Naming Rules?

Cree123

So I'm starting to think about baby names and I want to make sure I don't make any naming snafus. I favor less common names but I'm being really careful as a lot of things can go wrong when you go the nontraditional route. I've listed a few naming rules that I've come across. Do you have any to add? If so, please share!

1. Things that sound pretty or have nice meanings in other languages do not always translate well or pronounceably into everyday English. (i.e. Belkis, Evpraksiya, Bushra) 

2. Make sure the initials don't spell out something embarrassing (i.e. Ashley Samantha Smith = ASS) 

3. Especially with longer names, think about the nicknames that your name of choice could be morphed into and make sure you can live with them.  

blu-eyedwife

I think a lot of them are personal (for instance I hate alliterative names and I also am very against rhymey/sing-songy names) but some that are relatively universal on this board are:

* Y is not a substitute for i, e, or any other vowel in a name. If there isn't a y in the original spelling, there's a reason for it.

* Spelling a name differently than the rest of the world doesn't make you unique, it makes you look illiterate.

* Smooshing two names together, or creating a name by spilling alphabet soup on the floor and picking up random letters is generally a bad idea.

Cree123

blu-eyedwife:

I think a lot of them are personal (for instance I hate alliterative names and I also am very against rhymey/sing-songy names) but some that are relatively universal on this board are:

* Y is not a substitute for i, e, or any other vowel in a name. If there isn't a y in the original spelling, there's a reason for it.

* Spelling a name differently than the rest of the world doesn't make you unique, it makes you look illiterate.

* Smooshing two names together, or creating a name by spilling alphabet soup on the floor and picking up random letters is generally a bad idea.

 

This is hysterical!! And so true!!!

virginiagirl11

Totally agree with all of the above.

When we were naming our son, we considered his initials, potential nicknames with first, middle, and last, spelling, popularity, how it sounded when spoken aloud in its different forms, whether it was appropriate for both a child and an adult, and also length.

I have a personal issue with very long names as they're a PITA to write when you're young, and then later when you're older and filling out a ton of forms and there's not enough space on the line. Mine is borderline long and I've always hated having to squish it into smaller spaces on forms.

spunkym0nkey

For us, one of, the rules if that the spelling had to be obvious. this is coming from a person with 183 ways to correctly spell my name. We didn't want our child to have to out their name every time they were asked to say it.

Another rule for us was no cartoon names, like Sally Smith.
These might be nbd for some, but those are things we are considering

Pumpkins+Junebug

One of our priorities was that the name be versatile and easy to wear - not something that kid had to "pull off" - like Maxwell on a girl, a boy named Rebel, etc.

I wanted something that wasn't so popular that they would share their name with a bunch of classmates, but not so uncommon that people would raise an eyebrow and/or struggle with spelling/pronunciation.

 

LeggyNic

Ditto to the above. 

DH and I have a pretty personal rule.  I know it's also a bit silly.  We're a big sports family so any name must be able to be sight read and pronounced by a PA announcer.  I spent 10 years having my maiden name butchered while being introduced at games.

I don't care for 'out there' middle names.  If my kids decide they don't care for their first names or they're too common, they have another option.

No nicknames as legal names.  Although we call DD2 Gracie, her legal name is Grace.

chibride4

I'll add two of my rules that you don't see mentioned here often:

1. The first and middle names can't have the same number of letters. For some reason, this totally bugs me.

2. I can't stand when the first, middle and last names all have 2 syllables. The first and middle should preferably have a varying number of syllables, too.

msmerymac

chibride4:

I'll add two of my rules that you don't see mentioned here often: 1. The first and middle names can't have the same number of letters. For some reason, this totally bugs me. 2. I can't stand when the first, middle and last names all have 2 syllables. The first and middle should preferably have a varying number of syllables, too.

Varying the number of syllables is something I've heard before. So if your last name is 2 syllables, a first with 3 syllables and a middle with 1 syllable would sound better than a first and middle with 2 syllables each.