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Parents walk a fine line when it comes to choosing a name for their baby.
If they choose a name that is too unique, their child is likely to change it — either by taking a nickname, or just by asking others to call them by some other name.
However, if parents choose a name that is so common that lots of other kids of their child’s generation have it, that can be just as frustrating — at least from the child’s perspective.
Because children want to feel that they are unique from everyone else.
So, how do you choose a name for your baby that is unique enough to make your child feel special, but not so unique that he wants to change it at the first opportunity?
Here are 7 tips for choosing a unique name for your baby…
#1 Consider old English names.
Old English has some names that come from different parts of the world. Take Saffron, for example. While it became part of Old English, Safron was actually Arabic for the flower. Many of these names are unique, and not used much anymore, but not so outlandish that your child will cringe every time she hears it.
#2 Consider some of the names from Shakespeare’s plays.
Shakespeare provides us with some very unique and wonderful names — such as Lavinia for a girl or Lennox for a boy, for example. Recently, the author of the Harry Potter books, J.K. Rowling chose one of these names for one of her most beloved characters, Hermione — the cute little witch and best friend to Harry and Ron. The name Hermione has now gained in popularity.
One of my favorite names from another culture is the Greek name of Kalandra for a girl. It means beauty or Lark. For a boy, my favorite name is Taree — which is Australian Aborigine for fig tree. There are several websites, and books that have names from other countries for you to choose from.
#4 Consider choosing a one-syllable name.
This can be especially nice (not just for you or your child, but for others too!) if you have a long or difficult to pronounce surname. Plus, one-syllable names are usually easy to say, as well as remember. There are some really nice one-syllable names. Some examples… for a girl, you could choose Bliss (one of my favorites), Blythe, or Maeve. For a boy, you might choose Gabe, Rolf, or even Jett.
#5 Consider using a surname from your family tree for your baby’s first name.
While a great way to keep a family name alive, this one can also be tricky to pull off. The reason is you don’t want to pick a name that is so obviously a surname that your child will hate it when he gets older — due to the attention it gets him. For example, I wouldn’t suggest naming your child Smith, or (one of my all-time favorites for a bad choice of names) Swindle. A few good choices for a boy might be Lowell, or Paxton for example. For a girl you might choose Kimber or Lacey.
#6 Consider using two first names and making them one name.
This technique has been overused in the American south in my opinion. Despite that, it is possible to create a unique first name by putting two first names together. The trick here is to choose two first names that are not too long and that are unique in their own right. For a girl, you might choose Katie Shannon, or Lucinda Sue for example. This technique isn’t used so much for boys but names like Billy Bob and John David come to mind.
#7 Take parts from two names and put them together to form a new name.
This takes the previous idea a step farther. One example for a boy might be Daviel which came from using David and Daniel. For a girl you might choose Luanda from Luana and Wanda. Doing this can be a bit tricky though, because you want to come up with a name that is unique but that doesn’t make everyone wonder, “What the heck were they thinking?” Choosing two common first names to combine is probably best when using this technique.
Well, there you have it!
In some ways, choosing a name for your baby has never been harder, considering the fact that even a hundred years ago, families just recycled family names over and over for generations. (Making it very hard to do genealogy, I might add!)
However, thanks to this list of ideas to get you started, and all of the websites and books with baby names available, you are sure to find a baby name that both you and your child will be proud of for years to come!
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My favorite things to write about are topics that have to do with pregnancy, weddings, saving money, living green, and life with dogs. When I’m not writing, I love to spend time with my husband, read, create 3D artwork and Native American beadwork.
