Naming another human being is a pretty heavy task.  You want a name that reflects who you think this person is, who you hope they become, and what you are comfortable yelling up a flight of stairs.

Should the name  be traditional or unique?  What ethnicity origin should the name come from?  Is meaning important?  How should it flow?  Should the number of syllables be more or less than the last name?  How should you spell it?  Will a common spelling fail to set this person apart from others, or will a unique spelling make him or her an outcast?

It's a BIG job. 

Some families have patterns they use.  Same starting letter for all children or same ending sound.  Some families choose a name they hope no one has ever had before.  Others choose something from their family history. 

Naming a new baby is one of the most fun and most frustrating tasks a parent can undertake.

I remember when I named Xavier, so many older people were vocally negative about it.  "How will he ever learn to spell that?!?!"  An X is about as easy, or easier, than any other letter.  It's just two lines.  In my rural town, it was an unusual name.  Having lived in a few other places now, I see that Xavier is not an uncommon name at all.  Of course, he was been called HA-vier before, but there are a lot of other Xaviers pronounced exactly like his name.

Orian was much harder to name.  I looked and looked and couldn't find the right name for him.  We decided to make one up.  Kind of.  It's like Orion (which he gets called), but rhymes with Dorian.  He's also had his name spelled O'Ryan.  It's a bit of a weird name (I have never come across another Orian), but it fits him perfectly.

Isabella was a no-brainer.  I had, for years, been enamored with little sweet, dainty Isabellas I had come across.  It sounds lovely when spoken, and has so many adorable short versions.  Who doesn't love a little Izzy or a baby Bella?  Her middle name was a little harder to decide on, and it's definitely one that gets a strong reaction...sometimes positive, sometimes subtly negative.  I guess it is hard to pronounce.

Now I'm looking at names for this new baby.  Right now I'm focusing on boy names.  I think boy names are harder to decide on and take a little more effort.  I am thinking I probably won't share the name we decide on until the baby comes.  Putting it out in the open gives friends and family too many opportunities to express dislike for the name.  Once baby is born and named, no one would dare say anything negative (unless it's an old person, like in baby Xavier's case, LOL).

Some of the names I've seen are just bizarre to me, and I consider myself pretty open-minded when it comes to names.  I try to think about what *name* would feel about his or her name at age 80, or what a potential employer would think about *name* based on seeing a resume.

One of the worst things I think a parent can do is name their kid something they think sounds pretty, but has an awful meaning.  I have literally met Tyranny.  She was cute.  I know a girl who is considering the name Odin.  I guess that's an ok name, but I can only think of Will Ferrell exclaiming, "Odin's raven!"  I know some babies with mythological names, and I'm not against it straight away, but I think it's important to know the background on the name.  I have told Adrian we will NOT name this baby Kratos.  He is disappointed.

There is also a trend of smashing two names together.  If you're white, you come up with something like Crannon for Craig and Cannon or Ashanne for Ashley and Anne.  If you're black you put a suffix name with a full name and have something like TreShaun or DaQuan. 

Then there's the unusual spelling of a common name like Davy = Daveigh. 

I am still nowhere near having a potential name for this baby.  I know what's on the NO WAY list, but so far the "I might consider it"s are few and far between.  Definitely no Kratos, though!!