Baby naming dilemmas, solved

By Published On: April 30th, 2010

Picking the title by which your little one will be […]

Picking the title by which your little one will be forever called is exciting, fun and, on occasion, admittedly frustrating. It’s exciting to think that out of the thousands upon thousands of monikers listed in those baby books, you’ll likely choose just one two-name combination to represent your budding bundle of joy from now until the end of time.
fightrightIt’s fun to giggle over some of the, shall we say, more out-there titles that a few of our beloved celebrities have chosen for their wee ones. (Ahem, Mars … really, Erykah Badu, did you have to name your baby after a planet? Or was it after the candy bar?) But it’s often frustrating when everybody and your mother have opinions on just what constitutes a proper name. Since it’s likely you’ll encounter one (if not all) of these sticky scenarios at some point during your pregnancy, read up on some wise ways to deal with them.
It’s complicated because … your father-in-law (Richard Wesley Winston, I) thinks you and your husband (Richard Wesley Winston, II) should give birth to a Richard Wesley Winston, III—but you were thinking of something more along the lines of Harley Knox Winston (the first and only!).
So keep it simple by … breaking the news to your FIL respectfully. Make sure he knows you love and admire him very much—and you’re certain his grandson will too. But also be clear that you want to give your tiny guy the chance to grow and blossom on his own, without any pressure to become the man his grandfather or father is. Of course, you could just have a girl, thus eliminating the problem altogether. (Wouldn’t it be nice if it were that simple?)
It’s complicated because … you’ve decided on Lillian for your impending daughter, but your sister loves the name too and swears she’s going to use it for her own little girl … if ever she settles down and decides to start a family and happens to have female offspring, that is.
So keep it simple by … hearing your sister out and then kindly explaining that although she might like the idea of having a Lilly now, she may very well have changed her mind in a few years when she becomes a mother. Or her husband may despise the name. Or she may never have any daughters, in which case it would be a shame to let such a well-liked label go to waste.
Unless it is a name that she laid claim to when she was 8 years old and still loves to this day (in which case, you should probably renege), she just can’t have dibs: When it comes to baby names, it’s first come, first serve.
It’s complicated because … your husband doesn’t like the same name you do. And he’s not easily swayed.
So keep it simple by … coming up with alternate choices. Although you may think Ryder is just perfect for your son-to-be, if your husband isn’t keen on it, the moniker might not be the best fit after all. Try agreeing on another name instead.
Still butting heads? Come up with a list of 10 possibilities together (so both of you are contributing) and ask him to narrow it to five. You can narrow it to three, and then with any luck, you can agree on a mutual favorite. If all else fails, perhaps you can agree to let him select the name of your firstborn, with the understanding that you’ll decide that of your second, and so on. Just be prepared to embrace Walker if that’s his title of choice.
It’s complicated because … your best friend knows someone—a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad colleague—who goes by the same name you want to give your child.
So keep it simple by … asking your friend to spare you the details of the co-worker’s awfulness and to please wait to pass judgment on your little lady until she’s met her. Let her know that you appreciate the warning but are quite confident that everyone by the name of Beverly isn’t all bad. In fact, tell your BFF you’ll be happy to renew her faith in the goodness of Bevs everywhere by bringing a beautiful, bubbly, blissful baby into the world.