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HelpHow do you 'test out' a name you are considering for a child?
Toward the end of each pregnancy, I would stand in the doorway of my home and holler out the prospective name, with and without middle name. If it felt right, we went with it. Neighbors, accustomed to this method by the second child, would return with a comment on the name.
How do you do it? Is it a private discussion among family or a chat with the world at large?
How do you do it? Is it a private discussion among family or a chat with the world at large?
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I tell family and friends which names we're considering and watch the looks on their faces.
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I didn't have just one name picked out. Good thing, too, because I ended up using names that I didn't expect I would use - the ones I thought I probably would use, somehow didn't feel right for the particular baby I was holding.
My husband & I developed short lists that I "bounced off" the people closest to me - my best girlfriend, sister, and mother. Their opinions were nice to know, but their approval wasn't a deciding factor. And I posted things here on the internet, to get an idea of what other reactions were.
There were some names I liked a lot in theory but suspected wouldn't feel right for my own child in real life, and I figured that out just by speaking them aloud to myself while alone in the car and noticing that I felt ... kind of strained saying them. I would not have to actually holler them into the neighborhood to figure that out. And my husband trimmed my lists, especially boy names, making the lists much more conservative in my opinion. There were no names left on the boy list, that would cause any reaction at all when hollered in public. Charles, Andrew, Nicholas ... haha. The girl list wasn't much more in need of testing out than that, after he got through with it.
Where I live, no neighbors would come by offering commentary on a name if I hollered it out my front door. Did you live in a commune or something?
I have a pretty good intuition, I think, for how much people around me are going to approve of names. Most folks like what's familiar but not strongly associated with a particular image. Charlotte would have been a hit. How much do I care what the neighbors think of my family's names? Well, I don't want to think people are positively sneering at them - but it's not my top most important value in naming.
My husband & I developed short lists that I "bounced off" the people closest to me - my best girlfriend, sister, and mother. Their opinions were nice to know, but their approval wasn't a deciding factor. And I posted things here on the internet, to get an idea of what other reactions were.
There were some names I liked a lot in theory but suspected wouldn't feel right for my own child in real life, and I figured that out just by speaking them aloud to myself while alone in the car and noticing that I felt ... kind of strained saying them. I would not have to actually holler them into the neighborhood to figure that out. And my husband trimmed my lists, especially boy names, making the lists much more conservative in my opinion. There were no names left on the boy list, that would cause any reaction at all when hollered in public. Charles, Andrew, Nicholas ... haha. The girl list wasn't much more in need of testing out than that, after he got through with it.
Where I live, no neighbors would come by offering commentary on a name if I hollered it out my front door. Did you live in a commune or something?
I have a pretty good intuition, I think, for how much people around me are going to approve of names. Most folks like what's familiar but not strongly associated with a particular image. Charlotte would have been a hit. How much do I care what the neighbors think of my family's names? Well, I don't want to think people are positively sneering at them - but it's not my top most important value in naming.
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I wrote the names down to see how they'd look (fn/surname, entire name, possible nn paired with the surname). I didn't yell it out the doorway (great idea, lol), however, I'd "call" them to dinner to see how it felt to say them aloud. I did notice with all three girls, however, that during their first few weeks, the names felt a little strange rolling off my tongue. That feeling passed quickly, though. While pregnant, I never hid the fact with family or friends if anyone asked what names my dh and I were considering yet I never opened up about it either (well, except for one sister). Their opinions didn't matter in the big scheme of things and I honestly didn't want them ruining a name for me if they didn't like it, lol.
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With our daughter, I bombarded family and friends with tons of names that included the few we liked. They didn't really know which we liked, so they gave honest assessments.
However, once we picked the name we told our family the name in a "no uncertain terms" way. Basically announced it. A lot of friends and family wanted to make personalized gifts for my shower, so they needed to know the name.
The middle names we kept a secret til she was born.
I never yelled the names... but I do make my husband say them aloud a lot so I can hear them in his accent.
I don't worry as much about other people's associations with a name since there are so many names out there that remind people of someone. A ton of people say "Clarice, as in Hannibal?".... I say... "Clarisse, two s's and we prefer to relate the name to Rudolph the Reindeer's girlfriend."
I know a guy who named his son Lucas, and most people call him Luke - which lends to Star Wars comments. So - I feel like someone will comment on any name and I don't let it affect my choice (could be from growing up as a Heidi though).
However, once we picked the name we told our family the name in a "no uncertain terms" way. Basically announced it. A lot of friends and family wanted to make personalized gifts for my shower, so they needed to know the name.
The middle names we kept a secret til she was born.
I never yelled the names... but I do make my husband say them aloud a lot so I can hear them in his accent.
I don't worry as much about other people's associations with a name since there are so many names out there that remind people of someone. A ton of people say "Clarice, as in Hannibal?".... I say... "Clarisse, two s's and we prefer to relate the name to Rudolph the Reindeer's girlfriend."
I know a guy who named his son Lucas, and most people call him Luke - which lends to Star Wars comments. So - I feel like someone will comment on any name and I don't let it affect my choice (could be from growing up as a Heidi though).
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I have yet to name a child, but if I do I am in the "don't tell anyone" camp. My husband and I would know the name and hopefully both absolutely love the name and everyone else's opinion wouldn't matter. Knowing that, we would definitely be pulling out all the stops (googling, checking the initials, purposefully trying to make fun of it to see its pitfalls, etc) to prevent any kinks because the last thing you want is for someone to say, "Jeffrey, as in Jeffrey Dahmer?"
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If it sounds good in the following:
Dr. ______________
_____________, Attorney at law
Governor _____________
And this year's MVP is __________________
And I also yell it to see if it works :)
oh and editing to add the discussion is just between be and my husband. We shared our names both times with family and friends and didn't have to deal with anyone saying anything negative.
Dr. ______________
_____________, Attorney at law
Governor _____________
And this year's MVP is __________________
And I also yell it to see if it works :)
oh and editing to add the discussion is just between be and my husband. We shared our names both times with family and friends and didn't have to deal with anyone saying anything negative.
This message was edited 3/13/2015, 6:21 AM
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