Clebrity Night Shot

From the minute you first discover that you are having a baby, you begin to think of that perfect name. You want a name that your baby will grow into and be proud of when he or she grows into adulthood. Names have a way of affecting the personality, so be careful what you choose.

Write down every name that you think you might like to call the baby, both boys and girls, unless you know the sex of the baby in advance. Sit down with your husband and go over the list, deleting names that neither one of you are crazy about. As your list becomes shorter, your choices become limited, and you can both come to an agreement.

Choose a name that goes well with your last name, and has a good meaning. Don't rhyme the first name with the last. Children have a way of teasing each other, and it will make it hard on your child if anyone makes fun of their name. Check a baby book for the meanings of some of the names you have in mind. Remember, your child has to grow up and live out his or her life with the name you give them, so a well thought out name will save you explaining in the future why you named him or her what you did, especially if they grows up hating it!

Some families have a history of naming babies after an ancestor, and if this idea pleases you, go ahead and name your child after a favorite relative. Grandparents feel especially honored if a baby is named after them. Use their name as your child's middle name if the name isn't one you are particularly fond of.

Try not to name your child after a celebrity, or anyone in the entertainment field. This could get sticky later on in life. Nicknames are fine as long as they aren't something that is going to embarrass your child in later years. For example, Jack for John, Betty or Liz for Elizabeth, Kate for Katherine, are all perfectly acceptable nicknames. You want your child to have a good solid name that he or she will be proud to call their own. If you name your son after his father, try not to call him junior as he grows up. Give him a name he can call his own. Don't name your child something that he or she, or anyone else for that matter, can't pronounce or spell. Even adults have difficulty pronouncing some of the names kids have, and this includes their teachers. Nothing is as embarrassing to a child as having their name mispronounced at role call. This is the kind of thing that other children pick up on, and the teasing can go on forever, and your child will be stuck with the mispronounced name.

Once you have made your choice, don't let others try to influence you to change it. This is a personal matter between your husband and yourself, and whether or not your friends or family like it, in the end the choice is yours.