On Names

We chose not to find out if we're having a girl or a boy so we've picked names for both. I like not knowing what to call the baby.  I like not having ONE set name.

However, I seem to be in the minority at least in my circle of friends.

Most of them, who are due between NOW and the next 5 months, have found out the sex of their baby and have named him/her already. When we're together, other friends (speaking of the other's baby) make comments like "I like knowing that the baby is THIS NAME. It's like I know her already." My best friend really really wanted us to find out the sex so that, not only can we call the baby by a name but (and probably mostly!) so she can crochet a blanket that's not yellow of green. 

Even if we knew whether the baby is a boy or girl, I'm not sure I would 'officially' name the child before birth.

What happens when the baby is born and just doesn't seem like a "Joshua", "Aiden" "Micheal" or whatever? What if the name means 'delicate flower' and your girl comes into the world roaring? 

That's why, even though we've picked a boy's name and a girl's name, I'm anticipating the chance of it all changing when the baby is born.

Did you choose a definite name before Baby was born? Did you end up changing your mind after the birth?

What's in a Name?

When I was younger, I had a name that I loved and very much wanted to call my future child. That name is William. It turns out that is Andrew's favourite name as well. We also both love my mother's name, Kathryn.  When we were first married, we would talk about our future kids as William and Kathryn.

Then, Prince William married Kathryn and I started to think...maybe those names aren't the best choice.

First of all, William is one of the most common names among people of British ancestry. For the last 10  years, it's been the 11th most popular name in Canada, it's #3 in the US though its popularity is falling, #7 in England and staying strong; #1 in Australia! It will probably be more popular since the wedding in 2011.

In the summer, I started doing some family tree research and I realised I'd really like to name our child after someone in the family. Given that William has been a top 10 name for the past 2 centuries, it's no surprise that both Andrew and I have 'Williams' in our families. But, save for Andrew's Great Uncle Bill (who married into the family), we never knew any of the Williams personally.

Andrew is still very keen on that name but we've mostly settled on another 'boy' name that is not only a very precious family name but is not even in the Top 200 boy names.

As for the girl's name... well... it's probably going to be a little more common. But, I don't think I'm having a girl (3 generations of only boys in Andrew's family!) so I'm not thinking about it too much!

How did you choose your child's name? Was it simply a name you liked? Was it a family name? Did you try to make sure it wasn't a popular name? Did its popularity matter you?