Antinaming: So what do you call him?

There's one thing that is very hard to control once your child's name is chosen: nicknames.

For instance, my Arabella will always be Bella.  Now, hopefully the Twilight stigma won't stick around for too long.  In reality, she already doesn't get associated with Twilight when we introduce her as Bella (at least not out loud :) you never truly know what people are thinking).  But, when is a nickname too much.

Things to consider about nicknames for your child.  A boy's name can have a very girly nickname and the same goes for the other way around.  Jude can easily become Judy, Michaela can easily become Mike.  If gender association is a great point of contention for you, then this would be good to consider.  Note that if you like a boy's name for a girl or, less likely, a girl's name for a boy, choosing a name with a gender appropriate nickname could be a great way to find the balance between genders. 

Another point to consider is initials.  Since my last name begins with a 'c', initials can be a bit of a challenge.  For instance, a name like Charles Oliver Calder is a bad idea.  If anyone considered using his initials for a nickname, he would be in a very unfortunate situation. 

Also to consider is that some names have unfortunate nicknames by nature.  Richard is often shortened to Dick.  If that doesn't bother you, then by all means, use the name.  However, if you fight hard enough and love the name Richard, you can keep people from calling him Dick.  It isn't easy, but it can be done.

All in all, your child will most likely get an annoying or even mean nickname at some point in their life.  It's almost completely unavoidable, BUT fueling the fire should not be your goal.  Consider the names you like and assess the nickname possibilities.  If you're worried your child is going to come out of grade school with the new name of COC...you might want to take another look at your options.