - we rarely do any real research into the history or real meaning of baby names. So when the poor/lucky child finally finds out the meaning of his/her “really nice sounding” name, the results can be interesting, ironic, unfortunate or just sometimes hilarious.

You can have a lot of fun thinking up family/friends names, finding out the meanings and trying to make a connection between the two. For example, my eldest brother Clive is apparently “a cliff dweller”, which is coincidental, since he lives at the top of a very long steep hill! Or why not play the game with celebrities - consider the following:

Badu (as in r n’b singer Erykah Badu): African name meaning “Tenth born child”

Winona (as in actress Winona Ryder): Sioux name meaning “Firstborn daughter”

Aaliyah (the late r n’b singer): Arabic name meaning “High, exalted”

Hilary (as in actresses Duff/Swank): Latin name meaning “Cheerful”

Some cultures have very interesting traditions when it comes to baby name meanings. For example, Hindu names usually have connections with very positive things such as truth, beauty, happiness, blessings, etc, or one of the Hindu gods. In the Sikh culture, girls traditionally have the middle or surname “Kaur”, meaning “Princess”, whilst the boys have the middle or surname “Singh”, meaning “Lion”.

An African friend of mine once mentioned that many Africans are given a second name corresponding to the day of the week on which they were born. I think is a really nice tradition, but in my case, my middle name would be “Sondo” (born on Sunday)!! Hmmmm

Whatever type of name you have chosen, or are thinking about for your “bundle of joy”, its worth doing a little research into the meaning. And it’s never been easier, with the wealth of Internet resources and books available, including my own site at www.all-about-baby-names.com, which is jam-packed with resources, tips and information on baby names, baby name meanings and baby products.

Your search may yield some surprises; for example, the lovely-sounding name “Malory” is French and means “Bad luck”. You could get round this by spelling it “Mallory”, but this means “Without good fortune” in Old German!

Alternatively, you may end up a little confused by different meanings of the same name; for example “Leah” is a beautiful girl’s name, but what does it mean? Well

“In Hebrew it means “Cow” or “Weary one” - uugghhh!
“In Greek it means “Glad tidings”
“In Assyrian, it means “Mistress, ruler”

And a final warning: if you are planning to go for a funky, unusual-sounding name, be sure to avoid “Bacia,” - its Ugandan meaning is “Family deaths ruined the home!”

Bookmark It

Hide Sites