Community Corner
Mom's Talk Q&A: Name That Baby!
Each week, our Patch moms answer the questions that affect family life. Do you have questions? Tell us!
I'm a soon-to-be mom, but my husband and I are having a hard time with picking a name for the baby. I can't come up with anything that I like that goes with our last name. Also, I don't want something that is going to have a weird nickname. Can you help?
It's hard to choose a name—it's going to stay with your child for the rest of their life. It’s a lot of pressure, and you want it to be a good one. Think back to when you were younger and thinking about having children. Are there any names you loved back then?
Have you read any books that you completely loved lately? What were the main characters’ names? Do any of those names have a ring to them? Or, even, what are your favorite movies and TV shows? Character names can be traditional names or unique names. Maybe one of those will be your fancy! This is how my husband and I chose our son's name: It was a TV show we really liked, and we loved the main character’s name.
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You can also go online and find countless baby name websites that you can scroll through. Baby Center is one that lists the top 100 girl and boy names. Baby Names is another site that you can either search by letter or type in a name and see the meaning of the name.
There are also a few sites that you can go to that are name generators. There's the Baby Name Genie that will ask you for your last name and baby's gender and match up what they think is best. Nymbler will take a bunch of names that interest you and make names or suggest the best one for you. Baby Names Etc will ask you a series of questions and then generate a name for you as well.
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If you have a few relatives that you would like to name your child after, you can also mesh them together: Take the first part of one and put it on the end of another.
Let's say you have a few that you like, but you can’t decide. There are a few things you can do to pick the name. One, at your baby shower, have the names up and have people vote which they like the best. Two, give the names to the nurses that are there during your delivery and have them choose. Third, after you see your baby, you may instantly know which one of the names they are. Lastly, make a Facebook page and ask all your friends on there to vote as well.
Don't worry about nicknames too much. They evolve, and they also give us character. Just go with something that perks your ears when you hear it.
