Q. Not that you need to disclose any name you have chosen, but how did you and Kendrick make this decision?
My college boyfriend and I once got to discussing what we would name our children-to-be, should things ever progress in that direction. He told me that he had always known what his first son would be named, and that it was not a topic that was, to his mind, up for discussion.
The name that he had chosen? Atlas. As in the big muscle-y dude holding up the sky. Which I’m sure is very well-suited for some, but…not so much my style.
So I was psyched to discover that Kendrick and I have pretty similar taste in names.
While we have decided not to share our son’s name on RG (we’re going to continue referring to him here by Indy, the nickname we gave him awhile back), here’s the system we used, which worked out well:
1. Start by deciding on a couple of adjectives that describe the general “feel” you’re going for (you know, like “old-fashioned,” or “artistic,” or “classic”).
2. Just throw out names to each other, and any that you both feel good about (even if they’re not “perfect”) go on the Master List. Consider family names, names from books or films you love, names you just like the sound of…anything goes. And I think that it’s important to agree that if your partner absolutely hates a name that you absolutely love (or vice versa), it’s out. There are so many options out there, you’ll be able to find one that neither of you finds absolutely soul-suckingly unthinkable. That said, give it time, because your initial response to a name may be quite negative, but you never know – after some time spent in its company, it may rise to the top of your list of favorites.
3. Plug your favorite names into BabyCenter’s Baby Names Finder, which tells you about the name’s meaning and its popularity over time, and offers ideas for similar names (very handy for list-expanding purposes if you’re having trouble thinking of any).
4. Once you’ve narrowed down the Master List to a handful of choices that both of you can at least live with, spend some time discussing what each name means to each of you. Try to be sensitive to your partner’s feelings – if he or she really wants to include a family name but said “family names” include things like Igor and Butch, plug them into the Internet to see if any variations on the names work for you, or – what the hell, it won’t kill you – allocate one for the baby’s middle name.
5. Consider the name as a whole (if the middle name you choose is “Dick”, please do not have the first name be “Harry”), taking into account nicknames, and remember to plug the name into Google just to see if anything particularly unfortunate comes up (you don’t want a Rick Santorum situation on your hands).
6. Do not – repeat, do not – tell people (especially family members) the name you’ve chosen in advance of the birth if their opinion is going to bother you, because they will have one, and they will tell you what it is. That said, if you’re rock-solid on the name and don’t care what anyone has to say, go right ahead and let people know.
Pregnancy Advice I: Fears & Insecurities
Pregnancy Advice II: Money-Saving Maternity Style
Parenting Mag’s Predictions for the Top Names of 2011 (based on online searches):
Boys
1. Aiden
2. Max
3. Liam
4. Jayden
5. Wmffre (that is not a typo; I’m confused too)
6. Jacob
7. Jack
8. Avery
9. Riley
10. Ethan
Girls
1. Sookie (again, really? Do that many people have HBO?)
2. Ella
3. Genevieve
4. Ava
5. Isabella
6. Emma
7. Ellie
8. Olivia
9. Charlotte
10. Grace
