5 baby naming ideas for new moms
Picking a name for the baby is one of the most daunting tasks for the new moms. The process is usually made complicated by the fact that there are so many choices of names out there for the mothers to pick from. Moreover, many baby-naming sites bombard the new moms with numerous choices without an appropriate guideline for choosing the most suitable names for their newborns. Hence, most of them settle on the first name they come across as long as the name is elegant and popular. Nevertheless, this is not the essence of naming. Naming is meant to confer meaning to which both the mother and the baby can relate. In this article, I will discuss with you the tips for choosing a name for your newborn. These tips are a must read for the new moms as the first step in the baby naming process.
1. Make the name simple. By simple, I mean that you make it easy to pronounce and to spell. Many moms are caught up in creativity. They want names that are fun, meaningful, and unique. Indeed fun, meaning, and uniqueness are important attributes of a name. Nevertheless, there is one fact to bear in mind; the name will form part of the identity of the baby. This means that she will be forced to live with this name for the rest of her life. A complex name is often a problem for many people. Anytime the child meets new people, begin a new class, or join a new activity, she is made to pronounce or spell her name for others to understand. Moreover, the name becomes a problem to master in the quickest time. The practice of repeating your name almost all the time you meet new people can become very tiring and frustrating. For the new moms, when you have an idea of a unique name, try pronouncing it and get others to do so as well before you register it for the baby. An honest feedback from family members and close friends will help guide you on whether this name is simple or not. The baby wants something she can relate to and with which other people can easily identify her.
2. However sweet, avoid names that invoke negative thoughts or memories. This is because people tend to hold negative memories in their minds for far too long. Any slight action that relates to the painful events could easily invoke the memories. For instance, if you live in a neighbourhood where there is a story of a famous serial killer named Jade Williams, you must be keen to avoid a mix of names that would appear to sound similar to his name. For instance, if both of you share the surname Williams, then do not give your boy the name Jade. Williams is fine but you ought to pick a different first name to go with it. Otherwise, the members of the local community will constantly relate your child with the memories of the serial killer. This will have a negative impact on the social relationship that the child will develop even with peers at school. To most people, you will appear to admire the serial killer by cherishing his memory through your baby. Some people do not respond well to such coincidences.
3. Do not pick out a name that appears too common in your neighbourhood. The American culture is such that most new moms go for the popular names. Some of these names are elegant and have deep meanings. Moreover, others belong to celebrities and high achievers. Hence, the new moms want to associate with them by using the names on their babies. Nevertheless, when the name is too common in a given locality, it could become a problem when it comes to identity. Imagine having five students with exactly the same name in a class. The identity of the five students becomes confusing to them and even to the classmates. For new moms, consider your last names before you decide on the first name for the baby. Families with common surnames like Smith, Brown, among others must be careful to avoid picking too common first names for their babies. The name confusion lasts longer in life and becomes a problem for the person who shares a name with several others. The federal and state databases are important places to begin the search for common names. Begin by searching through the federal database which can be filtered to state and further down to other smaller administrative units. Once you realize that a name is too common, the next action is to avoid it. After that try, a different mix of names that you think are unique and see if there are many people with the same.
4. Find a name whose meaning you and your family can relate to. A name is part of the identity of the child. The best way to create an identity for the child is to help him connect with the family and its cultural heritage. Furthermore, the meaning of the name should have great significance in shaping the way the baby will view himself when he grows up. Self-esteem and self-confidence is built up by the way we see ourselves. If the meaning of the name suggests that we are not good enough, strong enough, or pretty enough, it could have an adverse effect on the way we view ourselves. I advice that you give a baby a name that will inspire her to be and do her best in life so that she can live up to the meaning of the name.
5. Even when naming your baby after a personality that you admire, do not give all the names. You can pick one set of the names and void the other set, especially the names that have cultural bearing. The surname creates a unique identity in the cultural setting. It is unique to the culture from which the individual hails. Therefore, do not give it to your baby. For example, you can give your baby the name Barack but not Obama. Barack is enough to memorize the leadership qualities of the former American president. However, Obama is a name that connects him to his roots and may not be suitable for a baby born in a different culture.
