Choosing a name for our daughter was probably one of the toughest things my wife and I faced in preparation for her arrival. If you think about it, a name is the one thing in this entire process that she’ll carry with her forever, assuming she doesn’t change her name in the future. There are so many ways to choose your child’s name: past family members, traditions, fads, religious names, random letter generators (kidding), etc. In addition to these standard practices, numerous books exist giving you massive lists of names and their meaning for your consideration.

My wife and I inherited a couple of baby name books. After hours, possibly days, of reading names and meanings, we just couldn’t find something we really liked. We wanted her name to be somewhat classic, not too lengthy, not overused or just “in style”.

For the sake of anonymity, I won’t reveal exactly what my daughter’s name ending up being. Suffice it to say that it met several goals:

• She has the same initials as my wife’s first and maiden last name
• Her first name is only two syllables
• It’s not exactly a common name
• There is a nod to a past family member baked in.

Remember that, not only will your child have to live with this name, but you’ll have to live with it as well. If you have plans to shorten their legal name to a nickname, take that into account when deciding. With anything related to a healthy marriage, also remember their may be a fair bit of compromise involved.

Take your time. Sleep on this decision. Don’t wait until the last minute.

– The Lone Star Dad