Okay, so I’ve never named a baby before. But I’ve worked with children my whole life, and as an non-partisan observer of childhood, I can tell you that names affect your child. A lot. Science agrees with me. In picking a name, you’re picking out the foundation stones of the person your kid is going to be. That’s a responsibility that shouldn’t be taken lightly but, as one look at the records of any pediatrician will tell you, a lot of parents don’t take their job as namers seriously enough.
1. Don’t just consider how much you like a name, consider what living with that name is going to be like. Try out all the possible nicknames (especially the nasty playground variety). Write the potential name out print and cursive. Check out the initials (no naming your child Abigail Samantha Snyder). Try typing the name at the top of your resume. What does it look like there? Could this name go on a movie marquee or a band poster? What options are you eliminating from your baby’s future by giving them this name?
2. Remember, you’re old. Even if you’re a young parent, the names that were popular when you were a kid are probably dated and old hat by now. That means its quite likely that the future baby name you fell in love with at age seven may not be something you should saddle your real child with twenty odd years later.
3. Don’t let someone else decide on your baby’s name. Your mother-in-law already got the chance to name a baby. Unless you love the name a family member suggests, don’t let yourself be over ruled. Your child has to live with this name, but so do you.
