Playing the Name Game
With all the buzz about Will and Kate's upcoming royal bundle of joy, it's no wonder the entire world seems to be obsessed with the little one's gender and, of course, all the baby name possibilities.
Naming a child always seems to be a pretty important decision for paren'ts-to-be. Do you go traditional and perhaps offer the child a name in honour of other family members? It seems the British royal family may very well go that route; many young royals have been named after other famous relatives.
Many traditional names also reflect not only respected relatives, but religious and cultural values. Names that may seem very uncommon in some places will be quite typical in others. In Toronto, we're diverse enough to come across all sorts of names all the time, and it's often interesting to see how different cultures treat the naming process.
For many groups, there are important naming ceremonies for babies, often done shortly after birth (although sometimes it can be weeks or months!) which include singing songs, feeding the baby particular foods, and a number of other things that are usually done to wish the new child a long and prosperous life.
If you're thinking of baby name ideas yourself or are just curious to see if your own name is listed, check out some name guides available at the library. You can come come in to a branch and browse, or try a few here:
There are many, many more name books available. You can also check out the origins of some Canadian names or the origins of many last names in the English-speaking world.
Babycenter also offers some suggestions when deciding on a name for a little one. Some things you may want to keep in mind:
Consider how your baby's name may sound out loud and even how it sounds with other names in your household. I remember reading an anecdote about a mom who had a baby girl and named her Ella – a lovely name in its own right, certainly. However, her first son's name was Sam, and she was constantly calling the two of them together: "Sam and Ella, let's go!" Say that out loud a few times and you can probably see that having your kids sound like a bacterial infection isn't ideal.
Really think about using 'cutesy' or kitschy names. Sure, naming her Holly when your family name is Wood seems like a good idea now, but think about your darling girl's feelings ten years from now. It might be a better idea to leave the wacky names for your beloved pets (or at least just celebrities..!)
Ultimately, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to choosing a name, but it can't hurt to checkout different options and resources to get some ideas.
Do you have an interesting or unique name of your own? Does it have a significance or special meaning behind it? Share it in the comments!
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