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 ?? ?

[Contra]

We had terrible problems finding names to suit both us and our children.

I have just explained why, but realised it was just going to be too much of a giveaway: they were very specific issues.

[cardibach]

We just tried each name with 'Great Aunt' or 'Great Uncle' in front of it. If it sounded silly, it was off the list.

I'm intrigued by people who specifically don't want a name in the top 100. Why not? Surely names that are used a lot are chosen because they are 'good' in some way? Why rule out a name you like just because other people like it too?

[ReshapeWhileDamp]

Rules we observed last time and are attempting to observe this time:

Nothing too over-used (in the top 25 or so).

Nothing wacky or outlandish.

No daft 'alternative' spellings. They take about 20 points off perceived IQ of parents, and I think the child gets a few extra s.

No nicknames - full name given even if we would use a shortened version. I think you need to give the child the option of using their full name.

No names ending in 'an', 'am' sounds, as it'll sound too like the surname.

We didn't veto religious names or names that meant something religious, if we liked them otherwise, which is why DS is called the Greek equivalent of 'God's Gift', much to MIL's not-so-secret satisfaction. And he thinks he is, too!

[mydoorisalwaysopen]

if you shout it at the playground at least four kids to turn and see who's calling them

[PosyPetrovaPauline]

I did give my child a name that broke one of my rules

his name is a shortened version of a name but the long version is ... well....gopping

truly so - his name is heaven but it IS in effect a shortened version and I am not proud but still LOVE love love it

[echt]

Our rule was that it had to sound well with either of our surnames.

[pulapula]

My "rules" were:

Must be easy to spell
Not too outlandish
No silly spellings
No silly initials
Not our initials
No surnames as first names
With 2nd and 3rd DCs, must sound good with other DCs names.
With boys, must have full name on birth certificate, even if NN used in daily life.
Contrary to many people, we chose names in the top 10/15.
One middle name each (don't want them to feel different).

We stuck to most of our rules although DD does have the initials KLF but we figured she won't get teased about it by her peers.
Also her name can be spelt 2 ways although hers is the most "common" way.
But otherwise, we followed them.

[Cleveridea]

I did the What does it sound like when shouted across a busy shopping centre in the manner of Bianca from Eastenders test. It put me straight on quite a few names I can tell you

[franklampoon]

nothing that makes me and dh out to be pretentious twats

[Ixora]

Rules were:

Not directing/defining. Ie Grace was out as was sure any child of mine called Grace would have to turn out a snarling heffalump. Hope, Honor etc I love but same pressures.

Also had to be not too 'marked' or with strong associations, so could suit someone serious or frivolous, posh or plain, shy or outgoing and so on. Just can't be sure how your child will turn out, I thought. And think the great aunt test is a great idea, too.

A nice sound and easy to say. DH's surname 'difficult' to say the least, so first name had to be simple, particularly as DD got both surnames so she can mix and match/pick and choose at will. Needed a name that would sit comfortably with most other surnames in case she ever decides to change.

Able to travel. Chose mainstream English versions of internationally used names.

Not TOO popular. Final choice did turn out to be outside top 100 but just because it was out of fashion, not outlandish. Perhaps it's a bit dull but have never met another child with same name, not that it would bother me. Less is sometimes more - got over my wildly exotic ideas for middle names once I thought them over a bit and remembered my mother had planned to call my sister Freesia, for goodness sake.

Suiting the baby. Could only decide once DD arrived and could size her up a bit!

[CakeandRoses]

Rules:

1. Latin if poss
   

1. Unusualish (not in the top 100 (at least) and not used by anyone we know)
   

1. Not used by a dodgy or well-known and unusually-named sleb (loved 'Siena', the place has lots of meaning for us but...)
   

1. A name we wouldn't cringe to announce when joining a conference call (that test binned lots of fave names, especially over-the-top frilly girl's names)
   

We stuck to them, including the Latin one.

[sayanything]

Two tests:

1. The supermarket test - how would the name sound being yelled across the dairy aisle.
   

1. The professional test - how would the name sound on a professional adult.
   

The first test excluded a slew of polysyllabic Greek names DH was keen on; the second a number of cute names that would sound great on a baby, not so much on an adult.

[childofthe80s]

1)Not too standard (we ended up with something outside top 100);

2)suitable for Catholic christening;

3)unusual but traditional - not a nickname.

My favourite girl's name was ruled out for being disastrous to say with a lisp.

I have heard some people use the judge/stripper test - i.e. would the name pass for both a judge and a stripper.

I have a very unusual name which I have always loved actually and never understand why some people would want to choose something very standard but each to their own!

Also, did someone say you could find out how many times a name had been used in the last year? Would be interested to see that.

[sayanything]

Ooh come to think of it, we did have a couple more:

1. Must sound good in Greek, English and French (that reduced our options considerably);
   

1. Mustn't mean or allude to a quality - e.g., name DS Adonis (a DH family name) and he'd be bound to be...ahem...interesting-looking.

[sterrryerryoh]

We had slightly different rules as DS is adopted, so we had no say on his name. We had a tense few years thinking about that, I can tell you, - it was a real worry for a while, especially when some friends adopted and their son?s name was just awful (their opinion too?)
Anyway, we were very (very) lucky with DS?s name as it is very nice, goes with our surname and, coincidentally, is also my Granddad?s name. In actual fact that last point made our ?rules? up. We were allowed to change DS?s middle name (thank goodness) and we decided to name him after DH?s Granddad too, as a middle name - so not only does he have the name that his birth family gave him, he also has (by sheer luck) a first name and a middle name that link to our biological heritage too!

[minervaitalica]

1. not top 10
   

1. Must have been used for at least 200 yrs
   

1. Easy to pronounce in Italian and English (e.g. could not have "r" in it, "gl" sounds, start with "h" etc)
   

1. Italian or English "standard" spelling
   

1. Not too long as I am not big on shortening names
   

1. had to sound good with middle name/surname

[kiwibella]

names that didn't remind me of children I have taught over the years!!

[Kathleen123]

Expecting first child, and these are our rules:

1. Not poncey. (hubbie's rule)
   
2. Not chavvy. (my rule)
   
3. Not more than two syllables (hubbie's rule)
   
4. No family or close friends must have used the name (hubbie's rule).
   
5. No made up name/ unusual spelling/ hyphenated name (both agree).
   
6. No old lady or old man names (hubbie's rule)
   
7. Has to sound good with surname.
   

We've never had a rule against popular names, but both like the slightly more unusual names. Also no family or close friends having used the name does limit us.

[WillowFae]

1. Had to go with the surname
   
2. The three initials (first, middle, surname) couldn't be silly (MGM for example)
   
3. Couldn't be shortened to something we didn't like.
   
4. Wasn't already in the family
   

As far as number 3 goes, we call DD by a diminutive of her name. However, that diminutive can a diminutive of 2 longer names. One of them has other diminutives that we didn't like, so we opted for the other one.

[DewinDoeth]

1. Has to be Welsh. However, has to be pronouncable by English inlaws. Spelling of no consequence - non-Welsh speakers can learn to spell a name!
   
2. Has to be medieval.
   
3. Must be unusual i.e. uncommon, but not weird. (That's unusual in Wales, btw - but names like Gareth and Megan would be out due to being Welsh names popular in both Wales and England.)
   
4. Must not begin with P (surname issues...)
   
5. Must be masculine or feminine - lots of Welsh names will work for either.
   
6. Must not be shortened: personal preference. Welsh names often don't shorten anyway.
   
7. Middle name must be a proper name, work with first name (obv) and not too long.
   

This is because I have a first name and a middle name, but somehow - and this is not down to me - I'm always, always known and addressed using both, as if hyphenated. It's odd, but the names clearly go together. It's been 34 years and I'm still mystified as to why both my names are used simultaneously!

Stuck to them all. On 6., MIL attempted a shortened form of my DS's name and I nearly decked her (it was so ugly too!) but she only attempted it the once.
So now you'll all be puzzling about my unusual Welsh, masculine, medieval DS's two names!

[mrspir8]

It had to be cornish or scottish. We decided on scottish this time which means if we have another it will be cornish :)

[purplehippopotamus]

This is hell, I'm not even pregnant and already breaking my own rules! First of which, because I have a very common name, was nothing in top 50, but the ones I love are in top 10! Aside from that:

Nothing ending in 'y' or 'ie' - due to rhyming with surname

DH and I have same first initial, so definitely can't have the same as us

No made up names or inventive spelling

I'd like Shakespearean names but DH needs to be convinced

Love the Great Aunt test, think we'll try that one

Happy to have a long name with variety of ways to shorten so child has a choice

[teenyanne]

I used the shout test (stand at bottom of stairs, shout chosen name, see if it flows off the tongue nicely).

That and the names on our list that MIL said she liked were instantly struck off (shame I really like the names rebecca and rachel, but no-way was MIL getting to think she had any say in the matter)

And it couldn't be too popular, because I really didn't want to call her over when we were out and have 15 children heading towards me.

Also, our surname is really difficult to spell, so dd's name had to be easy for her to learn to spell!

[marenmj]

sterrryerryoh I have a good friend who was adopted when he was 8 years old. His parents let him choose his own name.

Being an 8-year-old boy in the 1980's he obviously picked "He-Man" but they settled on Jason instead