The Crib: A Blog for New Parents

Posted by pecuellar on 01/30/08 - 10:38 AM

It seems no matter how rare or common the name, just about everyone wishes they had a different name, especially when they are young. It is a classic case of the “grass is greener on the other side”. Girls with names like Ariel and Stormy wish they had a more common, classic name like Catherine or Angela. However, the opposite is also true. Girls with plainer names like Kay or Tammy might wish they had a flashier or trendier name.

Another common complain is when a common name is give an uncommon spelling. A boy named Krys (pronounced Chris) will spend his whole like spelling his name for people.

So is it impossible to give your child a name they will like? No, children who are given a name that has a significant meaning will embrace their name more readily. This doesn’t mean that you have to name them after great-grandpa Earl, but do give thought to the meaning of their name. For example, the name Sophia means “wisdom”. This is a meaning that can be embraced almost as a character trait. A name like Rowan which means “red one” might be a little harder to identify with.

The bottom line is everyone has a different idea of what constitutes the perfect name and your child will not be able to voice their opinion at birth so pick a name you like that is perfect to you. After all you are the one who will be saying their name sixty-five million times a year.