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Most Important Decision
of a Lifetime - What to Name Your Baby
By S. Denise Hoyle
Most people don't know the meaning
of their name, but most names do have meanings. You should at least find
out the meanings of your favorite choices before giving one of them to
your child. The meaning of your child's name probably won't greatly
affect his or her life, but may help you to make a decision between your
favorites.
Many names are shortened to
nicknames during childhood, or other stages of life, so be sure to think
about what shortened forms of your child's name may be. Also consider
that names we might think are cute for a child could be embarrassing
later in life, before giving your child a nickname as their legal name.
For instance - shortening Samantha to Sam or Sammy while your daughter
is young may be fine, but will she mind having to put Sam on her
business cards or college application later in life if its her legal
name?
No one likes having their name
constantly misspelled or mispronounced, so keep this in mind before
choosing a unique pronunciation or spelling of a common name. Remember
that your child will spend his or her lifetime explaining to others how
the name is really spelled or pronounced.
Unisex names, like Chris, Robin or
Terry, may make it easier for you to choose your child's name before you
know their sex, but others argue that it can be unfair and
psychologically harmful to a child, especially to boys who may feel more
insulted when presumed to be girls, than girls do when they're mistaken
for boys.
Namesakes, or exact reproductions
of a person's name, even if followed by II or Jr., are quite often
confusing to everyone involved. Worse yet, the child never gets the
satisfaction of having a clear identity or name of his own. Although
namesakes can be complimentary to the original owner of the name,
consider the impact to your child, and how you plan to differentiate
between the people who share the name before you choose to name your
child after someone else.
Remember, the name you choose for
your child will be a lifetime decision, so take your time and enjoy the
process!
About the author:
S. Denise Hoyle serves as the
webmaster of both
http://nurseryroomprojects.com and
http://fertility-facts.com. To find the meanings and origins
of thousands of popular names, take a look at our lists of boy's names
and girl's names at
http://nurseryroomprojects.com/baby_names.htm
(c) Copyright 2004, S. Denise Hoyle. All Rights Reserved.
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