Did you know each U.S. state has specific rules regarding baby names? (As if choosing your baby’s name wasn’t stressful enough!)
Check out this list to see what laws are in place in your area. Do you have any of your own personal “rules” you’re following when it comes to picking baby’s name?
P.S. Let's take our friendship to the next level. Like us on
Facebook
Re: Crazy Rules for Naming Your Baby
1) real name - nothing made up within the last few generations
2) passes the resume/president test
3) clear spelling and pronunciation
4) no unfortunate initials (RAT, KKK, FAG etc) or nicknames (sorry Richard).
5) no duplicating first initials for siblings - this is just for convenience for me though.
And semi related, DH and I not only have to agree, but each of us has veto power over anything the other brings up.
Preferably not an automatic nickname, six letters, and fits well with DD1's name.
The only punctuation allowed in Ohio is hyphens, apostrophes and spaces. Only letters are allowed, no numbers."
Dang. I really wanted to name my son H3nry
Seriously, though. Nothing cutesy, smooshed sounding names and nothing that sounds made up. If it can't pass the resume test or if they have to spend a life time correcting people on pronunciation, it's out. Original spellings only, no variations. (Alizabeth, Kym, Tiffanni, etc).
Wow.......
H and I only have a couple rules.
Absolutely no "you-neek" spellings.
Nothing overly unusual but at the same time, not a name that is so common they'll have two or three friends with the same name.
Also, no nicknames.
DS1: May 2016
DS2: Jan 2019
Baby #3 EDD: 6/18/24
There are a lot of kids named Six, Seven and Nine out there. Not sure why those three specifically. I always thought Twenty would be a pretty name, if you're insisting on a number.
1) Must work in English, French, and Russian.
2) Must not be after a living relative (this is a big taboo in my culture).
3) Must stand alone well, since are going with the Slavic patronym template for a middle name.
Finding a name that sounds good in three languages that do not exactly share common pronunciation is not the easiest thing.
Lilo and Stitch (2002)
So, the taboo about not naming kids after living relatives originates, as far as I know, in the belief that guardian house spirits (and eventually angels, with the advent of Christianity) were sort of bound to a name. So, if more than one member of a single household shared a name, one of them would not be protected, and thus be susceptible to bad luck.
So, naturally few people believe any of this nowadays, but the cultural norm stuck, and now sharing names with a living relative is not so much considered rude, as just not something that is done.
Also, superstitions/taboos come in super handy when my (non-Russian) MIL gets extra crazy. When she tried to forcefully name my currently very hypothetical child, without even being aware that we are trying to conceive, I vetoed her demand because I happen to have an uncle that shares the same name.
TL;DR : Russian house elves said so.
Lilo and Stitch (2002)
2) it has to have 1 or more nicknames
3) it has to pass the "lawyer/Doctor/professional resume" test
4) it can't be too crazy to spell or weird
5) it can't be in the top 50
TW: Loss
DS (13) DD (10) DD (6) TTC #4
Can't personally know anyone with the name
No more than 2 syllables
Can't start with same letter as our last name
Red (30) & DH (30) m. 08'
IVF #2 Roman Carter 8/3/16 (40+6)
5 frozen embryos
Boy: should have a one-syllable name or nickname
Reusing a middle initial is ok but not ideal
Avoid the top 5 names in the U.S. for a first name
Classic/traditional type name in the U.S. and/or on our family tree somewhere (German, Finnish, Norwegian)
Girl: vowel names are good
George (3)
1. Can't share a name with a family member (there are 3 Michaels in my immediate family)
2. Indian first name, "Western" middle name
3. Initials have to work for both our cultures (for ex, my bil's initials are RAB in the US, but are BRA in India. He was teased as a child)
It's not a "rule", per se, but we seem to prefer very traditional names. A lot of my in-Laws are going for very short, trendy names, but all of our name picks are 3+syllables long, even though our last name is a 5 syllable, 12 letter-long whopper.
Red (30) & DH (30) m. 08'
IVF #2 Roman Carter 8/3/16 (40+6)
5 frozen embryos
I might look it up as some of our name selections (almost all irish) have a fada.
It'd irritate me to have to misspell it because of silly punctuation restrictions
Has be pretty uncommon or unique the more original the better
No funky spelling
DH and I have to have mutual agreement on both first and middle name
No more than a first name one middle name and of course last name.
Each sibling has his or her own first initial
Must be a classic/traditional first name
No more than three syllables for a first name
Can't sound too similar to (or rhyme with) a sibling's name
Boys must have a single-syllable nickname (or first name)
George (3)