Baby Names - Tips on How to Choose the Best Name for Your Baby

A new baby on the way is a time of stress, anxiety, and excitement. You wouldn't think something so small could cause so prodigious an amount of chaos in so short a period of time, but as every parent (or parent-to-be) knows, a new baby takes a lot of preparation. Amidst all the flurry of changes - baby furniture, clothes, and other items to obtain, the rearrangement of work and home schedules, and so forth - parents can sometimes forget about one of the most important things a baby needs: The baby's name.

A baby's name is more than just a catchy alternative to "Hey, you ... yeah, you in the crib." It's your child's identity. This is how the world will know your son or daughter. The decision that you make now will be with your child for the rest of his or her life. No wonder so many parents agonize over the right choice; this is a tougher task than it seems. To make this difficult decision a little easier, here are some tips for choosing the right name for your baby.

The most overlooked (and arguably most important) rule in picking out your baby's name is: Don't be too popular! Find out what the Top 5 most common names for the year are, and promptly cross them off your list. Some of these are very lovely names, and there is a certain comfort in knowing that your taste in names is in sync with the rest of the country, but be strong and resist these names anyway. At best, picking the same name for your child that everyone else does can be perceived as lacking in imagination or originality. At worst, your child will be the fifth Emily in her classroom, and will go throughout her life being "one of the Emily's."

Allow me to spare you the search, and show you the Top 5 most popular names for babies born in the US in the year 2006:

Boys: Jacob, Michael, Joshua, Matthew, Ethan
Girls: Emily, Emma, Madison, Abigail, Olivia