UNIQUE BABY NAMES

Choosing a baby name is one of the first big decisions you’ll make as a parent-to-be. Whether you’re looking for a classic baby name or one that’s more unique, here’s some guidance to help you settle on the perfect choice. June is a well known month to get hitched and frequently thought of as the conventional month of pre-marriage ceremony in the US. The landing of the wedding season additionally excites musings of the entry of different things babies.

Your baby’s name is one of the most important gifts you give as a parent. Choosing a name for your baby can be a stressful process; and if you’re hoping to land on a unique baby name, the process can feel even tougher. But where do you gain inspiration for developing a unique name? After all, you can’t always rely on baby name books or online lists, since the names that tend to appear there aren’t necessarily unique. Fortunately, there are some strategies that can help you narrow down your options and create a name that’s the perfect fit for your baby. Before you dive into choosing your baby’s name, though, it’s important to consider how the name you select might impact your child’s life.

Your Baby’s Name Matters

Your baby’s name matters in more ways than one. Throughout your child’s life, people will form an impression of who your child is based on their name. Every time your child submits a job application, sends an email, or makes an introduction the person on the other end will form an instant impression. Your child’s name could predict their personality, influencing how they look and are perceived by others and even determine their level of success. But it’s not just other people’s impressions you should care about. The name given to a child might influence everything from popularity to career choice. Here’s what research says about how names influence people throughout their lives.

Impacts Test Scores and College Admission

Did you know test scores and college admission might depend on your child’s placement in the alphabet? A study conducted by researchers in the Czech Republic found that students with last names that are towards the end of the alphabet tended to get higher test scores. Meanwhile, students whose last names were closer to the beginning of the alphabet were more likely to get admitted to competitive colleges.

Influences Purchase Decisions

When a name falls near the end of the alphabet, the person is more likely to make impulse purchases. A study found that people with last names that are near the end of the alphabet are more likely to take advantage of promotional strategies like limited-time offers.

Communicates Intelligence

Middle initials make a child sound smart. In one study, students were asked to rate authors based on their names. Authors with a middle initial received high marks but the one with the most initials, David F.P.R. Clark, received the best reviews overall. The authors of the study concluded that people who use middle initials are perceived as smarter and better performers than others.

Impacts School Behavior

Boys with girls’ names are more likely to get suspended. For instance, a study found that boys with names that are commonly assigned to girls like Sue tend to misbehave more in middle school. The behavior problems also were associated with increased peer disciplinary problems and reduced peer test scores, indicating that their negative behavior disrupted the students around them.

Influences Geographical Choices

Research has shown that people tend to gravitate toward cities that resemble their name. For instance, a study found that people were disproportionately likely to live in places that sounded similar to their first or last names.7 People named Louis, for instance, are more likely to live in St. Louis.

Impacts Career Selection

The same study that found people might live in a city that sounds like their name suggested that they’re also more likely to gravitate toward a career that reminds them of their name. For example, individuals named Dennis and Denise are overrepresented among dentists. A follow-up analysis did not replicate those findings, however.

Could Stunt Success

A study found that people unconsciously desire name-resembling performance outcomes so much that they undermine their success at times. For example, baseball players whose name begins with K tend to strike out more than others. K is the letter used to signify a strikeout in the stats book. Meanwhile, students whose names begin with letters like C and D achieved lower grand point averages than students whose names begin with an A or B. This result was especially true if the students liked their initials.

Research on Unique Names

If you grew up in the early 1980s with a name like Jennifer or Michael, you know what it’s like to have several kids in your class with the same name. Or, if you named your child Sophia or Jackson a few years ago, you probably know several other kids with the same name. While there’s nothing wrong with having a common name, some parents want their baby to have a special name. After all, individuals like Oprah and Madonna only need to go by their first name to know who they are. And many people wonder, did having a unique name help them stand out from the crowd. Unique baby names are on the rise. A study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science confirmed that parents have been increasingly giving their children less common names since the 1990s

Things to Consider When Creating a Unique Name

Clearly, your child’s name isn’t something you should take lightly. It’s important to put a lot of thought into what your child is going to be called. So, consider your child’s name from all angles. No one wants to be surprised by the fact that their toddler’s initials are B.A.D. or worse yet, an inappropriate word.

Write down the name you’re considering. Think about how others might pronounce the name or how it might sound when combined with a middle and last name. While running the name past other people may lead to some negative reactions that aren’t helpful, like, “Oh I hate that name!” you might want to share the name with a few people to ensure you aren’t overlooking something. Here are some additional things you’ll want to review before landing on a name.

1. The length of the name and how many syllables it has.

2. How easy it is to spell.

3. How easy it is to pronounce.

4. Your child’s initials.

5. The names of your other children.

6. Whether you want the name to be gender-neutral.

7. Your child’s last name and how it sounds with the first.

8. Your child’s middle name and how it all sounds together.

9. What your child’s name rhymes with. Other kids can be ruthless when it comes to nicknames like Fatty Patty.

10. Nicknames and what you want your child to be called.

Celebrity Examples

When it comes to unique baby names, celebrities don’t disappoint. You might gain a little inspiration from familiarizing yourself with some of the names celebrities are giving to their kids. Here are just a few of the unique celebrity baby names we’ve heard over the years.

1. Luna Simone – Child of John Legend and Chrissy Teigen

2. Pilot Inspektor – Child of Jason Lee and Beth Riesgraf

3. Blue Ivy – Child of Jay-Z and Beyoncé

4. Exton – Child of Robert Downey, Jr., and Susan Downey

5. Seargeoh – Child of Sylvester Stallone and Sasha Czack

6. Bear Blu – Child of Christopher Jarecki and Alicia Silverstone

7. Sparrow James Midnight – Child of Joel Madden and Nicole Richie

8. Reign – Child of Scott Disick and Kourtney Kardashian

9. Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah – Children of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore

10. Stormi – Child of Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott