Choosing the name of a future baby is not an easy task, or at least it is not usually, because the preferences of one of the members of the couple do not have to coincide with the preferences of the other. In addition, it is a choice that must be made with caution and without haste because the name we give our baby will be the one that accompanies him throughout his life (or at least the time that passes until he decides to change it).
For this reason we are going to offer you six ideas to choose the baby’s name so that you have a starting point or a point to continue in the search for that name that you are looking for so much and has not just arrived.
1. The book of baby names
It is easy to find books on baby names in bookstores, which explain their meaning and etymology, to get an idea of which name we are choosing (although here in Spain the meaning of the names does not concern us too much).
If we do not want to spend money on a book of these, you can always look up lists of names on the internet . In Babies and more we have discussed some of the most used names.
Perhaps it might be a good idea for mom and dad to look at the book separately, writing down the names that each one likes the most and then doing a sharing.
2. Take into account if someone in the family already has that name
There are parents who like their children to have the name of someone in the family, so it can be a factor to take into account when choosing it or, if you do not like it, to avoid it. In my family, for example, there is a plague of “Enriques”, to the point that the smallest of them we affectionately called Enrique IV.
I also know of some sisters whose names were Isabel and Elisabeth, which is the same but in a different language. Perhaps their parents did it consciously, but if they did, the comments I heard about it were not very positive (although what others say, as they usually say, must not matter … the problem is when the mockery reaches the girl).
In the same way, we must take into account if we want our son to be called like us or not. Although it seems like a custom that is no longer carried (I see it that way), I still see boys with the father’s name and girls with the mother’s name .
Do what you want, God forbid I influence this, but in my house there were two Carlos (my father and my brother), and when they called asking for Carlos it was a real pain to have to ask “The father or the son?” , not because of asking the question, but because sometimes, the other interlocutor answered “Well, I don’t know.” And you had to start playing guessing games to see who you were passing the call to.
Now luckily, since everyone has a mobile phone, this has been fixed. Anyway, I think it is very rare for someone to say “Carlos!” and two people, father and son, turn around. I suppose I feel that way because since I can count the Armandos that I have met in my life with the fingers of one hand, I have always valued having a very exclusive name (come on, I don’t like my name, but I love its exclusiveness).
By the way, in my house there were also two Enriques, my father (whose name is Enrique Carlos) and another of my brothers: “The father or the son?”
3. Consult the databases of the National Institute of Statistics
Another way to see names to choose from is to consult the database of the National Institute of Statistics. A few days ago, Lola told us that the most popular names last year were Alejandro and Lucía. Well, looking at that database you can see more names used in Spain , in case there is an idea of what name to put or, if you are one of mine, to see what names not to put.
In Catalonia we have Idescat, which offers us a lot of data on the names that are put here, I comment on it because we used it at the time (in its three moments).
4. Take into account the surnames that the baby will have
It may sound silly, but it is important to write the child’s full name to see what the combination of first and last will look like . Sometimes rhymes come out without wanting to, or wanting, and although the first times they may sound good, then they can become heavy or tiresome. So by boat I soon come up with “Laura Maura” or “Antonio Polonio”.
In the same way, it is necessary to watch that the last syllable of the name does not create a word with the first syllable of the surname and also bear in mind that when a surname is very long, a short name is better and vice versa, if the surname is short, it remains better a long name, although this is a matter of taste … for example I like rather short names.
It is best to write the full name and read it more than once , to look for problems and, if there are, to solve them (or change the name or alternate the surnames, which can now be done).
5. Patience when choosing it
Do not be in a hurry when choosing the name, or have it if you want, but knowing that nine months are very long . There are parents who arrive at childbirth without yet knowing how to call their baby and I even know a child who was without a name for almost four days, because his parents had not yet made up their minds (stories that are read online).
Without going to these extremes, there are parents like us who were very clear that our first child would be called Jan if it was a boy and Júlia if it was a girl. As the pregnancy progressed, those names stopped liking us. We saw that many children were called like that and we also realized that in the US Jan is a woman’s name, so we changed Jan to Jon, who we also liked a lot, and Júlia to Ivette, the girl we never had.
6. Don’t ask anyone
The choice of name has to be up to you. The moment third parties enter, you will always find opinions contrary to the name you like and they will look for an absurd rhyme to do with it or they will tell you how badly someone with the same name falls.
Therefore, if it is about baby names, it is better not to say anything until you have totally decided, or you will have a bad time, believe me.
Photos | Esther Gibbons, Lisa Rosario Photography on Flickr
In Babies and more | Baby names in some Latin American countries: a trend worthy of study, Names of doubtful taste accepted in the world, Tips to get the baby name right
