My name is not common but I know a few people who have the same first name as me. My first name is based on one of the planets and I’m not against my mother naming me that. However, my name and my maiden name have the same ending sound so it’s weird when someone calls my full name, especially in class. When I was a child, I wanted to have a different name because some of my classmates made fun of my name. However, I’ve come to accept and love my first name especially my last name as I grow older.
When my husband and I found out that we’re going to have a daughter, we really thought about what to name our baby. For fun, we asked our family members and friends to give suggestions. We don’t want our daughter to have a common first name because my husband’s last name is already too common. It’s hard to decide because we don’t know if our baby will like it. But these questions and suggestions made our decision making easier:
a. Would some people tease my daughter/son because of his/her name?
We can’t control other people’s reactions. Some people might tease our child’s name because it is old-fashioned. It’s also possible that our child has a namesake in a movie or book who acts or looks foolishly.
b. Would my daughter/ son and other people have difficulty spelling/pronouncing my daughter’s/son’s name?
Sometimes parents want to have a unique name for their child that they choose a ‘very’ unique name. I’d say ‘very’ because nobody has ever used that name. It’s also possible that the spelling and pronunciation are different from the usual spelling and pronunciation.
At home or in preschool, we started spelling our name and I know it was difficult at first. As for me, I have only one first name so I can say that it was not that difficult but for my other classmates who had more than one names, maybe it was challenging for them to see that their classmates are already done writing their names but they are still writing their names.
c. Would my daughter/son have difficulty securing clearances especially NBI clearance due to namesakes?
When I was single, securing my NBI clearance was a breeze. But when I got married, the opposite happened because my husband’s last name is common and inconveniently, my husband has a cousin who has the same first and last name as me. I had to wait for a week because my name had ‘hits’. A ‘hit’ appears when someone has the same name as you or if you have a pending criminal case. Thankfully, these days it’s easier to process ‘hits’. Even though it’s easier nowadays, it’s still creepy if you found out that your namesake is a criminal.
d. Would I feel good or proud of myself if my daughter’s/son’s name is the same with my name?
It’s also helpful to put yourself in your daughter’s or son’s place. Imagine your name is your child’s name. Then be aware of your feeling. What feelings does the name evoke?
e. Would my baby thank me because of her/his name?
Of course, if your child likes her/his name then she/he would definitely thank you. But the problem is you don’t know if she/he would like it.
We’re lucky these days because we can change our names legally. But that’s not an excuse for parents to just choose their baby's name in a whim. So the 5 questions above would definitely help you decide.
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