Baby Names

For most parents-to-be, finding the perfect baby name can be surprisingly difficult. The choices are infinite, but while you may have fallen in love with a particular baby name, your partner or family might not have the same passion!

Will you chose a traditional name for your baby that has meaning in the family such as a parent's or grandparent's name? Honouring your mother, father, grandmother or grandfather can be the most obvious option. However you need to be careful as not being seen to be 'playing favourites' on either side of the family. Old-fashioned names often come back into style years after they were first popular. In the years to come you may even find you have started a trend in reviving a certain popular baby name from the past!

Popular baby names that have been consistently used for the past century or more that appear in today's Top Ten lists include Jack, William, Joshua, Lachlan, Thomas, James. For girls, current popular traditional names include Isabella, Ella, Emily, Chloe, Olivia, Charlotte, Sophie, Jessica and Hannah.

Perhaps you would like to choose a baby name that is popular in the country of your family's origin. Defining a child's heritage through their name can be a beautiful way of connecting them to your extended family. The meaning of a child's name may be of importance to you too, especially when your chosen name is traditional.

Or will you opt for a modern name? It is an inevitable truth that names go in and out of fashion; giving your baby a popular name that is in vogue places that child's birth at a point in time. However you may find in due course that your child isn't the only Sienna, Scarlett or Summer in their class at school!

Baby names that have been unusual in living memory such as Noah, Ethan and Mia are now becoming extremely common. Similarly surnames such as Cooper, Riley and MacKenzie are now being used as first names, and are often used for either gender.

Some new parents feel the best name for their baby is an entirely unique name that they themselves have devised. The Essential Baby Baby Names Forums are an excellent place to get feedback on your ideas. Spelling a unique name can be a challenge, and you'll find lots of suggestions when you ask other parents, 'How do you spell..?'

Spelling isn't the only consideration that must be taken into account when choosing an attractive baby name. It's a good idea to devise a nickname or two alongside your choice of name, but be warned that often a nick name can be completely out of your control, especially when your baby grows up and acquires friends.

The compatibility of baby names is important to think about. For instance, does the first name sit well with the middle name? And will they sound well alongside the baby's surname? It's not unwise to sound out the syllables and even practise writing your intended name. To some, the baby's initials may be of importance. Another consideration some parents may take into account is the compatibility of the names of the baby's existing or potential siblings. You don't want to exhaust all your favourite names on your first child if you are planning on expanding your brood!

Compatibility is also extremely important when there are two of you making the decision! No matter how alike you and your partner may think, is very uncommon to draw up a list of baby names and agree on the content and the order. If you have chosen to not be told the sex of your child, you will be taking both genders must into account, making necessary a list of both boys' names and girls' names. Twice the fun! Or even four times the fun if you're having twins in this case…

You may choose to tell your friends and family of your intended shortlist. This is helpful to bounce ideas off those people you most value in your life, but be warned that you might not always get the feedback you were hoping for!

A good way to get honest opinions on your baby names, but without risking unintended upset from your loved ones or feeling like you have 'spilled the beans' is to post anonymously in our Baby Names Forum. You'll find lots of other pregnant mothers who are stuck for ideas, or want feedback on their suggestions. It will be hard not to be inspired!

Lists of top ten girls' names and top 10 boys' names may help make up your mind - or make you change it! View the Top 10 Australian Baby Names (2007) on our Forums. They are categorised by state and arranged by popularity.

The Powerhouse Museum along with the NSW Government has created a fun tool that allows you to browse through the top 1200 baby names in NSW recorded since 1788. Use the Baby Names Explorer to find out how popular your baby name is… and was!

A name is often seen to define a person, but really you will find that whatever you decide to name your baby, they will 'grow into it' instantaneously, and instead of the name defining them, they will define the name they are given. Above all, be proud of your final decision.

Road test your favourite baby names on the Essential Baby Forums here.

Further reading: Celebrity children and their bizarre names. Teased at school for an odd name? Take heart, at least it wasn't Moon Unit. 3AW's Neil Mitchell and Jane Holmes look at some of the more bizarre baby names in the world of the rich and famous.