Before choosing a name for your baby, there are several things that you need to consider. First of all you should consider the child's ancestry.
Usually it is nice to give your baby a first or a middle name that refers somehow to a relative your family tree. In some cultures, this is considered to bring you good fortune as it is thought that the guardian spirit of that relative will always be watching over your child. Also it is a way of “branding” a child so that he or she always feels like a cherished member of your tribe. Â
Before you give your child a name, be sure to look up it’s meaning to make sure that it does not have unflattering connotations. For instance, the name Luxton, might sound very elegant and mean “elegance” in English, but if your child is Jewish, the name will translate to mean “limp noodle.”  This rule especially applies to names that sound exotic and Far Eastern. The name Kali might sound pretty for a little girl, but it means “Goddess of Death” in India.  Does the name sound right when you call it? Realize that during the first w years you will be often calling out this child’s name as in “Aberdeen, don’t stick your finger in the light socket!”Â
Make sure that it is a name that you and others can pronounce easily. Does the name have an attractive casual short form? The best names are ones that can be shortened so that the child can have an affectionate nickname. The more versatile the name the better, especially if the child doesn’t like his or her full name when he or she grows up. An example of a good versatile name is Delilah, which can be shortened to Dee, Del, Lily or Lilah.Â
Will children make fun of the name? To you the name Dorcas has great ancestral significance as well as refers to a great Sea Goddess. To your child it is a curse as her dignified moniker is shortened and she is called “Dork” throughout her child hood years. Is the name really difficult to spell? You can save your child a lot of grief later in life if you avoid names that don’t sound like they are spelt. A classic example is “Siobhan”, pronounced “Shove-on”.  You might also want to avoid names that are pronounced the same but have several spellings, (such as Sharmain or Sharmaine or Charmain or Charmaign or Charmaine) as these can get misspelled on government and insurance forms. Now that you know the ground rules when it comes to naming your child, you are ready to choose a name. The rest of the course is really just a matter of your good taste!