What do you think about destination-inspired baby names?
Need help picking a baby name? Pick up this book.
By Aimee Heckel
Austin is nothing unusual, especially with the popular Disney show, “Austin and Ally.” Brooklyn is pretty mainstream, too.
This weekend, we caught a Tweet by Family Education about the top baby names inspired by cities. On the list: Charlotte, Cody (that’s a town in Wyoming), Helena and Jackson. Not to forget Florence, as in “Florence and the Machine,” and Madonna’s famous child, Lourdes.
BabyCenter.com has a whole list of “place names” for babies. Some are more surprising: Darnell, Jersey, Nubia. Others, rare and lovely, like Verona. Other names we never thought of as places: Shelley, Theresa.
Trying to pick your new baby’s name? Here are some ways to seek inspiration:
- Consider family names, first and last, as well as cities your distant relatives lived in.
- What are your favorite books? Musicians? Artists? Songs? You may hear a name there that steals your heart.
- Browse the books. “The One-in-a-Million Baby Name Book” is a good one. Find it on Books A Million online, starting around $12.70 for a paperback. This book will walk you through the naming process, using seven things to consider when picking a name. You can also purchase it as an ebook. Tip: Save money with these Books A Million coupons. Read more articles about saving money on your books at Books A Million here.
- Also consider how the name will sound when said out loud and with your last name. Babycenter.com says longer first names tend to work best with short last names, and visa versa. The website also warns against pairing a first name that ends with a vowel with a last name that starts with a vowel.
- What personality traits do you hope your child will embody? Many baby name books include what the name means or where it came from. This may help you decide.
Another interesting way to pick baby names is the website Nymbler.com. Simply click on some names that you like and this “smart” guide will suggest other names that fit your style, using human expertise and artificial intelligence. You can block names you dislike, too.
For example, if you like the boy names Leo and Zechariah, Nymbler.com suggests 15 more names, including Caleb and Drake. Each time you add names to your favorites box, you can ask the site to search more names for you — until you find the one.
Still stuck? Download the Kick to Pick app, which allows your baby to “pick” his or her name. The app tracks your baby’s movements to “identify any signs of enthusiasm it may show” for different names.
Want to save money on all of the goodies you will need to buy for that little bump? Here are some great coupons for babies and kids products.
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