Would you want your baby’s name?

Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz just had their baby, Bronx Mowgli Wentz.  Perhaps the name has some significance in their lives – but if it was chosen just to be different or unique, that is truly unfortunate.  Choosing a name for your child is one of the most profound things you will do to affect their psyche and self-identification. Names are important – they can instantly communicate to others the unspoken history of your family, your lineage, even your culture. Your name is more than a word that is associated with you – it is your identity.

Traditional or Modern?  Classic or Trendy?
Some names are old-fashioned, some carry so much negative connotation they become utterly unspeakable. Some names are classic, other are unique. A person could be named after a cherished relative, or their name may have been pulled out of thin air by their parents.

Fight the urge to go with “trendy” or “artsy” names.  Literature or spirituality may be important elements in your life, but your child might feel differently growing up in modern times with a name like Summer, Rainbow, Ophelia or Desdemona.  The best rule of thumb is always to treat others the way you would want to be treated yourself – ask yourself if you would honestly want to be addressed with the name you are considering for your child.

Does the name affect day-to-day life?
Take the time to think about how your child will bear their name.  What are the possible combinations and nick names the child may encounter.  A child with a name like Dylan for example is going to run across many references to pickles, dill pickles, etc.  That isn’t a big deal, but some names are truly unfortunate.

What happens when your surname name is Dover and you choose Benjamin for your son’s name (Ben Dover)? Richard Cox (Dick Cox)?  A name may be a name, but people have to live with them, and kids are very cruel.

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