As many of you may know, I'm going to be a first-time grandpa in a little over three months. Everybody who hears about it has two questions for us: "Is it a boy or a girl?" and "What are they going to name it?" The answers are: It's a boy, and they're not telling.
Whether they've decided on a name yet or not, there are several big trends in baby names that our daughter and son-in-law could consider, according to an article by Sulain Moy in "Parents" Magazine. Forget Joe and Sue and Bill and Frank; names are becoming more exotic, and have more emotional meaning to Mom and Dad.
For example, what better way to remember your dream honeymoon than to name your newborn after where you spent it (especially if you believe your child was conceived there)? Maybe you have a favorite vacation spot that evokes good memories. Perhaps your child's birth occurred under unique circumstances in a strange locale. What better way to commemorate delivering your baby in a taxicab in New York City during rush hour than by naming her Manhattan? Be careful, though, because sometimes being literal can cause a lot of embarrassment down the road. (I'd forego this suggestion if you believe your daughter was conceived in Bangor, Maine.)
For centuries Europeans have named their children after royalty. Americans are getting into the act by using the names of former US Presidents, especially those that resonate with strength. Reagan, Taylor, Hamilton, Alexander, Carter, and even Clinton are becoming more commonplace among American kids.
Like a more traditional name but want it to stand out in the crowd? Play with the spelling. "Caitlin" could become "Kaitlyn" or "Katelein" or "Caytlynn"; "Jeffrey" turns into "Geoffrey" or "Jeofrie". Just keep it simple. You and your child will grow weary of having to explain to everybody you meet that "Gynyfyr" is pronounced "Jennifer".
If you plan on having more than one child, you might want to consider tying their names together in some way. In my family, the first names of my brothers and I start with D. (My sister barely escaped being Denise.) Some siblings have matching last letters in their names. Others actually share a name, especially when it comes to twins. Consider names like Alex and Xander, or Kath and Lien.
Hollywood has given us a great new trend--naming your kids after nouns. You remember River, and Leif, and Moon, don't you? The trend continues even today, and you don't have to be a celebrity to take advantage of it. It's not necessary to limit yourself to physical objects; you can name your child after feelings (Hope), holidays (Christmas), days or months (Wednesday, August), or whatever else tickles your fancy...Fancy...now there's an idea...!
Nicknames are becoming popular as given names. It's not Samantha, it's Sam; not Theodore, but Ted. Part of this may be a result of text messaging, of all things. Everything's abbreviated; why not just give a person an abbreviated name to start with? (This trend is recycling itself; my parents named me Danny, rather than following the doctor's strong suggestion to call me Daniel. My mom was adamant in her decision. You go, Mom!!)
Remember when Biblical names were popular? They still are, but it's no longer about names only. Now anything spiritual can be used as a given name. Think Angel, or Heaven, or Trinity. Number 31 on the Social Security's list of most popular names is Nevaeh (that's Heaven spelled backwards). I would recommend against Messiah, though. Political pundits notwithstanding, there's been only one of those!
If all this sounds like too much work, make things easy on yourself: Go to Parents.com and look at the
baby-name trends for 2009. Then pick one...or two...or however many you want to string together for your child. As for our yet-unnamed grandson, my wife is calling him Avi. Why? That's her little secret. But trust me, it was very appropriate at the time she chose it.
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