Naming baby

Choosing a name for your baby can be as straightforward or as complicated as you want to make it - there are a myriad of factors that you can take into consideration and piles of literature on how to choose the perfect name. Ultimately, the important thing is to choose a name that both you and your partner like - often the first name that springs to mind ends up being the name that you go with. If you would like to take a considered approach, here are some things to bear in mind:

• You might choose to name the baby after a relative or a close friend, or a name that reflects your family heritage.
• For inspiration, buy or borrow a baby name's book.
• Another approach is to think about the sorts of qualities that you would like the baby to have. You could choose a name that has a meaning that appeals to you or a quality that you wish the child to have. For example, you could give your child a quirky, individual name because you wish for them to stand out from the crowd.
• Think about how the name sounds when spoken out loud, and in combination with the surname. For example, combining a name that ends with a vowel with a surname that begins with one could result in the two words being run together. Consider too how the name will be abbreviated, and what the initials will spell.

Remember, none of these are hard and fast rules. You should never feel pressure to decide on a name immediately. Often the right name for your baby will become obvious once you have spent some time getting to know them.