Picking your baby boy’s name is a major step that will effect the rest of his life. You’ll repeat his name lovingly with praise and loudly when he’s in trouble. But how do you decide what to choose? Here are our top five tips for choosing a boy’s name:
1. Start with your family tree
Do you like your name or your partner’s name? You could name your new son after yourselves. Or, consider boy names of close relatives. Look at both first and middle names for inspiration. Perhaps you’re not liking what you see – talk with a grandparent about older generations names. Many that were popular a hundred or so years ago have made a comeback, like biblical names or longer, more regal sounding ones.
2. Think about people who inspire you
Many parents want to bestow their boy’s with strong names that bring to mind impressive individuals. Who are your heroes? Maybe Martin Luther or Barack will make this list. Consider family friends you love, mentors, even bosses who left a great impression. Naming your son after someone real is a great honor to both the baby and his namesake.
3. What about your roots?
What is your heritage? Are you Hispanic, Irish, Kenyan or Czech? Every country and region has common names. French men may be named Jean Claude, for example. Or perhaps you’re of Swedish decent and Adrian, Erik or Valter would be a more fitting choice. Ask your parents or grandparents what names they’ve heard from your country or countries of origin. You may be surprised to learn that names you’ve heard before in your family tree come up. Remember, too, that you can use these options for the first or middle name to pay homage to your family history.
4. Consider sibling names
Families often think about sibling names when naming their baby. A firstborn named Samantha may inspire parents to call their new son Sean to keep with the “S” theme. Or, they’ll take the opposite approach and avoid naming future kids with the same letter. If an older child is named after his grandfather, maybe you want to name your new son after yourself or a favorite uncle. If you hope to have several children and your son is your first, keep in mind what you want to name children that come after him.
5. Look to favorite characters
What books, movies and TV shows do you love? What draws you to these vibrant characters? Perhaps Luke Cage is your favorite superhero in the Marvel Universe. Why not name your son Luke or Lucas? Or maybe you loved “The Fox and the Hound” as a kid, and Todd is a perfect name for your newborn. Look at the comic books, films and other productions whose characters have shaped your life. Your baby boy will love to hear stories about his namesake when he grows up.
Still need more inspiration? Check out this year’s top 100 baby boy names
