Remember that kid you hated in middle school? I bet you will when you start thinking of baby names.
Naming your kid has a funny way of reminding you how many people you don’t like or how many do. It can feel like an impossible task to name a kid and keep everyone happy at the same time. No matter what you name your kid somebody is going to have something negative to say about it. So stop worrying about what anybody else thinks and name your kid whatever you want.
If you are still stuck, here are some thoughts around naming your baby.
Use a family name. It is common in many cultures to go with a family name and this can be a great way to name a kid. As a tip, look deeper into the family tree, bring back some of the “old names” into modern culture. Not to mention, it’s a simple way to keep everyone in your family happy. This also helps if you let the name slip before the baby is born. Someone will inevitably tell you a horror story about an awful person with the same name, and you can respond with…’She’s named after…’ Or, say what you really want to say, ‘it’s not your kid.’
Look to history. Another common thing is naming your kid after a historical figure. This could be a great starting spot for picking out a baby name. But be aware that once this kid gets into school, they probably won’t be the only one with that name. So use history as a starting point then get original with it.
Culturally different names. Names are different in other countries – shocking I know. So, another fun game to look at is baby names from another country. I’m just going to warn you of two potential pitfalls. One, the popular names in another country could be the exact same list as the popular names in your own country – bummer. Or, two, they are so unpronounceable you would never be able to put your kid’s name on a government tax. Plus it is embarrassing when you can’t spell your own kids name, so there’s that.
Speaking of unpronounceable names let’s, as a Dad Crew, decided that we will not allow extra random letters to be thrown into names for no apparent reason. Can we all agree it is obnoxious?
Locations. You can play the game of naming your kid after how you and your baby mama met. Of course, in today’s world, we have to be careful we don’t have a bunch of little baby Tinders running around playing with a group of kids named after the local bar.
Ultimately the best idea is to keep your baby name options in your household. Everyone will have an opinion about what you should name your kid. That is, until the day that your kid enters the world. From that point forward they will only love your kid and no longer tell you what you should name your kid – until you have the next one.