Baby Names – How Do You Choose?

Choosing baby names is one of the most fun parts of pregnancy. There’s so much choice, how do you manage to settle on THE name? Here’s some tips to help you to narrow down your options.

Keep it in the family

In many regions and cultures, it’s perfectly acceptable to name your child after a family member. Many baby names have been handed down through the generations to children and this is a lovely tradition to follow. However, it can put you at cross purposes if you BOTH want to name the child after your mother/father/grandparent. This is where second or double-barrelled names come in and are handy for keeping the peace! 😉

Traditional or trendy?

There are some lovely traditional baby names around but not all of them age well. In Ireland, for instance, Brigid and Sean have fallen out of fashion in favour of Jack and Sophie. Do you want to run with the pack or choose something that will stand the test of time? Ask yourself this: How many other children with the same name will be in your child’s class when they start school? It’s a good rule of thumb to use. If unsure, check your country’s statistics on baby names to find out what’s ‘trending’.

Short or long?

Short and sweet or long and elegant? Short names like Mia, Ava, Max and Sam are very cute and easy for small children to pronounce and spell. However, long can be beautiful too. Evangeline, Isabella, Alexander and Benedict are names with quality in every syllable!

Boy or girl? How about both!

If you’ve decided not to know the gender of your baby but still want to have a name ready and waiting, unisex names are the perfect option: Alex, Morgan, Casey and Jude, are just few you could choose from and are suitable for both boys and girls.

Double-barrelling it

Double barrelled names are very popular these days and the combinations are endless! Again, this is useful if you want to add in family names or you both just can’t settle on one name. Why not use both names? Sophie-Jo, Lily-Rose, Alfie-George, Oliver-James. (We won’t talk about the number of men of a ‘certain age’ in Ireland called John-Paul thanks to the Papal visit in 1979!)

Spell it out

While choosing names with an alternative spelling sounds unique and fun, bear in mind that you could be saddling your child with a lifetime of having to spell out their name every time it needs to be written down. Also, you’ll need to have deep pockets if you want to buy personalised items for your child as they’ll have to be specially made! Is it really worth it to change Mason to Mayson or Amy to Aimee?

There’s no rush on choosing the perfect name, so have fun, write shortlists and narrow your choices down over time. Even if you still haven’t settled on a name when baby arrives, you may find inspiration when you first look into your child’s eyes and realise they ‘look’ like a certain name. (Trust us, we’ve been there!) Choosing baby names is one of the easier tasks of becoming a parent, but we’re here to help with the rest.

Read next: Choosing Colours For Your Baby’s Nursery

Want to read this later? Pin it here: