The Tribune

By BIANCA CARTER

IT’S one of the first and most important decisions you will ever make for your child; a decision that will last them for the rest of their lives. What they are known as, what people call them, and all of the feelings and perceptions that your chosen name gives, will be the air around them during their entire life.

From Apple to Blue Ivy to North West, Silas, Indiana, Brooklyn and Coco – we’ve seen celebrities name their babies all sorts of creative and unique things.

The name game has surely changed since the days of passing on names from generation to generation, although some people still opt to maintain that family tradition.

I want to make this process as easy as possible for you. I know it can be overwhelming to decide what you will call your baby, so there are a few things to consider when picking that perfect baby name:

1. Traditional names that have nicknames. If you prefer more traditional names like Alexander, Charles, Christopher and Richard, or Victoria and Elizabeth, make sure you can live with their nicknames as well. If you hate the shorter version of the name, consider making it a middle name.

2. Trends that are trendy now may not be so trendy later. Popular TV shows, movies and books have made naming your baby after the lead characters a trend. Names like Katniss (Hunger Games), Khaleesi (Game of Thrones), Silas (Da Vinci Code), Declan (Revenge), Daenerys (Game of Thrones) and Ansel (Divergent) are all at the top of lists for baby names in 2015.
   

3. Names with meanings are a popular and a nice way to find a name that suits your little one. Sophia means wisdom; Milo mean soldier; Elizabeth means pledged to God; Emma mean universal, and Jayden means thankful. If you are deciding between your top three names, discovering their meaning may help you find the one.

4. Being a diverse population, some parents may be selecting a name based on family heritage, names that are popular in Spanish or French or another language; some may not be translated and pronounced in the same way in English. If you don’t want someone destroying your beautiful, culturally diverse name, you may want to consider picking one that is easily pronounced and converted in both languages.

5. Last name as a first name! This is very popular today. Names like Carter, Clinton, Brosnan, Cruz, Adams, Ashford and Axton are all super cute options if you like this idea.
   

6. Job applications and perceptions can be important criteria to consider. We have a society that defines what a boy’s name should be and what a girl’s name should be, but being a generation that typically goes against the status quo, unisex names are now very popular. I have a friend named Ryan and she’s a girl. Imagine the surprise the interviewer had when she showed up for the interview and they were expecting someone different. Names like Kennedy, Reagan, Kai, Quinn, Riley and Charlie are all cute and popular unisex names.

Whether you go for a combo of traditional and trendy, or decide to give your baby a name with meaning, consider these ideas to narrow down or even begin the baby naming process.

Good luck and happy name hunting.

Love and hugs!

• Bianca Carter is a certified lactation counsellor (CLC), founder of Bun in the Oven, and weekend radio personality on Y98 radio. For more information, e-mail her at info@babybunintheoven.com, or bcarter@tribunemedia.net. Follow BITO on Facebook at babybunintheoven, and check out the BITO Blog every Monday and Thursday at http://babybunintheoven.com.