A fun part of expecting a baby is coming up with the baby’s name. But if you don’t think too carefully, the name can get a little wonky.
Katharina Leibring, name researcher at the Institute for Language and Folklore (Isof), tells Expressen how you should think when choosing a name – and above all what you should avoid.
No, don’t decide on the name before the baby is born
Leibring believes that one should be careful in deciding the child’s name before he is born.
– At least you shouldn’t be too firm in your decision before you have seen your child. We associate names with appearance and personality. It is not certain that it is a Lisa who comes out, but a Vera, she tells Expressen.
Father and child. Photo: Martina Holmberg / TT
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Think through the spelling – otherwise it can get tricky
Many people want their child to have a unique name. A common way to make a popular name unique is by changing the spelling, for example Isak and Isaac, Isabelle and Izabelle and Maja and Maija.
But Leibring thinks that one should consider whether it is really worth giving the child a complicated spelling of his name, because it can complicate it for the child. She tells Expressen that the child may find it troublesome that other people write the name wrong and that they constantly have to spell their name because of the spelling.
Speaking of not messing around, expectant parents also need to think about the child’s initials.
– On the one hand, it can be a bit impractical if the child has the same initials as a sibling, but the initials can also form an ugly word.
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“The Biggest Mistake”
Last but not least, Katharina Leibring points out that you don’t need to listen to what everyone around you thinks when choosing a name.
– The biggest mistake is listening too much to others. You should not involve others in the process, it is actually you parents who choose the name for your child. I don’t think you should be so anxious about the names you choose. You don’t need to be confirmed by all your friends on social media that it’s a good name, she says.
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