Have people started asking you about names yet? I feel like as soon as people know the gender of a baby, the name game starts. And then, of course, it continues until the day the baby is born. Choosing your baby's name feels like a really big deal. I mean, it IS a really big deal. But for me, it became almost an obsession -- any time I wasn't thinking about anything in particular, I was thinking about what my baby's name would be. I think the decision feels so important not only because the baby will have the name forever, but because choosing a name is just about the only thing you have control over.
So here are a couple of my thoughts about naming (both from a mom and teacher perspective). Please feel free to ignore any or all of this.
Don't ask, don't tell
Everyone loves to give opinions about names. EVERYONE. If you have a name you like, guard it with your life. Ok, that's a bit dramatic, but in all seriousness, if you are set on something, sharing it ahead of time makes people think their opinions are welcome. "You like that name? Oh..... That was my cousin's ex-girlfriend's name, and she was a bitch ". Even if you think you want people's true opinion, be careful, because they won't hold back and will tell you EXACTLY what they think of the name. Except for me, of course. I would tell you it's the best name I've ever heard.
Popularity Contest
When my brother named my nephew Finnlee, the name seemed pretty unusual. Since then though, I hear little guys being called Finn all over the place. How could they have guessed they would be at the beginning of a naming trend? A lot of people try to avoid picking popular names, but I don't think it's worth spending too much time worrying about, because you just never know what will be popular. If you love a name, it doesn't matter who else might have the same one.
It's good, but is it perfect?
I had chosen baby names long before Jack was born (ok, actually long before he was ever conceived...). Then when I found out he was a boy, the name I had been thinking about for all that time suddenly belonged to a real person. And then I wasn't sure. I still loved the name, but was it perfect for him? So because I wasn't sure, I spent months trying out different names, worried that an even better name was out there somewhere. Finally, I thought about advice I heard about wedding dresses once: When you find the right thing, be happy and don't keep worrying there's something better out there, because you'll drive yourself crazy. That being said, we decided not to choose a middle name until Jack was here, so we could still play a little bit more of the name game....
Whatever you choose, and whether or not you tell anyone ahead of time, just find a name you love and it will be perfect.
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