Five questions to ask yourself when deciding on your baby’s name

Jody Coffey

At the end of the day, if both parents love the name, that’s all that matters

Picking a name for your baby is one of the most permanent decisions you’ll ever make.

For this reason, it’s important that both parents love the chosen name, as it will likely be the most used word in your vocabulary for the rest of your life.

For some, the name of their baby is one that was selected many years ago, while for others, the sheer volume of names out there can make it hard to decide on just one.

If you’re going back and forth on which moniker to go with, here are some questions to ask yourself that will help determine if you love it, or if the interest in it is just a passing phase.

Do you like calling it?

For the next 18 years (at least), you’re going to be calling out for your child to come in for their dinner, to come downstairs, to do their homework, and so on.

If you’re stuck between a few, practice yelling out these monikers in the house and see how it sounds.

Do it alone to get a feel of how the name sounds coming from your mouth, but ask your significant other, family members, and friends to call it out so you can hear how it will sound out in the world.

Also consider writing it down as much as you can, as it will be a task you repeat on every form and during every summer on their book when they start and return to school.

Does it go with their surname?

Some monikers, while beautiful, could end up sounding clunky or odd when it’s paired with the baby’s surname.

For example, Nolan is lovely, but Nolan Dolan might put them on the receiving end of sniggers in the classroom simply because it rhymes.

While it looks great written down, when said out loud, the full name highlights how similar the first and surname are.

What will the full initials be?

The middle name can also interfere with how the first name looks when written as initials.

Three or four letters can become a full word — use your imagination on this one.

Consider what your baby’s middle name (or if they will even have one) before locking in the first name.

Could the name be turned into a nickname you like?

Lots of names become nicknames overnight and oftentimes, they will sound nothing like the original name.

For example, many William’s are only known as Will or Bill. Similarly, many Elizabeth’s are referred to as Betty or Liz.

Once a nickname sets in, there really isn’t a way to reverse it.

Before you choose the moniker, ask yourself, ‘If they get a nickname, what would it be?’

If you like it, great. If you don’t, maybe it’s time to go back to the drawing board.

Will it suit them as an adult?

Once we reach adulthood, the way we’re viewed changes significantly from when we were a child.

Kids don’t generally tend to question another person’s moniker, but adults might.

Think about your offspring applying for a job and their resume landing on the desk of a potential employer who only sees a name without a face.

Having a unique name is a wonderful thing, but if the first question in a job interview is asking how they got their name, the encounter could go either way depending on just how out there the moniker is.