Baby names - unique or common?
When it comes to naming their baby, people tend to fall into two broad categories: those who want a unique name for their child and those who feel fine selecting a common name. Naturally, there are pros and cons to both choices. Let's first look at unique names.
An uncommon baby name will give your child a unique stamp for the rest of his or her life. People will be certain to remember the moment they met your child if their name causes a double take. An unconventional name will make a wonderful conversation starter, especially if there is an interesting story behind it. Your child may even grow to take great pride in their unique and thoughtful name.
On the other hand, this unique name may be the cause of ridicule, especially as your baby goes through school. Not all people will appreciate the individuality of an uncommon name. Perhaps your child will rue the lifelong attention directed at them at every introduction. Your child may even chose to go by another name to blend in with their peers.
Now, a common name by no means results in a common child. Every John and Jane is a unique person and certainly very few would ever judge someone for having a conventional name. Think of your friends. Many of them have common first names, but have you ever considered them boring or average because of it? Of course not. We love people because of who they are, not because of their name.
Perhaps the best place for a fun, unique name is your child's middle name. You can feel free to be as creative and meaningful as possible with a middle name, for your child only has to reveal it when they feel comfortable. They may love their middle name and tell everyone about it or they may hate it, in which case they never have to use it.
When selecting your child's name, be sure to balance the desire for a creative name with the reality of actually living with the name. Feel free, however, to express your child's uniqueness with a meaningful middle name. And above all, it's just a name and people will quickly get used to it as they grow closer to your child's wonderful personality.
About the Author
Ian Byrd has several years experience working with children and understands the importance a name has on their identity. he runs the website
But then, my mother has her own issues; apparently her name (Kathleen) is a Celtic name meaning ?Little Darling?. Hmmm, that isn't the way I used to think about her during those regular occasions when she was punishing me for my ?not like God? behaviour.!
And that's the fun of baby name meanings ? parents make naming decisions based on many, many different reasons, including family traditions, religion, culture, uniqueness and ?it just sounds really nice.? But ? in the Western world ? we rarely do any real research into the history or real meaning of names. So when the poor/lucky child finally finds out the meaning of his/her ?really nice sounding? name, the results can be interesting, ironic, unfortunate or just sometimes hilarious.
You can have a lot of fun thinking up family/friends names, finding out the meanings and trying to make a connection between the two. For example, my eldest brother Clive is apparently ?a cliff dweller?, which is coincidental, since he lives at the top of a very long steep hill! Or why not play the game with celebrities ? consider the following:
Badu (as in r n'b singer Erykah Badu): African name meaning ?Tenth born child?
Winona (as in actress Winona Ryder): Sioux name meaning ?Firstborn daughter?
Aaliyah (the late r n'b singer): Arabic name meaning ?High, exalted?
Hilary (as in actresses Duff/Swank): Latin name meaning ?Cheerful?
Some cultures have very interesting traditions when it comes to baby name meanings. For example, Hindu names usually have connections with very positive things such as truth, beauty, happiness, blessings, etc, or one of the Hindu gods. In the Sikh culture, girls traditionally have the middle or surname ?Kaur?, meaning ?Princess?, whilst the boys have the middle or surname ?Singh?, meaning ?Lion?.
An African friend of mine once mentioned that many Africans are given a second name corresponding to the day of the week on which they were born. I think is a really nice tradition, but in my case, my middle name would be ?Sondo? (born on Sunday)!! Hmmmm.
Whatever type of name you have chosen, or are thinking about for your ?bundle of joy?, its worth doing a little research into the meaning. And it's never been easier, with the wealth of Internet resources and books available, including my own site at www.all-about-baby-names.com, which is jam-packed with resources, tips and information on baby names, baby name meanings and baby products.
Your search may yield some surprises; for example, the lovely-sounding name ?Malory? is French and means ?Bad luck?. You could get round this by spelling it ?Mallory?, but this means ?Without good fortune? in Old German!
Alternatively, you may end up a little confused by different meanings of the same name; for example ?Leah? is a beautiful girl's name, but what does it mean? Well.
? In Hebrew it means ?Cow? or ?Weary one? ? uugghhh! ? In Greek it means ?Glad tidings? ? In Assyrian, it means ?Mistress, ruler?
And a final warning: if you are planning to go for a funky, unusual-sounding name, be sure to avoid ?Bacia,? ? its Ugandan meaning is ?Family deaths ruined the home!?
For more information and advice, check out the baby name meaning resources at http://www.all-about-baby-names.com.
Enjoy your search and happy baby naming!
About the Author
Michael Barrows is a web publisher specialising in niche marketing. Check out the wealth of baby resources and pick up his FREE ebook "Baby Tips for New Parents" at his website; http://www.all-about-baby-names.com
Article Source: Messaggiamo.Com
Related:
» Rocket Spanish!» The Woman Men Adore...
» 500 Lovemaking Tips & Secrets
» All Types Of Wedding Speeches
Webmaster Get Html Code
Add this article to your website now!
Webmaster Submit your Articles
No registration required! Fill in the form and your article is in the Messaggiamo.Com Directory!
