New Lists

So I've taken another look through the lists I've made in the past to try and come up with a new list of baby name choices for our next kiddo.  I have had some success, I must say.  Like I said in my last post, I was really having problems with finding girl's names.  I love a lot of girl's names but I also needed to find names that Steve would like as well.  We're back up to like 4 or 5 choices again instead of 0-1.  In fact, only 1 name from my past list stayed in tact.  When it comes to boys names, I have 2 or 3 that Steve likes, but he really only loves one of the names.  OK, that's fine.  I get the middle name to express myself as well.  So it's pretty safe to say that our boys name is pretty much picked out. 

I am not gonna spoil the surprise though of my choices.  I may or may not give out my list a day or two before we find out the sex, but I'm not going to guarantee anything.  I would hate to say all of the names I like and someone either tell me they're planning on using the name or that they knew someone with that name who was a total B.  It kind of ruins it, ya know?  I already have my mom and Steve to contend with.  Both are REALLY picky people.  Something I will tell you though, is the thought process that goes into picking these names.

1) How popular is the name?  I'm just not the kind of girl who's gonna use a top 10 name.  Really, I'm not even a fan of using a top 100 name for my kids.  Obviously, with nicknames you might get close to a popular name, which was something I didn't really think about with Bella.  But I can live with that.  Having a less common first name that has a common nickname gives your kid options when they get into school. 

2) Does the name flow well with the last name?  Although this is a mundane question to ask yourself, it's a crucial one.  If the name doesn't work with your last name, it takes away from the name you picked.  For instance, I like the name Carter.  But Carter Calder?  That seems like overkill to me.  Too many R's and too many C's.  It flows OK, but the names are definitely too similar.  A great rule (although this isn't always true!), pick a name that ends in a different sound than your last name.  That way its more likely to sound great with your last name.

3) Does the name have a cool meaning or origin?  This just adds to the lure of the name you pick.  Some people actively look for a name with a certain meaning because the meaning is so important to them.   Although this isn't a clincher for my by any means, I like to know what the name means.  Origin is also fun to know.  Again some parents choose a name based on origin.  I hear about plenty of Irish families who want to stick to Irish names.  It's a great tradition to stick with because its very meaningful for that family. 

4) Is there anyone you know who has this name?  This is kind of a two parter.  One: I don't want to name my child after someone I see regularly because it would be odd to have two people with the same name to cause confusion.  Two: I really don't want to name my kid after someone who is a person I don't like.  Think ex girlfriend/ex boyfriend, someone you just didn't like in your life, or a notorious celebrity or character that will have bad thoughts associated with his or her name. 

After that, I consider what middle name to use.  Although choosing the middle name can be far more difficult than choosing a first name, it makes more sense to solidify the first name because that is the name your child will go by 9 times out of 10.  Finding a middle name that flows well isn't really as difficult as some parents may think.  Shoot, if all else fails, the middle name is the best place to use a family name!  That way you don't have two people by the same name in the family, but you are still able to honor the person you are choosing to honor.