One of my oldest and best friends just found out she's having a girl, and I couldn't be more excited for her. We chatted about all things baby on the phone last week, and the conversation inevitably turned to names. It seems she and her husband are having difficulty agreeing on a name, and this is all too common. Fortunately, Marcos didn't really have an opinion. I don't think he offered a single name, but he vetoed plenty. There's a lot of pressure when it comes to naming a little human. I mean, we don't get to choose our names, yet we're stuck with them for the rest of our lives. You want the name to be a little unique, but not so unique that no one can pronounce it. My sister goes by her middle name, McGuinn, a beautiful family name, but not one that the average Starbucks barista can spell without some help. Choosing a name is not something to be taken lightly, and that's why there are a few basic rules to consider when naming your daughter or son.
1. The name should mean something.
There doesn't necessarily need to be an elaborate story behind your child's name, but there will come a day when your son or daughter asks you about the meaning of his or her name, and you probably want to have a better answer than, "We closed our eyes and randomly chose a name in our baby name book". As a kindergarten and first grade teacher, one of my first day of school activities each year consisted of reading the book "Chrysanthemum" by Kevin Henkes and discussing the meaning behind all of our own names. The students' "homework" for the day was to ask their parents about the story behind their names, and the next day everyone would share what they had learned. Some of them were meaningful, but most of them were pretty lame. Imagine that your child's future teacher will do this same activity. What would you want them telling their classmates?
2. Consider family names and heritage.
When all else fails, check your family tree. You may be pleasantly surprised at some of the names you will find when you go back a few generations. Many people name their children after special people in their lives, and I don't think there's any greater honor on earth. Rory's middle name, Keiko, is Marcos' mom's name. Not only do I love the name, but his mother is also a very kind, smart, and hard-working woman, who I would love for Rory to take after one day. Rory's first name is a nod to my Irish heritage. I figured if she wasn't going to look like me, she could at least have an Irish name. (Also I love Gilmore Girls.)
3. Think about the future.
Bear may be a cute name for a toddler, but not so much for a 25-year-old trying to move up in the corporate world. Your baby will have whatever name you choose for the rest of his or her life...driver's licenses, passports, job applications. There's a study that found that kids with "normal", classic names (think Joe, Sarah, etc.) spend their lives trying to stand out, while people with obscure, strange names are constantly trying to blend in. (Lady Gaga's real name is Stephanie. Think about it, people.) Our last name is Fukumoto, so Rory will forever be saddled with a horrible/awesome (horribly awesome?) surname. The least we could do is give her a somewhat normal first name.
4. Consider ALL possible nicknames.
One of the families I babysat in Dallas told me once that they considered naming their son Porter, but then realized that Portly Porter would be a terrible nickname if he happened to be a little on the chubby side. They went with Beckam instead. Tucker is cute, until you think about what it rhymes with. Also, write down your child's initials. You don't want to get home from the hospital and realize that your son's or daughter's initials spell out something horrific like KKK or IBS.
5. Check out the name popularity lists.
I think it's always a good idea to see a list of the year's most popular names before deciding on your baby's moniker. You don't want your child to be one of five "Isabellas" when they enter kindergarten. This isn't always a sure thing, though. My good friend Karla named her son "Lincoln", a name that was virtually unheard of a few years ago, but one that is steadily gaining popularity. Kristen Bell and Dax Shepherd even named their first daughter Lincoln. The point is, you never now. Rory is pretty unique now, but in a few years, it could be in the top 10 list of names. Or maybe you want your child to have a more common name. Two of my good friends had babies in the last year. One named her son Noah, and the other named her daughter Olivia, both of which are in the top 10 names for 2014, but both are beautiful names that fit their babies well.
6. Look anywhere and everywhere for inspiration.
I think baby name books are the absolute worst resource for baby names. They are incredibly over-whelming, and not very inspiring. When I was pregnant with Rory, I kept an ongoing list of names on my phone, and every time I heard a name I liked, I would add it to the list. I would later run it by Marcos, and if he vetoed it or I discovered later that there was a serial killer with the same name (true story), I would cross it off the list. I found names in the oddest of places: Novels I was reading, movie credits, and eavesdropping on random people's conversations. All you have to do is go to a park on any given day, sit on a bench, and listen to the mom's call after their children. (Warning: you may look slightly creepy. Bring a book or something.)
7. Bring a short list of names to the hospital.
I went out to dinner with my friend a few nights ago, and she made the comment that she doesn't feel as though she can name someone she hasn't met yet. She wants to hold her baby and see her before deciding on her name. I totally respect this, and think there is some truth to this. If you feel this way, just make sure you have a short list of names ready, or you may end up choosing a name you don't really love or leaving the hospital with an unnamed baby. I'm pretty sure this is frowned upon.
8. Say the name out loud.
It might look good on paper or sound good in your head, but it's important to say the name aloud. Some first or middle names may not sound great with your last name. (Ahem...Fukumoto.) Or perhaps when you say the full name quickly, it morphs into something else. My cousin's daughter's name is "Lily Claire", and I remember my cousin making the comment that when she hears the name spoken quickly, it sometimes sounds like "Lil' eclair". Not that there's anything wrong with this. Eclairs are delicious.
The only other Rory's I know...
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| Rory McIlroy |
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| Rory Gilmore |
And for your reading pleasure, a list of awful celebrity baby names: (Seriously... Tu Morrow?!)
http://www.babble.com/celebrity/33-worst-celebrity-baby-names/
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