What’s in a Baby Name? Use This Trick to Find the Perfect Name for Your Baby (With One Caveat!) by Erin Elam

Trying to come up with the perfect name for your baby can be quite exhausting. There’s so much pressure to get it “right.” Should you go with a trendy name or a traditional name? A family name or a unique name? Are there names to avoid due to unpleasant associations? What if you and your partner can’t agree on the “perfect” name? There’s much to consider.

After speaking with several friends about their precious little ones’ names and how they came about, I came to the realization that most were family names. While there’s nothing wrong with passing a name down, I wanted something different. 

I wondered if Googling simple places, people or even things that meant a lot to me would help in my search for the perfect name for our daughter. I Googled the words “navy,” “sailors” and “strong women,” and came across the most beautiful name I had ever seen: Lorelei. 

Lorelei was a gorgeous mythological mermaid who sat on a rock singing to Navy sailors. The sailors were drawn to her voice and beauty. I had my baby girl’s name! Nonetheless, after Lorelei’s birth, I dug deeper. “Lorelei” was indeed all of these things, but she was also an angry mermaid who lured men to their deaths. 

She was known as a nymph who murdered. So, while I love the name Lorelei, take my small piece of advice: really research the meaning behind the names you are considering. Or be like me, and remind yourself daily that someday you’re going to have some explaining to do. 

But whatever you do, trust that the perfect name for your baby is the name that you choose, whether it comes from a baby name book, your imagination, your family tree or a Google search.

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