May he be the most handsome, precious boy you have ever witnessed, or the most beautiful and heavenly princess you have ever laid eyes on – your new arrival will be the greatest impact your life has ever known. Finding the perfect name is exciting, and will be with your child for the rest of his or her life.

Finding that Perfect Name

Finding the perfect name for their child is something some people spend years doing before ever getting pregnant. Before ever meeting their spouse, for that matter! Now, however, that time is here. You will be welcoming your brand new little baby into the world, and into his or her new family. When that day comes, you will also be giving this individual a name. That name will be theirs for the rest of their lives. So how do you make it perfect? There are several areas we are going to go over. These are things to keep in mind when trying to find the perfect name for your baby.

What’s in a Name?

What’s in a name? Well, names have meanings. They can represent a name from the Bible, they can be a place, a word from another period in time, just about anything. Even a philosophical meaning can have a profound impact on the power of a name. For example, the name Dakota is a Native American phrase meaning “ally” (as in to unify or to join within friendship). And Emmanuel means, “GOD with us”. These names are powerful names that have very specific meanings.

When you set out to find the perfect name for your child, you can begin by defining things that are meaningful to you, then looking up their respective namesakes. This reverse name finding method will take the emphasis off the sound of the name, and place it on the meaning that you find most worthy of your child. In some respects, it may alleviate the pressure of finding the perfect name, by allowing you to focus on the meaning, which is sometimes greater.

Once They are Grown

One aspect of finding the perfect name is understanding that this name will be with them as an adult. This may sound obvious, but it is sometimes overlooked when coming up with baby names. Some people find a name that sounds just so cute for their little bundle of joy, but let’s be honest, some names just do not work as adults (think Bibi or Tiggy). Just keep in mind that your child is going to grow up, eventually, and that name is going to be a part of who they are.

Originality

Today more than ever, people are getting really creative with their children’s names. There has never been such a time where certain wild names are acceptable and deemed normal. Every kind of name – from places, objects, sayings, and cars – are becoming common names for children. This is where truly “being different” comes in. You have a choice. Many names that are still referred to as traditional names are now actually uncommon. You are probably more likely to run into a Melinda than a Mary. You should probably keep your eye out for all name types. You never know if a classic name like Bette is going to fit your little girl perfectly.

When finding the perfect name for your baby, the trick is to keep an open mind, imagine them as adults, and decide what means the most to you