Exploring the Possibilities
When it comes to baby names, there are as many possibilities as there are people. One way to wade through the myriad choices is to break them into types or categories of names. For instance, you might create a list of all the old-fashioned names you can think of for both boys and girls, and then create another list that's just ethnic-sounding names you like.
Breaking potential baby names into categories like this will help you narrow your choices down even further; if you can hone in on the type of names you like best, your list will instantly become much more manageable — and it'll be easier than ever to zero in on a final selection!
Essential
Use the Web as an idea-generator for baby names. Copy and paste the best options onto a list, and e-mail the list to your family and friends. Or, if you really want to have fun, conduct a name poll on your blog or Web site. Allow a space for visitors to post and vote on their own name choices.
Popular Names
Every year, it's a big news story: Which baby names are the most popular in America? If trends and popularity matter to you, or if you simply happen to like some of the names on the “Most Popular” list, go ahead and name your baby from this list.
On the plus side, baby won't feel unusual or out-of-place with other children at school a few years down the road. But on the downside, nearly everyone else on the playground with the same name will turn their heads whenever a mom or dad calls out. According to 2006 Social Security Administration records, here are the 10 most popular girls' names, in order of popularity:
- Emily
- Emma
- Madison
- Abigail
- Olivia
- Isabella
- Hannah
- Samantha
- Ava
- Ashley
The 10 most popular boys' names, also in order of popularity, are:
- Jacob
- Michael
- Joshua
- Matthew
- Ethan
- Andrew
- Daniel
- Anthony
- Christopher
- Joseph
Old-Fashioned Names
If you're a bit nostalgic and you want a less-common name for your baby, you can always choose an old-fashioned name. Old-fashioned names are names that were in vogue 100 or so years ago, but are no longer in the top 100 popular names for babies. Not all of these names are stodgy; in fact, several may even be making a comeback.
For girls, some lovely old-fashioned names include Lydia, Clara, Grace, Flora, Lilly, Harriet, Ella, Margaret, Nellie, and Martha. Boys' names that were popular more than a century ago include William, Thomas, Frank, Samuel, David, Herbert, Harold, Edward, Charles, and Henry — and, interestingly, many of these names are still classic choices for baby names.
Names off the Family Tree
If you don't have access to a good list of old-fashioned names, you may want to dust off your genealogy charts and choose a name from your own list of ancestors. Ask older relatives for stories about your ancestors, and then choose the name of one with whom you resonate. This is a very good way to preserve family legacies — and a great way to hear the amazing stories of your predecessors.
Fact
Generations of parents in every country and of every faith have their own superstitions about what they should or should not name a baby. For instance, a traditional Ashkenazi superstition dictates that if you name a baby after a living person, that person will instantly fall ill and die, since the baby literally took the name's energy; however, Sephardic Jews believe the opposite and honor living relatives by naming a child after them.
Celebrity Names
Celebrity names offer the most interesting, and often unique, name choices on the planet. If you choose a name that came from one of the “beautiful people,” expect that your child will also garner lots of attention — though it may not always be the kind either of you would prefer.
On the upside, any high-profile celebrity baby name will be instantly recognizable to anyone with a TV, an Internet connection, or a subscription to People magazine — so your child's name will be quite memorable. On the other hand, if the name is really unusual, like late musician Frank Zappa's children, Dweezil and Moon Unit, or actress Gwyneth Paltrow's daughter, Apple, you might be setting your child up for a life of endless teasing and intrusive questions from strangers.
If you want to use a celebrity name, try to choose one that's a bit more appropriate, such as Britney, Carly, Dakota, or Dylan. If you have a favorite performer and would like to name your child after that celebrity, you might consider designating the middle name as your homage. For instance, singer Billy Joel and model Christie Brinkley named their daughter Alexa Ray Joel; her middle name was in honor of musician Ray Charles. Now as a young musician herself, she's living up to that legacy.
Alert
Don't choose names that are difficult to pronounce or spell — and don't get too hung up on a specific unusual name, since your child will likely prefer a more traditional variant later on. For a reality check, imagine your child using your name choice as a teenager or on a driver's license. Keep it real — and manageable!
Ethnic Names
Foreign or ethnic-sounding names are also becoming more recognizable than ever. If you want a name with the air of the exotic, or simply want to honor your ethnic heritage, an ethnic name might be just the right choice for you and baby. Here are just a few ethnic-sounding name options for girls:
- Sophia (Italy)
- Eleni (Greece)
- Matilda (Finland)
- Breana (Scotland)
- Annaliese (Germany)
Ethnic names for boys:
- Moses (Israel)
- Johann (Sweden)
- Anders (Denmark)
- Rashid (Turkey)
- Nicholas (Greece)
How can I find the name spellings of some of my ethnic relatives?
Check your family history records first. If you don't find what you're looking for there, visit EllisIsland.org and look up your immigrant relatives. You might be very surprised by what you find on this site.
African American Names
If you're African American, you may want to choose a baby name that honors your heritage. For instance, naming your daughter Tanisha might indicate that she was born on a Monday, since the name is a derivative of an African word meaning the first day of the week. For girls, names like Latoya, Latrice, Danelle, Lakeisha, and Moesha are popular. For boys, it's names like DeJohn, LeBron, Jamal, Antoine, and Isaiah that appear in the top 100 African American names list.
Of course, if you are a follower of Islam, you might choose to name your male child Mohammed, Al-Jamal, or Abdul-Rahman. Muslim names for a female child include Khadeejah, Bashira, Mayesa, and Jasmin.
The use of apostrophes is also a growing African American trend in baby naming. Some popular African American names using apostrophes include Aa'Niyah, A'Lelia, Ce'Qwoia, D'Sean, D'Vonte, A'Driannah, Cha'Nice, Ka'Ren, Ky'Lee, Ma'Kayla, and Ty'Reese. Here, you can be as creative as you like — but take care not to come up with tease-inducing name combinations.
