Naming your baby

Naming your baby is more fun than going to a roller disco, but there are a few potential pitfalls to consider. Here are a few pointers to help you along the way…

Check out the official top 50 baby names from the last five years on motherandbabymagazine.com

1. Be wary of unusual spellings

Using an alternative spelling is one sure-fire way of making your little individual stand out from the crowd. Just be warned: Kriss and Karlie may look funky on the page, but your little one will spend his or her whole life correcting the purists out there.

2. Be unique and chic

You could always go for something completely different and create a new name. Inventing names is particularly common among African-Americans. Take the US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, whose unusual name comes from the musical term ‘con dolcezza’ – with sweetness.

3. Keep it in the family?

Many mums like to name their babies after a much-loved relative. Keeping family names alive is all well and good, but are you going to burden your little one with Maud or Bernard just to please a doting great-grandparent? A good compromise is to use family names as middle names.

4. Use firstborn as inspiration?

If this is your second baby, think about whether you want his or her name to match your firstborn’s, or would prefer something completely different. M&B reader Lisa Downes has named her children Cameron Luke, Carys Louise, and Cory Lewis – she’ll save money on nametags, but there could be some confusion when they start getting post!

5. Let siblings get involved

Letting an older sibling choose your new arrival’s name is a lovely way to make him feel involved, but consider what they’ve already called their teddies – is it fair to call your second child Fifi or Bo on the whim of a two-year-old? Far safer to let him pick a name from a shortlist.

6. Be wary of double initials

Giving your little one double initials can sound very Hollywood (Marilyn Monroe, Sylvester Stallone). But be warned – it could also end up sounding a bit local radio (Bruno Brookes, David Dickinson).

7. Think about potential embarrassment…

Remember to look at the initials as a whole to check you’re not accidentally giving your little one another, embarrassing name (Matthew Andrew Davies – MAD, Catherine Jane Donovan – CJD). Both Norway and Sweden have laws prohibiting names that are offensive or might cause the child embarrassment.

8. Consider the surname

If you and your partner aren’t married, how do you decide whose surname to use? Many parents go for the option of hyphenating the two names, in whichever order sounds best. Or try going alphabetical to save arguments.

9. Take your time

Don’t panic – you’ve got 42 days before you need to decide on a name and register the birth, and then a period of 12 months where you can make any alterations you want to your little one’s first names. Check out gro.gov.uk/gro/content/births for more info.

In Muslim cultures, it’s traditional to choose a baby’s name on the seventh day; in Nigeria, it’s the eighth day. In other African countries, and in Vietnam, babies are often given temporary, ugly names (like ‘dog’ and ‘death’), to warn off the devil, and only use their official name when they start school at six years old – tell that to any relatives trying to rush you into making a decision.

10. Think about nicknames

Chances are, whatever you name your child won’t be what he’s actually called later on. If you register a Catherine or a Richard, they’ll become Kat, Kate, Katie, or even Tatty, Rich, Ricky, or Dick before you know it… so make sure you can live with any shortenings before setting your heart on a name.

How I chose my baby’s name?

Musical influences

‘My son is called Ashton Grant Michael, after our favourite band, Ash. My fiancé chose Grant after a member of the band Feeder and the Michael part comes from my dad.’

The king

‘We wanted a first name that couldn't be shortened and both agreed on Ryan. It’s Gaelic, meaning Little King, as he was born just before Christmas.’ 

All joined up

My daughter’s called Luanna – my name, Louise, and my sister’s name, Anna, joined together. It’s different, and I love it!

Sporting choice

We wanted something Welsh and unusual. One Saturday afternoon, we were watching the Llanelli Scarlets on TV and Taliesin Selly scored a stonking try. My partner, having sunk a couple of pints by then, decided Taliesin would do!

Naming trends

It’s not always clear where particular naming trends come from. It’s thought that during the ‘60s, people were more optimistic about the future and were more open to alternative, hippy names. And there’s a theory that in today’s less certain times, people are looking to the past for inspiration – and that’s why there’s an increase in the number of babies called Archie and Iris.

Of course, some people are influenced by pop, film or sports stars of the moment. Remember the rush of Kylies and Charlenes in the late ‘80s? Right now you’ll see an increase in babies called Freddie (after cricket’s Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff), Abi (Titmuss – from Celebrity Love Island) and Keira (Knightly – the star of Pride and Prejudice).