Amazon.com Widgets

Is It Wise To Choose An Unusual Name For Your Baby?

Synka | Aug 29, 2009 | 0 comments

Giving a name to your baby is one of the most important gifts you will give him or her apart from life itself. The first question to be considered is do you choose a traditional name, a traditional name but with different spelling, or do you go for a unique name? Increasingly parents are opting for the latter, but is this a good idea?

The idea of a unique baby name may seem attractive. After all, your child will not need to have an initial after the first name because another child has the same name; and he or she will stand out from the crowd. But other kids can be cruel and the name you think is a great idea could result in your child being teased or bullied. Then, in later life, the only people who will be able to spell the name will be you and his or her spouse!

Dr Albert Mehrabian, well known author of books like the Name Game and The Baby Report Card, is one of several to publish studies that show that people don’t react very well to anything different or unusual, including people’s names.

During the last ten years, Dr Mehrabian has studied how a person’s name effects them. His findings suggest that when compared to a more traditional name, the ratings of unusual names are much lower in every category: for example a person’s happiness, success, and morality. By choosing an unusual name parents think they are being creative and are ensuring their kids are individual. But green hair is individual and having green hair is not necessarily a good idea!

Dr Mehrabian found that the ones in his survey who experienced the most ridicule from co-workers were the ones with the most unusual names.

I knew a man whose middle name was Mary. Apparently his parents wanted him to have a saint’s name and chose Mary. He was embarrassed by it and tried to keep it very quiet.

Try to avoid the really weird names. Celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow who named her daughter Apple, and Frank Zappa whose kids were name Dweezil and Moon Unit, can afford to give their children weird names as the kids are much less likely to be bullied. Avoid the really weird names and spare your kids from teasing.

Your baby is already unique, he or she doesn’t need a unique name to be special. Bear in mind that your baby will grow into an adult, so make sure the name you choose will suit your child in later life. Too many cute baby names sound silly when baby grows into an adult.

If you do decide on an unusual baby name and need a personalised gift for a baby, we can help; visit our store.