Take Your Time
The worst thing you could do when choosing a baby name is to rush into it. Settling for second best may affect you and your child for a lifetime! Don't commit yourself to the first name that you fancy. Keep searching until you find a name that you are 110% happy with. And don't forget that you don't need to have a name for your baby before birth. Some parents have been known to wait 2 or 3 weeks before deciding on that perfect name.

What Does it Mean?
Some parents don't really care for the meaning of their baby's name, where as others base their decision solely around it. But, in our opinion a quick check couldn't hurt. Do you really want your big strong boy to have a name that means "pretty flower"? If you have a meaning in mind, but don't know what names contain that meaning, visit our baby names and meanings database.

Spelling
Try to make sure you don't choose a name that ends with the same letter that your last name begins with. This can sometimes make pronunciation a challenge. There are some exceptions to this rule, but in general it is best to keep it in mind when choosing a baby name. Try it for yourself and you'll see what we mean. Letters like "l" and "s" are especially bad.

Say it Out Loud
Instead of referring to your unborn baby as he or she or "the baby", try using one of the names that you like for a week or so. Saying it out loud and using it in common sentences will give you a better idea of how much you really like the name. Don't forget, some names look great when written on paper, but sound terrible off the tongue.

Initials, Nicknames and Middle Names
There have been some embarrassing mistakes made when choosing baby names in the past. One of these is the uncanny chance of initials forming some undesirable abbreviation. 'I P Daily' is just one classic that springs to mind. Is what I'm trying to say is that you should always double check what the initials of your baby name choice are. Also think about possible nicknames that will be used to shorten your choice of baby name. You may love the name Robert, but hate the name Rob or Robby. When it's time for your child to start going to school, there is a 99.9% chance that he will be known as Rob or Robby instead of Robert.

This also applies to using a suffix. If you are going to name your child after yourself or your partner, such as John Edward Mitchell III, remember that you will probably end up referring to the child by its middle name to avoid confusion. Therefore it is also important to remember all of these things when choosing a middle name for your little one.

Above all these baby naming tips, choosing a baby name can be broken down into two parts. Baby naming tip number one: choose a name that you think your child will be happy with. Baby naming tip number two: choose a name that both parents are 110% happy with. Follow these two main rules and everyone will be happy. Best of luck to you!

Article written by Sarah Mitchell of NamesToBe.com. Over 10,000 baby names and meanings. Read this article and hundreds more: Baby articles database or How to choose a baby name
Article free for reprint as long as this author bio is present and all hyperlinks remain active.