Baby Names: Common naming mistakes

The names we are given at birth shape who we become, and parents are burdened with that responsibility. They have to consider everything from how the name flows and spelling and pronunciation problems to unfortunate nicknames and initial-spellings.

Baby Name Mistake #1: Really bad initials

It's important to look at what your baby's initials will be when choosing a name. I honestly had a friend who named his boy Aaron Steven Severson. Nice name, horrible initials.

Try to avoid baby names that begin with a vowel as the middle name, especially when the first and/or last names have consonants at the beginning. My son's initials are S.A.M. and that works.

Baby Name Mistake #2: Bad nicknames

My parents had heated discussions on what to name me. My mother always wanted a Kathryn Elizabeth. My father didn't like the nicknames Kate, Katie, Kat, or Kathy.

Remember, if you name your little boy Richard, he may end up with the nickname Dick or Ricky. A girl named Melissa could be called Mel, Missy, or Lissa. Jacob commonly becomes Jake. Valerie becomes Val. So keep in mind that your baby may not be called the name you give her.

Baby Name Mistake #3: Sibling names that don't flow or are too similar

It is important for siblings names to flow as well. It would look a bit odd for a family to have a very modern name like McKenzie paired with an old-fashioned name like Olaf, for example. Sibling names shouldn't be too similar, however. I do know a mom who named her kids Carly, Kylie and Kyle, and another family whose boys are named Kirby, Kelby, and Koby.

Baby Name Mistake #4: Baby name trends

Trends in naming children are very interesting, and they have a tendency to repeat. In looking through my family history book, I noted that the names of my ancestors repeated frequently throughout the generations. Names like Jacob, Joshua, Matthew, Christopher and William are all on the Top Ten list of boys names in 2006, and were all names of my relatives since the first came over to America. Emily, Emma, Isabelle, Abigail and Samantha are all older names making a comeback.

The bottom line is this: the general public will pass judgment no matter what the child's name is. John is too plain, Jayden is too unusual, Buffy is too girlie, Edith is too old. The most important thing to remember that it suits the child. My boy's name means 'rambunctious leader', and I can't think of a more perfect moniker for my little tyke.