What to name the baby? Whatever you decide will be your child's label forever. But hey, no pressure! A name creates the first impression that others develop about you, especially if they hear your name before they meet you. Parents scan the Internet and interrogate preschool teachers looking for the perfect name for their child. But they often focus only on first and middle names that sound good together, not realizing that the last name is just as important. When your children become adults, they will introduce themselves by both first and last names—that's how people are known in both the business world and in social circles. That's why it's crucial to consider your surname when choosing first names for your children. We believe that when a person has a good combination of first and last name—one that is memorable and pleasing to the ear—she or he has confidence about introducing themselves to others. Therefore, it follows that a well chosen name helps form a positive self-identity. The Perfect Baby Name is a guide for custom-picking the name that suits your child best. Unlike other books that overwhelm you with endless alphabetical lists, The Perfect Baby Name is the first book to offer a systematic process for choosing a first name that sounds good with your last name. Our method works with any surname—and it's easy to learn. We're not talking about simple alliteration (Roy Rogers) or rhyming (Ronald McDonald). Instead, using the most basic rules of phonetics and poetry, our system explains how to "break down" a surname by consonants and vowel sounds, number of syllables, and accents. Once you have learned this simple technique, you can turn to the end of this book, where we provide lists of first names that are organized by prominent sounds and rhythms. Parents can use these lists to match first names up to their last names. The lists are sorted by similar sounds (rather than the old-fashioned alphabetical way) so that, for example, every name with a D sound in it (Darius, Addison, Benedict) appears in the same list. We also teach parents to listen to the way names sound, to determine which combinations are most pleasing. What's the most prominent sound in your surname—the vowels or the consonants? Is the accent on the first or second syllable? Does it evoke an image or theme? Once you've answered those questions, you're ready to look for a first name that matches. The Perfect Baby Name also covers how to choose a matching middle name, create your own name, and name siblings so that their names go well together without sounding too much alike. Name combinations that are pleasing to the ear are also inherently easier to remember. If people remember your name, they tend to think of you first for party invitations, job referrals, and social introductions. Your name can give you an edge, can even make you more popular and successful! There aren't any scientific studies to prove this theory; it's something we came up with as parents trying to name our own children. We noticed that certain names sound good and others don't. What we realized was that names with repeating sounds are more pleasing, at least to our ears. We discovered that we especially like names with rhyming vowel sounds, like Elvis Presley (short E), Muhammad Ali (short O), and Gabriel Reyes (long A), our first son's name. As we shared these ideas with our friends, we discovered that lots of other parents wanted to find a systematic approach for choosing a first name that sounds good with their surname. We ended up helping lots of friends (and friends of friends) break down the sounds in their surnames and find matching first names. And now we hope to help you! Before You Begin Take a long hard look at your own name—first, middle, and last. What do you like and dislike about it? Do you like the sound combinations? Do your names flow well together? Does your first name match your surname phonetically (see Chapter 1) or rhythmically (see Chapter 2)? Is your last name short or long, plain, or unusual—and how does that jibe with your first name (see Chapter 3)? Is your first name traditional or unconventional, common or unique? Is it a family name, a name that reflects your cultural background (see Chapter 4)? Does it evoke a mood or theme to match your surname? Do you find yourself repeating your name for others, correcting misspellings and mispronunciations? Once you have the answer to all of these questions, you'll be ready to determine what you want for your own child. Fast match At the end of each chapter, we have a little box that summarizes what you just learned. These "Fast Match" boxes can be like Cliff's Notes if you don't have time to read the whole chapter. Yes, choosing a name for your child can be an agonizing process—but now it doesn't have to be! |
