Baby names: tips for parents choosing their child's name

Your baby's name is one of the greatest gifts (or biggest problems) you can give him or her. Names have been found to influence all aspects of our life, from relationships to job prospects.

So choosing a name that is unique and special but still stands them in good stead for the future is essential. And with celebrities setting trends for naming children after everything from fruit to album titles, here are some essential considerations before you sign that birth certificate.

Traditional

At the beginning of the last century, the vast majority of parents chose names from around 200 established monikers. Most families had a few well-used names that travelled through generations.

But in the 21st century, that seems rather quaint and there are far more names in circulation, with parents keen to mark their child out as an individual. After all, picking a name in the top 10 for your child's year will no doubt lead to 20 Olivias running towards you when you call their name in the playground.

[10 Illegal baby names]

That said, there are benefits to traditional names, such as William, David, Mary, Ruth and Helen. People generally know how they're pronounced and spelt and there is some evidence that traditional names such as these are more attractive to employers.

With immigration and travel, we're far more aware of names from other cultures and society is much more mixed and diverse. And there's nothing wrong in borrowing traditional names from traditions that aren't your own.

But it's certainly worth thinking about how this may affect perceptions of your child before they meet people and whether you want to use your name as a chance to highlight your own family background.

Wacky

This is the category celebs often fall into. The appeal of a truly unique name that won't be shared by any of your child's peers is an attractive prospect for parents. It may help your child to stand out or be remembered in important situations.

But go too far and your child could end up a laughing stock. Children really can be very cruel and if there's a chance it could be misconstrued or ridiculed in the playground, it might be best to reconsider or be prepared to give your child the verbal ammunition to fight bullies. We wonder, for example, how Astala Geldof will get on at school when even his grandfather considers his name 'girlie'.

On the whole, getting a good balance between the traditional and the wacky is probably the safest bet.

It's also worth remembering that names go in and out of fashion, so look at your reasons for choosing your name and think about whether it's something you will always love. In some ways, they're a bit like tattoos - yes they can be removed or changed, but it's a difficult process.

[Top baby names of 2012]

Meaning

It's likely that at some point your child will want to know why you chose her particular name. It could simply be that you liked the sound of it, but if you've picked something a little bonkers, it's good to have a story behind it that can help them adjust to any negative reactions they get.

Shortened

Can your chosen name be shortened to anything silly that could get your little one teased. And on a lesser level, do you mind the shortened version? Names invariably get shortened whether you like it or not so make sure if you pick Margaret, you're OK with Peggy, for example.

A name for life?

A name is for life, not just for nursery and if you can't imagine your child introducing herself as an adult then rethink. Everyone, employers especially, makes snap judgements about your race, education, class and background from your name so imagine how it will sound in a job interview before saddling your child with a cute-as-a-baby title.

Does it work with your surname?

Another key decision is to match your child's name to her surname. Make sure you see it written down and say it out loud to ensure it works both ways. Names that end in the first letter of your surname often don't work, for example, and rhyming names can sound twee.

[One mum's tips for choosing baby names]

Should you canvas opinion?

Parents can be very secretive about their choice of names and for good reason. After all, we've all seen the episode of friends where Rachel 'steals' Monica's baby name, Emma.

But there's no harm in sharing your baby name shortlist and garnering opinions from family and good friends. They're bound to be biased, but you can take comments under 'advisory' and it may help crystalise how you feel about a particular name or become aware of how the wider world will react to it.

Stop short at introducing your bump as any particular name, however, as you may find when your little one arrives, the name totally doesn't suit his or her face.