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7 Tips for Decorating Your Child's Room
7 Tips for Decorating Your Child's Room By Liz Hekimian-Williams If you're not sure where to start or how best to tackle updating your child's bedroom, you're not alone. In a lot of families, the baby nursery takes a lot of planning and decorating...
A Female Soldier's Last Battle
I arrived at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in 1974, in my 19th year, into the heart of the 82nd Airborne Division at the John F. Kennedy Center. The old timers called Fort Bragg “Little Hell.” The 82nd Airborne was the first to engage the enemy on...
Baby Safety Tips
Keeping your baby safe is one of the biggest concerns for all parents. There are many things we take for granted, but are hazards to your baby. Your home is not ready for the baby until you do some things to make it safe, especially if they are...
Feng Shui FAQ - Conceiving a Child Advice please....
Question: Hello John,
My name is Jacqui. I am inquiring as I once read an article and it told how to help in conceiving a child by placing something in the middle of one of the walls in your bedroom and it had to be a certain wall and specific...
Keeping Baby Safe: your most important role as a parent
Saying Thanks, But No Thanks to Used Safety Equipment Once your beautiful bundle of joy arrives, the work of raising your child really begins. The biggest job you have as a parent is keeping your baby safe. Yet, it is impossible to watch over...
New Mom...New Baby...New Debt??
Ah, there is nothing like being an expectant mom. Along with your expanding waistline comes the ever growing list of products for you and your new bundle of joy. Preparing for a new baby can be a costly experience, especially in the areas of...
Puppy Love
Everybody loves puppies. Who can resist those cute little faces and wet noses? Puppies can be a lot of fun, but they also come with a lot of added responsibility. More than five million puppies are born every year in the United States. In fact, one...
Religion is Deeper Than Culture: On Being An African-American Buddhist
The following commentary ran in the Religion Section of the Cleveland-based Plain Dealer, Ohio's largest Newspaper, Saturday, August 19, 2000. "Your father didn't teach you right, THAT'S your problem," I am told. It's late January, 1999. I sit in...
REVIEW: TV Critic Reviews… “Higglytown Heroes”
As aunt of a preschooler and an aspiring voiceover actress (I knew all those hours of watching Bugs Bunny would come in handy), I know all the kids’ shows as well as every kids’ DVD out there. My TV Critic column will be a regular family-fare...
What I Learned From Barbie's Mom
When my daughter received a gift certificate at KB Toys for her birthday this month, she announced her intention to spend it all on Barbie.
Never mind the fact that she already owns a Veterinarian Barbie, Lifesaver Barbie, Prom Queen Barbie, two...
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Unique Baby Names
What’s in a name? Er…well, everything, really! Of course your little bundle of joy is the sweetest, most beautiful thing you have ever seen and you want to choose a name that reflects his/her individuality, spirituality, uniqueness and all-round special-ness.
But wait a minute!
Remember that the unique baby name you choose will help define junior’s life - how they are viewed and accepted - for many, many years. What sounds cute and original for a 5-year-old, may not sound so funky for a 15-year-old…and what about a 55-year old?
Time was when only celebrities could get away with unique baby names (Zowie Bowie, Dweezil and Moon Unit Zappa, etc), but in the modern world, individuality is more prized than ever before, and increasingly, this starts with our names. Great idea – but don’t allow a flash of a self-indulgence to condemn your child to a lifetime of problems; it’s reported that a Chinese couple named their child “Saddam Sars” to mark the current world events at the time of the birth! I just hope it means something nice in Mandarin, or Cantonese!
This probably wouldn’t have happened in Germany, where names can only be registered if they recognizable, do not ridicule the child and are gender specific. Perhaps there is at least one Chinese child in the world, who will grow up wishing he/she were German!
So – assuming you are not German - what should you do if you want to create a unique baby name, without creating too many problems? Here are some tips and some warnings to make the process less painful:
1. Anagrams: try creating an anagram of an existing name.
2. Father and Mother: try using derivatives of one of the parents’ names, or a combination of both. Alternatively, how does the mother’s maiden name sound as a first name?
3. Telescoping: try dropping letters from another name or a word, until you get a nice-sounding name.
4. Spelling: an unusual spelling of a common name creates uniqueness. However, remember that your child will be condemned to a lifetime of “…that’s David spelt D..A..Y..V..I..D…” conversations.
5. Pronunciation: another trick is to pronounce a common name in an unusual way. But this can also lead to a lifetime of corrections and explanations – as well as teasing and accusations of pretentiousness.
6. History: do some research into names that were popular in previous eras, but have become less so.
7. Family History: are there any unusual baby names that can be used to honor family members or ancestors? But beware family politics…
8. Nature: many names come from the natural world, particularly flowers (e.g. Rose) and it’s a great source for unique baby names (e.g. Gwyneth Paltrow’s daughter Apple).
9. Geography: another useful source of great names - grab an atlas and start searching. David and Victoria Beckham called their first son Brooklyn, which many people think is a cool-sounding name. However, it’s reported that the choice was made because that’s where conception
took place. Hmmm, imagine a lifetime in which your name is a constant reminder of your parents having sex! Eeeuuuuww!!!
10. Celebrities: famous people with slightly unusual names are a common source of inspiration. There are lots of teenage “Kylie”s running around the UK since Kylie Minogue’s arrival on the music scene at end of the ‘80’s, and her recent resurgence, will have created a second wave of them. And I’m sure many little “Be’yonce”s have been popping up over the last few years. The only problem is that names like these very soon begin to sound a little silly and “wannabe”.
11. Foreign Names: consider using a foreign version of a name, e.g., Pedro, instead of Peter. Or try using a name from a completely different culture.
12. Nicknames: try using a nickname e.g. Angie, instead of Angela or Angelina. However, make sure the name is will pass the “age test” – see number 17 below.
13. Middle Names: a great way to accommodate individuality when naming your baby, is to combine a common first name with a unique second/middle name. The benefit of this is that your child can avoid embarrassment throughout his/her life by ignoring it of keeping it hidden.
14. Initials: when you have settled on some names, check that the initials aren’t embarrassing. This is an easy trap to fall into and can lead to a lifetime of misery. “Zina Indigo” are may be nice sounding names for your lovely daughter, but make sure your surname doesn’t begin with “T”!
15. First Name-Surname: check how the selected first name combines with the surname. Make sure the two names do not create some something recognizable, to prevent a lifetime of teasing. Also, check the rhythm of the two names; a different number of syllables in each name usually flows much better. Avoid rhyming the 2 names at all costs or your child will hate you forever!
16. The loudness test: try saying the name softly, at normal pitch and shouting it very loudly. You may be surprised at the results.
17. The age test: try to visualize your child with the name as a baby, as a teenager, as a young adult, a mature adult and as a senior citizen. A name can create completely different perceptions of the individual at separate stages of life.
18. The meaning: the final test of the name that you choose should be to check its meaning (if any). Don’t leave your child open to getting a nasty surprise later in life.
Whatever name you decide, don’t fall into the trap of self-indulgence. Remember, it’s not about you, it’s all about your child. Your grand design to celebrate the uniqueness of this new human being, may eventually lead to a lifelong, desperate desire for conformity and anonymity. Even Zowie Bowie eventually changed his name to “Joey”…
About the Author
Michael Barrows is a web publisher specialising in niche marketing. Check out the wealth of baby resources and pick up the FREE ebook "Baby Tips for New Parents" at his website; http://www.all-about-baby-names.com
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