Baby Names, Most Popular, Baby Names Meanings, Unusual Baby Names

How your baby's name sounds when it's said aloud is one of the most essential things to think about. Is it melodious? Harsh? Does it go well with your surname? Often, longer first names work better with shorter surnames, and vice versa. Combining a first name that ends in a vowel with a surname that starts with a vowel generally isn't the best choice — the names tend to run together ("Eva Anderson"). Avoid first names that rhyme with your surname. And it's probably wise to resist puns: A name like "Holly Wood" or "Rosie Lee" will be fun for about five minutes. Then your poor child will be stuck with it for the rest of his or her life.

An unusual name has the advantage of making the person stand out in the crowd. Fran sometimes wishes she hadn't named her second son Matthew. When he started school, he had three other Matts in his class. "It was years before he really understood that his name wasn't "Matt B." she says. On the other hand, a name no one has heard of and can't pronounce can bring attention a child would rather avoid. One-way of striking a balance is to choose a familiar first name if the child's surname is unusual, and vice versa. If your son's surname will be Smith, you might want to consider something with more pizzazz than Joe for his first name. But if his surname is Aytrivbsoan, then Joe might be preferable to, say, Archimedes, as a given name.

Many parents choose to name their babies after a grandparent, other relative, or close friend. This option can provide you with a good pool of names to consider. Take ideas graciously. It might be a good idea to not tell anyone what you and your partner have decided until after your baby is born — when it's too late to give in to any subtle hints. And never let anyone pressure you into a name you don't like. When it comes down to it, Great Aunt Hepzebiah won't have to live with the name, your baby will.

Your child's heritage is an essential part of who he/she is, and you may want his/her name to reflect that. Your religious preference may steer you towards a certain category of names. Or perhaps your family has a tradition of naming first-born sons after their fathers. If you love a name but it doesn't meet your family's traditional requirements, consider using it as a middle name.

No one is likely to treat your daughter Ingrid differently because her name means "hero's daughter," but the derivation of your baby's name is something you may want to think about. After all, if little Stockard finds out someday that her name means "from the yard of tree stumps," she may not be pleased.

People, especially kids, can be cruel when it comes to nicknames, so try to anticipate any potentially embarrassing ones. Of course, just because you don't think of something doesn't mean some clever school kid down the line won't — and he'll probably find it utterly hilarious. But at least you can rule out the obvious problems. Also, be aware of what your child's initials spell. Zachary Ian Thomas will more than likely get a lot of teasing; Zachary Edward Thomas probably won't. Remember, none of these are hard and fast rules. The most important criterion for a name is simply that you and your partner like it.

  1 .Jacob
  2 .Michael
  3 .Joshua
  4 .Matthew
  5 .Andrew
  6 .Joseph
  7 .Ethan
  8 .Daniel
  9 .Christopher
10 .Anthony
11 .William
12 .Ryan
13 .Nicholas
14 .David
15 .Tyler
16 .Alexander
17 .John
18 .James
19 .Dylan
20 .Zachary
21 .Brandon
22 .Jonathan
23 .Samuel
24 .Christian
25 .Benjamin
26 .Justin
27 .Nathan
28 .Jose
29 .Logan
30 .Gabriel
31 .Kevin
32 .Noah
33 .Austin
34 .Caleb
35 .Robert
36 .Thomas
37 .Elijah
38 .Jordan
39 .Aidan
40 .Cameron
41 .Hunter
42 .Jason
43 .Angel
44 .Connor
45 .Evan
46 .Jack
47 .Luke
48 .Isaac
49 .Aaron
50 .Isaiah

51.Gavin
52.Jackson
53.Kyle
54.Luis
55.Juan
56.Mason
57.Eric
58.Brian
59.Charles
60.Adam
61.Sean
62.Alex
63.Bryan
64.Carlos
65.Nathaniel
66.Ian
67.Jesus
68.Adrian
69.Steven
70.Cole
71.Lucas
72.Owen
73.Aiden
74.Devin
75.Jayden
76.Diego
77.Timothy
78.Julian
79.Cody
80.Blake
81.Seth
82.Dominic
83.Jaden
84.Xavier
85.Hayden
86.Richard
87.Chase
88.Sebastian
89.Colin
90.Carson
91.Jeremiah
92.Patrick
93.Miguel
94.Antonio
95.Victor
96.Jesse
97.Alejandro
98.Jake
99.Landon
100.Trevor

  1 .Emily
  2 .Emma
  3 .Madison
  4 .Hannah
  5 .Olivia
  6 .Abigail
  7 .Alexis
  8 .Ashley
  9 .Elizabeth
10 .Samantha
11 .Isabella
12 .Sarah
13 .Grace
14 .Alyssa
15 .Lauren
16 .Kayla
17 .Brianna
18 .Jessica
19 .Taylor
20 .Sophia
21 .Anna
22 .Victoria
23 .Natalie
24 .Chloe
25 .Sydney
26 .Hailey
27 .Jasmine
28 .Rachel
29 .Morgan
30 .Megan
31 .Jennifer
32 .Kaitlyn
33 .Julia
34 .Haley
35 .Mia
36 .Katherine
37 .Destiny
38 .Alexandra
39 .Nicole
40 .Maria
41 .Ava
42 .Savannah
43 .Brooke
44 .Ella
45 .Allison
46 .Mackenzie
47 .Paige
48 .Stephanie
49 .Jordan
50 .Kylie

51.Makayla
52.Faith
53.Amanda
54.Kaylee
55.Jenna
56.Andrea
57.Trinity
58.Zoe
59.Katelyn
60.Madeline
61.Mary
62.Michelle
63.Kimberly
64.Rebecca
65.Sara
66.Alexa
67.Caroline
68.Gabrielle
69.Lily
70.Vanessa
71.Angelina
72.Riley
73.Sierra
74.Amber
75.Gabriella
76.Autumn
77.Lillian
78.Audrey
79.Ariana
80.Jada
81.Erin
82.Isabel
83.Leah
84.Danielle
85.Maya
86.Arianna
87.Gabriela
88.Jocelyn
89.Evelyn
90.Avery
91.Aaliyah
92.Leslie
93.Sofia
94.Melanie
95.Claire
96.Shelby
97.Melissa
98.Marissa
99.Bailey
100.Jade

BABY NAMES, MOST POPULAR BABY NAMES, MEANING OF BABY NAMES, UNUSUAL BABY NAMES, BABY NAMES FOR GIRLS, BOYS, ETHENIC BABY NAMES, BABY ANNOUNCEMENTS, WORDING IDEAS, 10 CARDS FREE!!