If you are pregnant or trying to conceive, you may be having difficulty choosing a name for your baby. Deciding what to call your child can be very hard for some people. The biggest reason for this is because people put a lot of meaning into an individual’s name.
Even the words we use to describe things other than people can be very emotive and will create different reactions and feelings in different people. Choosing your baby’s name is an important decision that will affect you and your child for years to come. You should definitely take all the different factors into consideration to ensure that you make the best possible choice.
What’s in a name?
The meaning behind a name is very important to some people. 
In order to make the best decision you should look into the different meanings behind some of the names that appeal to you and decide whether they still appeal to you.
If you are interested in a name in a different language it is essential that you find out the meaning. Some names in Xhosa or Tswana may sound beautiful, but they may have a sad meaning or funny meaning that you do not necessarily want to represent your child with.
Making a family decision
A large amount of people use family names when naming their children. Is there a particular family member of your family that has done something for you? Has someone in your family been particularly good to you? Then it might be a great idea to name your child after them as a token of respect and love.
If a particular name has been carried down your family for several generations it may be a very good idea to keep the tradition going by giving your child the name. However, if you are naming your child for a close family member who is very involved in your lives, it is important to come up with a diminutive of that name to avoid confusion.
Avoiding embarrassment
Some names are just embarrassing and will cause a lot of trouble and teasing for your child later in life. One example is naming your child the same name as your surname, for example Daniel Daniel or Scott Scott.
Another important thing to remember is how the words sound together. If the initials make up another word that is not exactly flattering, then avoid the name. Old fashioned names like Fanny, Gaylord and others are not good for avoiding teasing and embarrassment later in life.
Over doing it
If you have a double barrelled surname it is a good idea to keep the child’s first name short or to avoid giving the child a second or third name. Sometimes a name that is too long will cause confusion and irritation and may make it hard for the child to learn to spell their name or write it out.
Naming your child after your hero
Many people have a particular individual, usually a musician, actress, freedom fighter or other well-known hero, that they particularly respect and admire. It may be a good idea to name your child after this individual.
For example, many children have been named after Grace Kelly, Clarke Kent or Che Guevara. Provided you like the name itself, it is a great way to find the perfect name with a great story as to how you came up with it.
Getting inspiration
If you still require inspiration to come up with the perfect name for your child then you should visit a website that specialises in helping you with choosing a name for your baby.
These websites will have a myriad of names for both boys and girls as well as unisex names. There are often several different categories of different names that you can choose from. This way, you could narrow your search down to, for example, traditional names beginning with an ‘M’. One of these websites is www.babynames.com.