There are Names Galore

Choosing a name for your baby is one of the most important decisions you'll ever have to make. Afterall, you'll be saying it for the rest of your life and they'll be using it for the rest of theirs. One of the first things to keep in mind is the fact that (like it or not) whatever name you select will probably produce a nickname variation of it. Charles will become Charlie or Chuck. Cassidy will become Cassie or Cass. So, during the selection process, consider what other names each might evolve into. There are many avenues you can take in your quest for finding the perfect name. A few of them will be discussed here. FAMILY and ETHNIC HERITAGE Your family tree provides an assortment of possibilities. Naming a boy after his father has been a customary thing to do but you might want to name him after a great, great grandfather who has become dear to you thanks to the stories that have been told of him during family get-togethers. Naming a daughter after your mom automatically creates an extra special bond between them. There have even been remote family surnames switched around to become first "given" names as a way of connecting to the past. It is also customary for names to be selected from those that are passed down through one's ethnic heritage. Each family tree has wonderful names waiting to be revived into the family again. WELL KNOWN PEOPLE Another popular technique is to name a child after a favorite well known person (movie star, soap opera character, sports figure, etc.). Naturally, naming your baby Alexander will not ensure that he will grow up to be an inventor like Alexander Graham Bell. Nor will naming your baby after Angelina Jolie ensure that little Angie will be pretty and charismatic. And neither will the name Michael make little Mikey a great basketball player like Michael Jordan. However, it does develop a connection of sorts and adds a story behind the name if you choose this method. Ask a number of people if there's a story behind their name and you might receive a surprising variety of answers. NOUNS Or you might want to name your baby after a part of speech, for example, a noun. Okay, now you're saying, "What?" Yes. Many people name their children after natural items or inanimate objects. Remember, a noun is a person, place or thing. We've already discussed people, so that leaves places and things. Places can easily be found and searched on maps. A few of the more popular place names are: Dakota, Paris, Sierra, Dallas, Brooklyn and Dawn. Names of restaurants where couples first met have also been immortalized as the name of their baby. Which brings us to things. Nature is filled with words that one could use for names. There are plants (including flowers), and rocks (including gemstones). Names in this category include: Cherry, Daisy, Ivy, Amber, Chrystal, Celsian and Coltan. Other names include: Penny, Tuesday, June, August and Autumn. ADJECTIVES and VERBS And how about those adjectives? An adjective describes a person, place or thing and there are quite a few adjectives being used as names each year. A few of them are: Lacey, Precious, Lucky, Dusty and Misty. Or then there are verbs such as: Prosper, Bud, Grant, Chance or Drew. UNISEX It's always a surprise to think of someone being a certain gender based on their name that you've heard or read, and then discover they're the opposite of what you were expecting. Unisex names are ones that have been chosen for both boys and girls. Several of these are: Dru (Drew), Kalin, Pat, Jerry, Chris, Kelly and Kelsie. POETIC, SPIRITUAL and BIBLICAL Of course, if you wanted to take a poetic approach you might consider something like: Cherish, Denim, Desirae, Harmony, Essence or Fortune. A spiritual approach would produce names like: Faith, Hope or Destiny. A Biblical approach offers Paul, Lois, Benjamin, Adam and Elisabeth. SIMPLY FOR THE MEANINGS Yet another method of choosing a name for your baby is to determine what aspirations you have for him or her and use the name that best captures that. This is done by considering the definitions of the names rather than the names themselves. Amy - "beloved" Justin - "Just, upright, righteous" Hannah - "favor or grace" Alana - "beautiful, dear child" Emerson - "brave as a bear" Bevin - "singer" Quinn - "wise" Arthur - "strong as a bear" CYCLES OF POPULARITY Names go through cycles of popularity. According to the Social Security Administration, the names that were chosen most often in 2004 were: Jacob, Michael, Joshua, Emily, Emma and Karen. The most popular for 1965 were: Michael, John David, Lisa, Mary and Karen. In 1880, they were: John, William, James, Mary, Anna and Emma. Josh remained the top male name until 1924 when Robert took the lead. Linda dethroned the name Mary in 1947, but Mary regained the top spot in 1953 only to lose it again. As you can see, the assortment of names and ideas for more is vast. Enjoy the selecting process. Think about several before you settle on your final choice.