Siobhan Thomas - Best Baby Names for 2013

Contents

About the Book Choosing a name for your baby has never been easier. With all the information on the latest naming trends, handy inspirational lists and AZ directories including over 8,000 names and their meanings, Best Baby Names for 2013 has everything you need for choosing the perfect name for your baby boy or girl. For Erin & Cora xx Introduction Whats in a Name? Congratulations! You are about to have a baby, or perhaps you have decided to start trying. Whether its your first child or another in your ever-extending family, this is an incredibly exciting time for you and your partner. In the midst of all the practical things you have to think about the cot, the buggy, the nappies choosing your babys name can be a wonderfully enjoyable experience and can help bring you closer together as a couple. You and your partner are like every other parent you want to start off your babys life in the best possible way, and finding the right name is an integral part of this process.

It is my aim in this book to present you with a variety of names so that you can pick exactly the right one to bestow on your child as he or she embarks on lifes great journey. We all know why a name is important: a name defines a person, it distinguishes them from everybody else, and it is also the first impression that they make on other people; when you choose your babys name you are deciding on what their most prominent form of identity will be for the rest of their lives. A name can have strong social connotations, and can be an indication deliberate or otherwise of class, age and ethnicity. For example, most people would assume that a man named Rupert is from an upper-class background, that Jean-Pierre is from France and that Beryl is an elderly lady. And while our society grows ever more culturally diverse, and the pool of names to choose from becomes increasingly rich and varied with unique and unusual names becoming de rigueur you might want to follow this trend or choose something more traditional. Its completely up to you, but there are a few pitfalls that you may want to avoid, and Ive highlighted these in the book.

If all of this sounds like too much pressure, then take a deep breath and relax. Even if you dont have an exact name in mind right at this moment, you probably already have a fair idea of the kind of name you want your child to have, be it classic or contemporary, fashionable or unusual. While finding the perfect name for your baby can be a challenge and feel like a huge responsibility, it is also a great deal of fun. Most expectant parents cant resist daydreaming over the one word they will use (or two if they go double-barrelled!) every day from the babys arrival whether its getting to know them in hospital, teaching them to kick a ball, picking them up from school or giving them away at their wedding! My Experience Originally a copywriter in the corporate world, I had never found the selection of words an emotional process. But then it came to naming my first child. Having been as others perceived it burdened with the traditional Irish name Siobhan, I was only too aware of the impact this decision can have over the lifetime that follows.

Whether it was being forced to repeat the spelling over and over to bewildered classmates in primary school Yes, I said b h a n or developing a tolerance to the many imaginative nicknames that emerged during my teens, my name was to firmly stamp its bold Gaelic mark on my upbringing. And you know what? I liked it. So when I woke up one morning during pregnancy to find that my usually charming husband had scrawled This is a chuffing joke, right? alongside the name Fionnghuala on our baby names list, I was somewhat annoyed and confused. He went on to announce that, No child of ours is going to be lumbered with a silly Irish name that is impossible to spell. His opinion on Gaelic names was news to me, but perhaps he was right? Perhaps using your imagination when naming your child is nothing more than an act of personal indulgence? Perhaps the sensible thing to do is to keep it simple and predictable? Over the weeks and months that followed I searched for inspiration, debated names with my husband, made casual suggestions of names to my friends and family and watched them closely for their reactions just as you may be doing right now and on 23 March 2010, Erin Rose Thomas was born. She was followed 18 months later by her little sister, Cora Elizabeth Thomas.

Still intrigued by the process, I applied as a copywriter for the UKs largest baby names website, babynames.co.uk, and went on to become senior editor, overseeing the thousands of articles, new name suggestions and forum discussions that take place every day. The book you are reading now is the result. More than 8,000 names each representing different things to different people. The guide that I wished I had back in 2010, if only with which to beat my darling husband over the head. Using This Book This book isnt intended to be read from cover to cover and its unlikely that a quick flick through will immediately provide you with one girls name and one boys name, ready to go. Simply reading the AZ of names is rarely an effective or enjoyable means of finding a name.

You will probably lose concentration quite quickly and some good contenders might pass you by. Some people find when reading a long list of names that it is the unsuitable or amusing ones that jump out at them, rather than those that they may actually like. Conversations easily descend into competitions for finding the worst name, Lets call her Pencil! Believe it or not there are some name books out there with more ridiculous suggestions. The key to reading through the names is to browse. Take small sections of the book, perhaps give yourself a couple of days to look through one or two letters of the alphabet. Stick markers in, make notes in the margins (its your book! ) or jot down a list of your favourites and get your partner to do the same.

Provided your environment allows it, try saying the names out loud youll find they sound completely different than when you say them in your head. Part One of the book offers some guidance when it comes to recognising various drawbacks with names, how to come to agreement with your partner, whether or not you need worry about other peoples opinions and where to look for ideas. Part Two offers inspirational lists of names of people from a whole range of categories sportspeople, fictional characters, actors and actresses and even mythological names. Reading through these is a great way to find new ideas and to see names in a different light. Part Three is an alphabetical list of names for boys and girls. You can use this part to peruse names but also use it as a reference tool.

As you come across names that are of interest, you can come back to the book to look them up and check spellings, meanings and pronunciations. Just remember not to treat this task as another unwelcome addition to your To-Do list, and have fun choosing your childs names you only get to do it once for each baby! With this book in hand I hope that you will relish the challenge and enjoy the task of naming your little one. PART ONE Finding The Right Name For Your Baby Choosing The Perfect Name What Makes a Good Name? WE ALL WANT to give our babies a good name as theyll keep it (we hope) for the whole of their lives. In order to make your search for this name a little bit easier, lets get a few things straight. Choosing a name is entirely subjective and there hasnt been any name that has been universally accepted as good or nice. You might think one name is perfect, but someone else may not like it at all.

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