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Naming Your Baby Help

Naming a baby can be a very difficult experience for many new parents. There are so many choices and of course everyone has an 'opinion' on what to call your new boy or girl. Here are some ideas and tips on how to go through the process of naming your new baby.

Where to Start



Once you find out that you are going to be a proud new parent, you should immediately start writing down every name that you like. You can find good ideas for baby names all around you. Television, movies, books, and ideas from others are a great place to start. Maybe you've been dreaming of this day for a long time, and you already have a list started. Great! Starting with as many baby names as possible in the beginning will make your ultimate name choice that much better in the end. You will need to come up with a first and last name, but we recommend starting with just the first name in the beginning. If you have no idea where to start, take a look at the top 100 baby names list that shows popular names from the last year.

Is it a Boy or a Girl?

If your not sure if your baby will be a boy or a girl...you should make a list for both. There are some names that have a variation for boy and girl babies, such as Brian and Brianna, or Michael and Micheala. Some parents choose not to know the sex of their baby before it is born. Having a list for both will help you be prepared when that little surprise finally arrives!

How to Narrow the Names Down

Make a master list of baby names, and create extra categories that detail each name. The more baby names you start with, the better. Some categories might include:

Once you have the main list of baby names, you can start narrowing them down. Group the names either in alphabetical order or category, depending on what is most important to you, and remove the names that are not agreed upon by both parents. (There may be some heated discussions at this point!). Write your last name beside the names to see how well it fits together. If you already have a middle name you can add that as well, to help you see what the names look like when sounded out or listed as the full name. Try our baby name generator tool to see this in action.

Making the Final Decision

Your almost there, ready to name your new baby!

After the steps above, you should have a specific narrow list of baby names that are relevant and good possibilities. We recommend 10 or less, to make the final decision easier. You can spend the remaning time until the birth of your child to look at these names and make a final decision. Take your time and enjoy the process. In the end, you will know what to name your baby from the remaining choices, it will just 'feel' right. We promise!



Other Baby Naming Help Resources

Books

75,000+ Baby Names for the 21st Century (Paperback)

The Perfect Baby Name: Finding the Name that Sounds Just Right (Paperback)

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