7 Things to Keep in Mind While Naming Your Baby

Shakespeare once said, “what’s there in a name?” The saying stands well only in the verses of play Romeo and Juliet and not in action especially while deciding your baby name. Since the conception of the idea that you should conceive a baby, naming your newborn is the second most special as well as an essential task on the list as it will be a part of your child’s identity for the rest of its life.

You have always dreamt of giving your child a certain name and so did your partner. And thus, often couples tend to indulge in arguments while deciding as to what girl or boy name they should give to their newborn. The decision is important because it is concerned with the new life which is nothing less than a blessing in their lives. The new parents need to keep a few things in their minds while brainstorming and considering the baby names.

1) The Baby Name Should Be Unique and Not Unusual

Your little munchkin is one in a zillion so its name has to be unique too. Parents often complain that their kid’s name becomes common after they have named him/her. The best way to overcome this so that you don’t regret later is to get yourself around with kids so that you know what are some of the common names. You can also get in touch with the primary school teachers to get an idea of the popular names.

The uniqueness of the name should not be confused with unusualness as the latter creates a scope for mispronunciation and embarrassment for your child. The name ‘Niyati’ may sound kind of unique for your baby girl child but it can be misunderstood and your child might become a victim of pranks in her school.

2) Try to Choose Names with a Positive Meaning/Intent

The meaning of the name plays a massive role in transforming the personality of your child. The name and its meaning reflect on the traits your child would possess in the long run. There are names which may sound appealing to you but it is essential to consult the baby name guide for their meanings as your art of decision making is under check here.

It is also seen that Indian parents get swayed away by the stardom of celebrities and their lifestyles and name their kids after them in a hope that he/she would turn out to be popular like them. Parents name their kids as ‘Shahrukh’ ‘Amitabh’ which would force them to be like them. Parents should try to be original and not bother their kids to be a photocopy of some

3) Think About a Proper Nickname

Gorakhpur wali Mausiji and Jabalpur wale Chachaji can never call your kid with the correct name and often contribute one of the most clichéd nicknames like ‘Baby’, ‘Sweety’ for baby girls and ‘Chotu’ or ‘Munna’ for your baby boy. Most parents do not mind this and start calling them with these names. The parents may not encounter any trouble but this would make their kid a source of amusement in front of their friends.

Also, the parents will continue to pamper their kid as chotu and baby which may even result in Developmental Delays in kids. Thus parents should try to figure out potential nicknames from their formal names. The names like ‘Priyanshi’ can be shortened as ‘Priya’ or ‘Manvendra’ as ‘Manu’. This would also avoid confusion which may result due to multiple naming.

You can also read our another article to know about the Naming Traditions in India.

4) Look out for Imperfect Initials

Most parents do not consider this important tip while naming their newborn and consequently land up giving very deplorable nicknames. The parents should always see how their kid’s name would pronounce as initials so that the nameplate of their kid doesn’t look awkward in future. If you have planned to name your kid as ‘Ronnie D Xavier’ or ‘Tushar Narayan Trivedi’, as these might end up to be RDX and TNT then you must reconsider your decision.

5) The Baby Name Should Be Appropriate

The names like ‘Pyaarelal’ or ‘Happy’ may sound very affectionate with good meaning. However such baby names would not be much appropriate considering your kid’s career in future in a professional setup. The parents should consider this aspect sincerely as this might lead their child into trouble. His/her subordinates will not take him seriously at his workplace as the name does play a huge in depicting a person’s influence.

6) Avoid Giving Opposite Gender Name

Most parents believe that the names are not masculine or feminine which is actually a great thought. However, this often creates a problem for their kid. The parents should avoid giving names of the opposite gender as this would confuse people with your child’s name. Your child would have to constantly correct people while using the title for him/her. A few examples could be choosing ‘Naresh’ or ‘Shiva’ while naming a baby girl and ‘Anam’ or ‘Jyoti’ while naming a boy child.

7) Include the Surname in Official Documents

The parents often forget to mention the surname while registering their baby names and this creates a lot of mishaps. Surnames are essential for everybody’s identity and must be included in the official documents. Omitting it will lead to duplication of identity and due to this, your kid would have to suffer gravely in future. There could be thousands of ‘Jai’ or ‘Seema’ but only a few ‘Jai Pratap’ or ‘Seema Dixit’. The last name reassures one’s complete identity.

The last food for thought is that you should name your kid what you and your partner should mutually agree upon and no relative or friend should decide what your kid should be named after. You must choose wisely because it is your kid who would have to bear the burden of any bizarre name given to him/her.

You can also see this video which acts as a Checklist for baby girl names & baby boy names –  

Few Popular Baby Names

We are providing a list of a few popular baby names for your assistance:

Baby Boy Names

• Aashish
• Aatif
• Abraham
• Aditya
• Aman
• Aryan
• Debashish
• Fahad
• Gurdeep
• Ishaan
• Kunal
• Mehul
• Rohan
• Shashank
• Siddharth
• Sohail
• Vikrant
• Zuhair

Baby Girl Names

• Aakaanksha
• Aditi
• Alisha
• Aleena
• Andrea
• Chhavi
• Dipti
• Farah
• Jyoti
• Kritika
• Loveleen
• Madhavi
• Mehak
• Naina
• Nargis
• Poonam
• Rashmi
• Shalini
• Shomili
• Twinkle
• Yasmine

We would love to know what have you, been naming your little ones. Do share your baby’s names and Nickname in the comments section below. Also, if you have some funny story to share about your or your kids’ nicknames, we would love to hear them.