Single dad

Parents, increasingly, are thinking up unique names for their children. An exotic association apart, there is at least one constructive advantage to this. An unusual name helps to confer exclusivity, helping the owner to stand out and be recognized more easily. Think about how easy it is to remember a 'Terranova' from a crowd of Marys and Janes.

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Dont's

    * Don't call the fetus Jellybean or Ladybug. Such names stick even after the child is born.
    * Don't name your baby after someone you hate or dislike.
    * Don't name your baby with terms that have slang meanings related to parts of the human anatomy.
    * Check your baby name initials together with your surname. Initials of names like Christopher David Player (C.D. Player) or Annie Sue Stiles could be embarassing.
    * Don't make your baby name sound like a tongue twister.
    * Consider the confusion involved in naming your child after yourself or someone in the family.
    * Make sure to fully research your chosen name, especially if it seems unique and foreign. It would be embarassing to discover later that your child has the name of an infamous character from history or a foreign country.
    * Avoid involving your friends in your name search. Their input will only complicate a process that is already difficult with two people. And, in the worst case, someone might 'steal' your perfect name for their baby before you have claimed it.
    * Don't wait until the delivery to decide on the name if you want to have any say in the matter. If you do, make sure you're ready to give in to whatever your wife decides. When the baby is handed to you, the doctor or nurse will ask what you have decided for a name. At this point, it is very difficult to argue with a woman who has been in labor for eight hours. Forewarned is forearmed.

Do's

    * Use online naming engines to help you throw a wide net for your name search.
    * Select the top 5-10 names you like. After your baby is born, you might find the fifth name more suitable to his or her appearance.
    * Let the baby's appearance dictate the final choice. Of-course, you wouldn't keep terms like Toothless Wonder or mashed potato in your list.
    * Meaningful names or names of historical personalities you admire can help children gain direction in their lives.

There are a number of reasons why parents select the baby names they do. It could be because they admire someone who has the same name. It could also be because a name is popular at a given time. On the other hand, an unusual baby name may be chosen precisely because it has novelty value. Sometimes, parents may even pick a baby name simply because they like its 'sound'. 

The meaning, thus, is not always the primary consideration while selecting a baby name. Having said so, it is important to realize that most names also have a definite historic or cultural meaning and significance. Here is a list of some popularly chosen baby names and their meanings.

• Andrew is a Biblical name, which means 'brave' or 'courageous.' Andrew is also the name of the first apostle.
• Anna is a Native American name that stands for 'mother.'
• Christopher is Latin for 'one who bears Christ in his heart.' According to an ancient belief, Saint Christopher carried the infant Christ across a river.
• Daniel is a name meaning 'God is my judge.' It is also the name of the prophet from the Old Testament.
• David in Hebrew stands for 'beloved.' According to the Old Testament, David was a king of Israel.
• Elizabeth stands for 'oath of God.' In the Bible, it is the name of the mother of John the Baptist.
• Ethan is a Biblical name that occurs in the Old Testament. It stands for 'strong,' 'constant,' or 'enduring.'
• Grace means 'God's favor.'
• Isabella is a Hebrew name that means 'devoted to God.'
• John stands for 'mercy of the Lord.' John the Baptist and John the apostle are two Biblical instances of the name.
• Michael is a Biblical name that stands for 'one who is like God.'
• Natalie is a Latin name that stands for 'born at Christmas.'
• Samantha is the female version of Samuel. It can be translated as 'listener.'
• Sarah is a Biblical name that means 'princess.' In the Bible, Sarah was Abraham's wife.
• Sophia is a Greek name meaning 'wise.'
• Victoria stands for 'victorious.' It was the name of a Roman goddess.

While naming their children, parents often choose names with an ethnic origin. This trend has gained popularity also in the US, a melting pot of people from various ethnicities living together. Names such as Rosalie, Maxime, Kamal, or Galina no longer raise eyebrows.

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