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How to choose a baby name

Naming your baby is one of the hardest things you will ever do. Here are some do's and don'ts

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Originally published on TodaysParent.com October 26, 2011

Baby Naming Do's

Do:

Think long-term. Name fashions come and go, and it’d be nice to avoid being part of a dramatic trend — like the rise of the name Brittany and its derivatives in the 1990s, when it was the 7th most popular name in the US and now ranks around 450th. Be aware of the trends around you, particularly in pop culture.

Learn about names. Dig into the meaning behind the names you love so you don’t use the name Talbot for your son, only to find out later it means “messenger of destruction.”

Avoid the extremely popular. “There’s nothing worse than being Emma B in a class of four Emmas,” warns McMurray. Visit the grocery store and the playground and listen for trends. Check out The Baby Name Wizard and the top baby names of 2011. Nothing wrong with a popular name (they are usually nice names), but choosing something in the top five or ten will mean your child will inevitably meet many others who share his or her name at school now and at jobs in the future.

Decide between traditional and unusual. Each has their downsides. “You’ll never get into trouble with John, James and Jennifer, these names keep coming back. But the challenge is your kids will never have a unique edge,” says Valiquette.

But the biggest “do” of all: go with a name you and your partner love. If others think it too bland, or it’s part of a hip new trend, so what? As long as you like saying it and it looks good written down with your child’s last name, it will be a name you love, just like your kid.

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