A lot of fuss and bother has been going on with the birth of the new Prince in England. I've heard people complain about the name chosen, particularly the first name, George. "It's too old-fashioned!" "It reminds me of George of the Jungle!" "Oh, look: Prince Boy George!"
*sigh*
At least a lot of thought went into the name.
I think you can see where this is leading.
Names are a bit of a hobby of mine. I love names. I love finding out the reason behind names chosen. I love seeing good names put together to make a lasting identification. Unfortunately, too many people don't put the time, thought, and consideration into this life-long gift to their son or daughter. They spend too much time trying to be "unique", to show how much of a non-conformist they are...without giving any real thought to what the poor child who will be saddled with such a name will have to deal with.
Wanna give a weird, "cutting edge" name? Get a puppy.
A child is a PERSON. The cute little baby will grow up to be an adult, with a job - maybe career - and responsibilities. They will hold positions of sorts within society.
In my humble opinion (and, of course, it IS just my opinion), the following are some of the things that I think a person should think about when they're choosing a name for a baby.
1) Think about how you will answer the question, "Why did you name me [fill in name]?" Granted, not everyone cares. I know I did. I was obsessed with finding out exactly why I received the name I did. It turned out that I was named after a book; I was thrilled, because it's one of my favorite books. I had originally thought that I got the name because my parents were originally expecting a boy, so they didn't have a girl's name chosen, and mine was just off the top of their heads! Needless to say, I was relieved to find out the actual story.
2) Be careful of what the initials will spell! If your last name is Thompson, you really don't want to choose the names Timothy Ian.
3) Think of how the name will "flow". Some people will choose a perfectly lovely first and second name, forgetting that the middle name isn't usually used in normal addressing, so while "Suzette Ailene Charles" may sound nice, "Suzette Charles" sounds a little awkward.
4) If you want to be creative with spelling, please remember that your child will be correcting people for the rest of his or her life. Also, the CHILD has to learn how to spell it!
5) Realize that, even if YOU don't like nicknames, your child just might. If you name your daughter Elizabeth, she might prefer to be called Beth, Betty, Liz, Lisa, Ellie, Buffy, etc., when she gets older. She might just WANT to be Elizabeth. It's your child's name. I had a friend who I originally knew as Liz, but when she hit high school, decided to go by Lisa.
6) On the flip-side, be careful about giving what is traditionally a nickname as a given name, for the same reasons as 4 and 5.
7) Try not to fall into "theme naming", like giving every child the same initial. This is true particularly with giving twins rhyming names. They are individuals, who have a right to be treated as such, and not part of a package deal. Personally, I find that names with different initials makes things easier for marking appointments on calendars or labeling personal items around the house.
8) Find the latest "Top 100" list...and throw it away. If the name is significant, has a special meaning to you (or, as I like to say, it "has a good 'why'"), is well thought-out, and you want to give it to your child, who cares who else - or how many - like it? This goes back to #1.
9) As I mentioned earlier, remember that the cute little button in your arms will someday be an adult who might not appreciate the moniker "Button". Keep the endearments as nicknames, but give the child a name that will grow with him or her.
10) Remember that the name you give your child is a gift. Don't spend less time considering this gift than you would a birthday, wedding, or anniversary gift. Give more, as this gift is far more important, and should last a lifetime.
