baby nameChoosing the perfect name for your baby is something you definitely can't afford to mess up, especially since your kid will be stuck with whatever you decide on for the rest of his or her life. (Yeah, yeah -- I know they can legally change it, but that's a huge pain.)

And as it turns out, there may be a whole lot more importance in a baby name than we originally thought, because our given names may affect our personalities as a whole.

A psychology professor at Brown University named Lewis Lipsitt has concluded that we choose our babies' names based on our own genes, which in turn means our babies' personalities should fit well with the names we choose -- because they share our genes. But at the same time, I guess that means if we screw things up and select a name that is a huge contrast to our own personalities, our babies may grow up conflicted and confused. (Great -- just great.)

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And aside from potentially giving them a name they may never identify with, which will possibly make them feel bad about themselves as they venture through life, there are some other interesting reasons why you want to put a lot of thought into selecting a baby name before throwing one down on the birth certificate.

  1. Kids who have a higher self esteem typically do better in school, and there's a greater chance of them being confident if they have a strong name that suits them.
  2. It may make it easier for them to secure a job down the road if they have a more common name, because these are easier to read and pronounce on resumes, etc.
  3. Names that are hard to pronounce can make for a lonely dating life down the road. (Blame it on your parents if you're still single.)
  4. Studies show that a bad first name may make your child more likely to engage in risky behavior and get into trouble with the law down the road.
  5. Children with more common names may get more attention from teachers, because they aren't afraid of pronouncing the name wrong, etc.
  6. Your baby's name can affect whether or not the opposite sex finds them attractive. For real. (C'mon, like you never heard a guy's name before seeing him and thought, "He sounds cute.")
  7. There are some who argue that a baby's name can influence his/her destiny, and even determine a career path.
  8. People will assume things about your baby simply by hearing his/her name. Choosing something too "out there" may give others a bad first impression.
  9. Last names can affect your child too, if you're trying to decide whether to go with mom's or dad's. Kids whose last names start with the beginning letters of the alphabet tend to be perceived as more successful.
  10. Your baby's name may hinder friendships, as those with unique names aren't usually very popular socially. (But for the record, my little dude has a fairly uncommon name and he's quite the hit with other 6-year-olds. Maybe take this one with a grain of salt.)

How much of this will you take into consideration when choosing a baby name?

 

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