Do you have any 'rules' that you use/used to choose a name ?

[picklemum]

If so what were/are they ?

We had couple, like didn't want to use same intial as me or DH and, second time not same as DD1. Also ruled out 'noun' names eg Ocean even though I liked a lot of these, I thought in long term might not be appealing for the person who has it as a grown-up ( no offence to others who disagree)

Also one rule was nothing very very unusual or really weird that no-one had heard of, so to avoid the poor kid having to spell their name out all the time....

.......BUT in the end me and DH fell in love with one name when DD2 was born and gave her a v unusual name. We simply liked nothing else better.

SO did you have 'rules' ? Did you follow them ?? ?

[Blottedcopybook]

I think you all put much more thought into it than we did! We picked names that we liked and which went with our surname.

[whatnolooroll]

No novelty spellings.
No names where you can't tell if it's a first name or surname.
No unisex names.
No very foreign/celtic names if you have no connection to their origin.
No stupid initials, repeating initials within the family and no alliterative first/surname.
Must be a proper name and not just a random word.
No awful meanings.
Nothing in the top 100.

I followed them with DS but now pregnant with DC2 and have absolutely no idea what to call them. I'm worried I have narrowed the field too far...

[TrillianAstra]

Alicet I am the opposite to you - I would always choose name that can be shortened, preferably in more than one way.

[ProfessorLaytonIsMyLoveSlave]

I do know someone who is a name consultant, Lemoncurdy. I don't know what her website is, though, as our acquaintance isn't professional.

[jadziadax]

We both had absolute veto power over each others choices.
Nothing ending in 's' or 'a' (sounds bad with our surname).
Nothing religious.
Something 'normal' but not popular.
Avoid dodgy initials. (Actully DD did end up with initials G.P.S. but we decided it wasn't too too bad as the names were pretty much the only ones we agreed on.)

[mixedmamameansbusiness]

Agree with Vivian... do share.

Also, why does everyone want nicknames. I have never really understood it so just genuinely asking why you would give a name and them use a nickname?

In terms of rules our main one was that:

South Asian in laws would be (broadly) happy with a vaguely Islamic sounding name.

East European/Med my father would be happy that his culture was not left out, but not too Islamic for him.

English mother who having been married to my father for 29 years still cannot pronounce at least 75% of the families names, something that she could (a) remember and (b) pronounce.

I have always had to spell my name and I have to confess that i quite like it, however I realise I am probably quite odd in this sense.

[VeronicaCake]

Rose it is! Well done ProfessorLayton - you live up to your name.

[MumNWLondon]

1. different initials to me, dh, dd, ds1
   
2. different "sound" to dd and ds1 (eg think say Noah too much like Jonah)
   
3. no more than 2 syllables

[Psammead]

Not too common
Not too unusual
Not the same initials as DH or me
Nothing which clashed with our surname
Acceptably spellable and pronounceable in England and Germany
Not too babyish

And obviously, something we both liked.

We ended up with Lucia - love it.

[hatebeak]

For our daughters, we were keen not to have names that were too obviously feminine versions of male names.
Also: no names entirely divorced from our heritage - so no Italian names, for example, as we really cannot lay any claim to being even remotely Italian.
And the last - and most difficult one - nothing that would give us/the child away too easily. In other words, no glaringly obvious class markers, nothing that highlights those lurking parental aspirations/pretensions too blatantly. Although, of course, that's pretty much inescapable and I suspect we failed there...

[jellybeans]

Firstly that me and DH loved it

That we used a short name if we would only call them that

That is wasn't in the top 5-10 names

That it went well with our surname

That the meaning was OK (some names have weird meanings like 'stinking hair' etc)

That it wasn't too old granny etc and would involve risking teasing

[Nassau]

Used a selection of the rules mentioned but also the 'shout' test.

Had to shout out "[baby's name], come in for your dinner" in a thick Dublin and/or Wicklow {insert accent of your choice here} accent. If it didn't sound bad it went on the list.



Disclaimer: There is nothing wrong with a thick Dublin or Wicklow accent but some names sound really awful with it.

[BabyGiraffes]

I broke two of my own rules and went for a modern combination of two very old names, and a female version of a male name.... Well, these were the only names dh and I could vaguely agree on. My other 'rules' were

No flowers, precious stones, seasons, countries, cities, virtues, random words, Welsh or celtic names, not in the top 10, top 50, top 100, no initials that would mean anything, and something the IL could pronounce... Oops, quite a long list. Oh and for dd2 it could not start with m because dh already quite confused about dd1 and myself starting with m. Dh also insisted on two middle names which personally I think is really awful but went along with to keep the peace...

[MamaLaMoo]

Should not be any name that reminded me of a student I have taught. Have nightmares about Joshs, Chantelles, Perrys, Aarons.

Also not one of the ubiquitous girls' names which can be shortened to Sam, Charlie, Ellie, Katy, Lizzie, Beth etc.

[Hermya321]

We want a name that works on a kid as well as an eighty year old. I imagine the child introducing themselves to people at various points in their life; eg school, uni, work and nursing home. If any of them sound odd, I'm not going with it.

For some reason I also think if a solicitor or some legal type introduced themselves to me or wrote to me would I take them seriously if they had that name. If I wouldn't then that name is out as well.

[40Weeks]

Hhm dont have rules as such although obv we both (DH & I) have to like it, and that being nigh on impossible, to introduce another rule would further complicate things.

Although MumNW makea a good point as have 2 boys, am having a third baby (dont know sex) and think that my preferred boys name sounds too similar to DS2. No one has put names on here but I am going to be brave and ask your opinion (hope you dont mind picklemum)

Is Leon too much like Owen??

[Wigglesmummy]

For boys - must sound good with 'Sir' in front. For girls - pretty but not flimsy

[BabyDubsEverywhere]

Fro DC 1 it was fair game and anything that we could agree on. (i wanted something more traditional but setteld for something a bit more chavvy i suppose, buts its nice and suits him so...)

DC2 then had to 'fit' with DC1, so, also something a bit chavvy! second letter a, forth letter e, couldnt end in an N, 2 syllables, something very girly!

We got it

[BabyDubsEverywhere]

I think Leon and Owen go very nicely together

[ProfessorLaytonIsMyLoveSlave]

I think Owen and Leon are OK -- I see your point, but I think they are distinct enough.

[40Weeks]

Thank you

[Bumperlicious]

Having major issues with names as DH and I can't agree. Neither do our rules agree, as his only rule seems to be no family names, which doesn't bother me (though I draw the line at my mother's name ) and my only rule is not too popular, which doesn't bother him.

So as you can see we are already at an impasse!

Obviously the rules for going with our surname, no acronyms and no rhyming are a given, I assumed they would be for everyone

I think also your children's names have to vaguely go together, or at least be of the same ilk, I mean, you can't really have a Mungo and a Kevin can you?

[anonymosity]

No names ending in a "y" sound or an "s" sound as paired with our last name which ends in an "s" it becomes a tongue twister / sounds like a joke name.

[40Weeks]

Bumperlicious, what about Mungo Kevin Pasquale? I think that has a lovely ring to it!