Advice: You Named Your Kid What?!
On average July and August hospitals see an influx of childbirths. If your family is about to gain a new member, one thing is at the top of the list..naming the child.
Here are some things to consider before making a decision that will affect your blessing for the rest of their life.
Avoid Mediocrity
Carrying on a family name is a noble idea but it's also the most mediocre thing parents can do. This is especially true for sons. Although you may be tempted to name your first born after his old man think about the logistics of it all. Will both be addressed by the same name?, will a nickname evolve (really you are going to just call him "Junior" for the rest of his life?!), Do you expect your son to live up to his namesake?, or worse, What if Dad becomes a real jerk and you get divorced? According to the Social Security Administation, "Michael was a top boys name between 1954 to 1998. While Mary was a top girl's name between 1923-1961." Our country has enough of these names let's diversify it a little.
Avoid Stupid Spellings
While there are common names, like Erica, shared throughout the world that have various spellings, parents need to avoid adding to the confusion by flat-out misspelling it. Imagine living your entire life constantly correcting people or never finding a keychain at a souvenir shop with your spelling. The struggle is real.
Avoid the Bible
In addition to mediocrity, picking a name from the Bible can be disastrous. While David and Paul are great boy names, Onan, Dodo, and Esau need to be avoided for a variety of reasons. Girl names like Ruth or Martha are awesome but avoid Eve, Dinah, and Jael. Please for the love of all that is holy avoid Delilah! Yes it means "delicate" in Hebrew but in the Bible, Delilah uses sex to learn the secret of Samson's strength and betrays him to his enemies who then plucks out his eyes. Do you really want your daughter to have that legacy?!
Avoid the Calendar
Altho unique, naming your daughter May, April, Wednesday, Summer, Autumn, or Christmas is too easy especially when their birthday falls in these times frames. Now sing with me, 🎵It's gonna be Maaaaay!🎵
Avoid The Celebrity
In 2004, a young man rose to music stardom, and parents nationwide took an obscure name to the list of America's top 1000 names for boys. By 2005, the name Kanye which was at #486 quickly dropped to #893. Over the years, Kanye West's behavior has grown annoying to most. Moral of the story: Don't name your kid after living celebrities; you have no control over your inspiration's actions! Wait until they die; even then, is Elvis really a good name?
Avoid the Historical
You may be tempted to name your child after someone you learned about in elementary school. Names like Martin (Luther King Jr.), Thomas (Jefferson), and Christopher (Columbus) all give us pride. Yet, as we mentioned previously, humans are flawed. Before you name your child "Woodrow Wilson" ensure you do a Google search you may discover that noble person has a dark side.
Avoid Plays On Words
Parents get creative at times names like "Iona Lake" or naming their fraternal twins named "Jack and Jill"; while these can be humorous you are not Bart Simpson prank calling Moe's.
Food For Thought
In the United States, we have the freedom to express ourselves this includes how we name our child. In the end, parents need to take care to not give their precious addition any undo harm. Simply saying "they can change it when they grow up" is not the right answer.
Sources:
Birth Month
https://www.livescience.com/32728-baby-month-is-almost-here-.html
Popular Names in USA
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/
Unique Spelling of Common Baby Names https://www.sheknows.com/feature/unique-spellings-for-common-baby-names-1838090/ Biblical Baby Gil Names to avoid https://wehavekids.com/baby-names/Bible-Names-Not-to-Give-Your-Baby-Girl Popularity of Wednesday http://www.ourbabynamer.com/Wednesday-name-popularity.html
Woodrow Wilson Racism https://woodrowwilsonhouse.org/wilson-topics/wilson-and-race/ The Most Unusual Celebrity Baby Names https://www.vogue.com/article/celebrity-baby-names-unusual-apple-blue-ivy-suri-pilot-inspektor Baby Names in Other Countries https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/25034/8-countries-fascinating-baby-naming-laws
Baby Names and Freakonomics https://freakonomics.com/tag/baby-names/