8 Pitfalls To Watch For When Naming Your Baby

Written by Jessica Albert Jessica Albert
Last Updated on

Is your little one almost here? Even if not, it’s okay to pick out baby names much earlier. Remember, Monica Geller picked it out when she was only 14! The whole 9 months of pregnancy gives you a lot of time but somehow many parents end up naming their babies poorly. If you don’t want to spend your child’s early teens wiping their tears, here are 8 pitfalls to watch out for when you’re naming them:

1. The Obvious Nicknames

Before you finalize a name, think about the possible nicknames that it will invite. Don’t name your child Pornika or Boobisha (Yes, some very unfortunate people are named so). It can have a beautiful meaning, it might be related to something that you love, or it might sound precious to you- but sometimes all of that is a “moo point.” Think about how badly your child is going to get embarrassed because of your fault.

2. Funny And Embarrassing Initials

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Never forget what the initials of your child will read if you go with a particular name. For example, Tarun Bhat’s initial would be TB (you’re just making it easier for his friends). If your baby is going to have a middle name, things can get more tricky. For example, Alicia Susan Sanders might sound like a beautiful name to you but she’ll end up becoming the ASS in her class. You definitely don’t want to do that to your daughter.

3. As Common As An Engineer

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Don’t pick out names that are so common that your son will be “Rahul- the fourth” in his class. We already have enough of Poojas, Aishwaryas, Priyas, Varuns, and Rohans! It’s time we stopped making our children feel like photocopies of the same document. It’s almost impossible to find a completely unique name and even if you do, that might not be very good. All you got to do is stay away from names that are already used too much.

4. Too Complicated Names

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Don’t name your child something so complicated that they will have to spend the rest of their lives correcting people. The name that you picked out might be really beautiful and have a wonderful meaning, but if nobody can say it right, what’s the whole point? Names like Penchalaiah, Ksithesh, and Mrinalini are some of the examples for complicated first names. It’s a name- not a tongue twister.

5. Heart Eyes For Fictional /Celebrity Names

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We can understand that you love Harry Potter or Danaerys Targaryen- but please don’t name your child that. Also, naming him/her after someone too famous like Salman Khan or Alia Bhatt isn’t very good either. People will end up making fun of your child as they grow up even if your intention was to give them a name that actually sounds pretty normal. You can pick the first name of a celebrity or a fictional character in case the second name or family name of your child doesn’t sound anything like theirs.

6. Don’t Forget They Are Going To Grow Up

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Before you name your child Baby Singh or Precious Gift, remember that they are going to grow up. They are your adorable baby just for a few years and then they are off to school! To name them something like that would be just cruel rather than sweet.

7. Not Enough Research

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You definitely do a lot of research to find a good name but before sealing the deal, check who else has that name. You don’t want to name your child Johnny Sins without realizing that it’s the name of an adult movie star. You may have picked a name because it sounds good and it has a good meaning, but have you searched for the other meanings of the name? This makes thorough research mandatory.

8. Messing Up When Naming Twins Or Siblings

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Sam and Ella- sounds like really cute names for twin babies or siblings, right? But if someone actually named their children this way, they would be probably called Salmonella (Sam and Ella)!

Have you heard of any such hilarious names? We would love to hear about them in the comments section below.

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