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Jennifer Moss, a Los Angeles-based baby-name consultant who advises new parents on naming their children through her website BabyNames.com and by a personalized naming service, offers these tips in her new book, “The One-in-a- Million Baby Name Book” (Perigee Press, ISBN 978-0-399-53430-0), in bookstores this month.
Moss, who is a baby-name consultant and founder of BabyNames.com, offers the following guidelines for expectant parents in choosing their own child’s one-in-a-million name:
1. Family histories and traditions: Does the name mean something special to you and/or your family members? Have you considered family names for first and middle names?
2. Spelling and ease of use: Is this name easy to spell? Is it easy to pronounce? A girl named Melyssah will be destined to spend a lot of time spelling out her name the rest of her life.
3. Popularity and saturation: Are you choosing a truly unique name or simply following the trends? Where is the name ranked on popularity lists like the one on BabyNames.com or the U.S. Social Security Administration’s baby names database? Take into consideration that names that are popular today may seem dated 30 years from now, just as the name “Nancy” harkens to the 1950s and “Tiffany” summons images of the 1980s pop singer and her peers.
4. Jokes, puns, and teasing potential: Will your child be teased because of the name, or due to his or her initials? Is it funny to you? Does the name rhyme with something teasable? “Crystal Chandel Lear” belongs above the dining room table, not on a birth certificate.
5. Pronunciation, rhythm and flow: How does the first name sound when combined with your last name? Is it too choppy, or too long? Names have a natural sound and rhythm – a way that people hear the syllables in natural musical beats. Show friends and family the written name and ask them to pronounce it for you; if it doesn’t sound right, or they mispronounce the name, you may want to reconsider.
6. Gender identification: Is the name too frilly? Is it a primarily male or female name? Remember that male-identified names often work for baby girls, but female-identified names can be awkward for baby boys.
7. The introduction test: Introduce yourself out loud using the planned first name and last name together. Does it sound “right” to you? Sometimes a name will look good on paper, but just doesn’t sound right when written.
“The One-in-a-Million Baby Name” book includes chapters dedicated to traditional names, celebrity names, names of royalty through the ages, character names found in popular culture, nature names, and names from the world of sports, along with firsthand stories from parents on how they chose their children’s names. It also includes thousands of name suggestions, along with their meanings, origins and ratings of the names from visitors to BabyNames.com.
BabyNames.com, which debuted on the Web in 1996, is one of the top destinations for expectant parents. In addition to its naming service and comprehensive names database, BabyNames.com offers parenting advice, parenting and naming forums, and celebrity-baby news, among other features. The site is owned and operated by Moss, her sisters Mallory Rustin, Kate Glinsmann and Sue Moss, and their mother, Peg Moss.
CONTACT:
Jennifer Moss
877-211-BABY (2229)
jennifer@babynames.com
http://www.babynames.com
This release was issued through eReleases(TM). For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.
SOURCE BabyNames.com / PRNewswire
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I know working on the celebrity baby blog that I do…I hear so many funny names everyday, I wonder what they are thinking when they name them such silly names.
I know I was going to name my daughter Sera but she would have to say this is how you spell if for her whole life. So I decided to name her Jennifer instead.
All 3 of our little ones have a name that is one way or another a family name. My oldest has my great grandpas name and his dads middle name, our second has his grandpas name as his middle name and our daughter has my middle name as her first name.
Unfortunately, parents are not getting the true story on what’s behind a name and just how important it is for them to know the truth about the naming convention and how it will affect their child.
Each child is born with a spiritual master plan–their blueprint–as a result of their name and birthdate, together forming their life’s experiences.
Parents can influence their child’s characteristics by merely the name they assign as the name reveals their baby’s characteristics/traits while the birthdate reveals their development.
Some of my best clients are women in their reproductive years. Using numerology to “build” a name encompassing the traits they hope their baby will develop, is a whole new world, for many!
I find numerology fascinating. We researched our little ones names and their meanings prior to deciding. As soon as they were born and old enough we had their star charts done.
There was some very good advice in that article. Remember that the name you choose has to last a lifetime, it may suit a cute little toddler but will it suit a mature adult?
Nice article. I remember agonizing over these things while trying to decide what to name my daughter. Fun time, but choosing a name is very important, too.
I remember some of the names created developed during the “hippie era”.
All sorts of “Moonbeams” and other names were quite the fashion, with the most famous being “Dweezil Zappa”.
What is the most unusual name you have ever heard?
I know of a poor lad who lives near us who has been burdened with the name Aladdin! He is 19 now but it has blighted his childhood because everyone teased him.
your blog is so nice and very good article. I like it.
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