What's in a name?

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet"

-Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, 1600.

What matters is what something is, not what is is called; but, when dealing with a future child's name, we tend to get a little particular. Why? Well, generally speaking the name could last a lifetime, unless one takes legal action. Therefore, it makes sense to choose wisely.

Picking your child's name is something that most of us have been preparing for since childhood. We name our dolls, we name our pets, sometimes we even name our favorite objects such as our special blankets or sweaters. All of these names seem to come to us so easily when there is no pressure, however, when it finally comes time to make the big decision of naming our children- we suddenly draw a blank. Take Celine Dion for example- poor lady just gave birth to twins a few days ago and now she has to deal with the daunting task of naming not one, but two boys and figuring out if she wants to go with a French name or an English one...Decisions, decisions! No wonder they are being called Baby#1 and Baby #2 !

Choosing a name is a very meaningful experience which requires commitment and passion, so it is best to start thinking of a few of your favorites in advance. Kind of like having a set of cliff notes, when you have a few names in mind, you'll feel less pressure when the birth day finally arrives. Things to think about:

1)Have you ever had an association with a certain name- for example, " All Brad's are hot" or "Buhla is such an old lady name"? Having a positive or negative connotation can really come into play when it is time to finally give your newborn a name- so think lovely thoughts:)

2) Family names- Ok, ok...your husband is John Henry William Doe VII and you feel pressure to name your son " blank blank blank the eighth"...While, you might feel like you have to give in, it is perfectly fine for you to have mind of your own and to want to "take the road not taken". Just be polite and say while you think it is a glorious name, you would like to start a new family tradition or come up with something else that sounds just as nice...

3) Hollywood names are cool but sometimes they are just that ...cool . For example, "Apple" is an interesting name and it might really suit Miss Apple Martin, but will it work for your baby? In some cases, it just might, but remember this is a commitment we are talking about, not a passing phase...

4) Spelling! The way a name is spelled and pronunciated can change the end product entirely. For example, Caroline or Carolynn , Alice or Elise, Genny or Jenny... If you want your child's name to be pronounced in the obvious way, choose the obvious spelling. If you like a particular spelling for a name that can sound differently due to the way you are spelling it -understand that your child might have to correct people for the rest of his/her life, which is fine! However, coming from a person who had "special" spelling , this might not be the best choice.....just saying!

*Remember the old adage, " you can pick your own nose but you can't pick your friends nose"...same idea rings true when picking your child's name so stick with a name you wouldn't mind having yourself!

xoxo,

The Moody Mamas