Naming your baby is one of the most exciting yet frustrating parts of pregnancy, especially if you and your partner can’t decide on a name. Names are a personal choice and they are wide and varied. But what should you look out for when naming your baby? What tests should you do before you decide on a baby name? Here are 8 ways to check you’ve found the right baby name.

1. Consider your surname. Say the baby’s name aloud with your surname. How does it sound when run together? Make sure it doesn’t sound like something sinister. If your surname is Ridge, you might reconsider Sue – Sue Ridge sounds like sewerage.
2. Check email handles. Check the spelling when the initial of the first name is placed against the surname. Frances Atherton will look like FATherton@…. You get the picture.
3. Test the initials when placed together. We had to reconsider the middle name for our youngest daughter Phoebe Isabella Senyard (PIS), so we opted for Grace instead.
4. Think about the spelling. If you are going to have unusual spelling for your baby’s name, be prepared for misspelling in the future. Every Catherine, Kathryn, Katherine, Cathryn and Kathrine can agree with me on this one. Although these days it’s more common for simple names to be changed to look like something different. For example Jazmyn instead of Jasmine.
5. Check the meaning. For me, meaning wasn’t a huge deal breaker because most of the names my husband and I liked had nice meanings. But for some, it’s important for their baby name to mean something significant.
6. Consider whether the name you have chosen is a popular brand or is associated with a celebrity. You may reconsider calling your son Fletcher if your surname is Jones. Your kids may be taunted with songs if their name is Beyonce or Shakira.
7. Check if your baby name is a popular name. For some, having a name in the top 10 is a deal breaker if you want a unique name for your baby.
8. Check if any characters are associated with your chosen baby name. The year that my Esther was born, we liked Isabella but it was a popular name due to Twilight and because my husband’s name is Jacob, we decided to use it as a middle name instead.

At the end of the day, you can’t prevent your child being teased for their name. A lot of thought goes into choosing the right name for your baby, so trust your instinct and don’t overthink it.

How did you decide on your baby’s name? Did you have to be careful choosing the right name to match your surname?