Baby Names: Narrowing it Down Before the Birth

You've heard of those parents who couldn't settle on a name for their baby. Two days out of the womb and everyone's still calling the kid "Smith Boy" or "Jones Girl". You've even heard of a name or two being decided by a coin toss.

Baby naming has become a competitive sport. Here are some pointers to help you pick a winner, long before you have to fill out your baby's birth certificate.

THE POPULARITY CONTEST

In high school, being popular is a good thing. In baby naming, not so much. There's nothing worse than struggling to come up with the perfect name and keeping it a secret for nine months, only to find out every other boy in the maternity ward is named Jack too.

PARTNER APPROVAL

If you took your husband's last name, then by default you should get to pick out your baby's first name. But if he's unwilling to hand over the keys to the naming store, how do you reconcile a split decision? Maybe he picks if it's a boy, and you get the girl. Or you name the first child, he names the second. If you have a favorite name, keep revisiting it. Maybe you can wear your man down. In the delivery room, he'll be so grateful for the heir you've just given him, he may want to give you the moon and the stars--or your chosen name--in return. Worst case, the coin toss is a conflict-free tiebreaker, but you really are better off doing it before the birth. You so do not want to be haggling over baby names in the recovery room.

DAMAGE CONTROL

Once you get a shortlist, don't forget to consider the baby's initials and all possible nicknames. If your last name is Mann, you probably don't want to call your daughter Anita. And think twice before you tell people your picks. Many a friendship has been ruined by baby name poaching.