Picking A Baby Name Is Not As Fun As You Think It Would Be

There are so many exciting things a pregnant woman and her partner get to look forward to in the months leading up to the birth of their child. I used to think that picking a baby name was one of them. I will admit- it was very easy for us to pick our daughter’s name but it was still a decision that made me feel nervous up until she was born and I saw that the name we chose fit. It did and all was well but the process was even more fraught with difficulty the second time around. You know, that time my husband tried to give our son the dog’s name. It definitely confirmed for me that picking a baby name is not as fun as I would have thought.

There are many reasons that the process of selecting a baby name can sort of suck. For me, it largely had to do with my natural tendency toward anxiety and worrying that once we picked a name and got the birth certificate process rolling that I might change my mind. I was afraid to commit, if you will. There was also the fact that my husband and I had difficulty agreeing on what to name our son. He turned down so many of my ideas but rarely threw out any of his own which, naturally, led to many tearful arguments.

For some couples, there are fights with family members having to do with naming the baby after someone….or not. I know my husband and I had concerns about using either of our father’s names for our son because we were scared that someone would end up with hurt feelings, so we decided against it. Luckily, no one gave us a hard time about it but I think we may have had a situation on our hands if we honored one dad and not the other. I know in some families, there can also be fights between siblings over who can use a certain family name.

On top of it all, a pregnant woman has society in general to contend with and all of their lovely opinions. Some couples chose to keep the name they have chosen a secret just to avoid the “input” of family, friends, co-workers and complete strangers who somehow feel they should have a say. I used to roll my eyes at this practice but now that I have been through naming two children, I understand. People are a lot less likely to spew verbal diarrhea about a baby name for a baby that is already born.

Another big concern is what kind of future you may be giving (or not giving) your baby with the name you select. Let’s be real, here- there will not be a president Falafel Rainbow McGee nor will there be any college professors named Chenin Blanc. Sorry, it’s more or less a fact. There is a lot of inherent pressure in naming your child because when you really think about it, it is one of the most important and lasting things you will give to them. Unless you do name them Chenin Blanc and they decide to beam themselves to the social security office to change it the moment they turn 18.

Basically, picking a baby name is fun in theory but there are so many ways to ruin it and so many things you have to think about that it can end up being just one more chore you have to complete by the end of your nine month sentence. Try your best to relax and enjoy it but keep in mind that it may not be the rainbows and unicorns scenario you had in mind when you first found out you were having a baby.

(Image: SvetlanaFedoseyeva/Shutterstock)