Naming your child is special, exciting …and limiting. You only get to name your baby once, generally, though that usually works out alright, because the longer Baby has a name, the more obviously it seems to belong to them. The only real drawback to this is that many parents go through a process of picking out names that leaves a lot of very strong contenders out, for one reason or another. There is no silver medal for baby names. Or is there?
Put them in storage
It’s a rare 13-year-old who doesn’t go through a period of hating their name. As a parent, though, you are perfectly positioned to be prepared for this issue. If, when your little Baby hits their Terrible Teens, they start to have some objections to that name you so lovingly chose, offer them your list of alternatives.
Regift them
So it probably isn’t a good idea to flat-out present your list of rejected baby names to a pregnant friend or relative, and especially not as your baby shower gift, but it can’t hurt to slip a few of your favorites into a conversation here and there.
Names for goldfish
If Baby turns out to be not a dog person or a cat person, but that rare soul who is, instead, a fish person, they are going to need to have a list of names ready to use because, honestly, goldfish being raised by children do not always have a very long lifespan. Lucky for Baby and their future, short-lived pets, their parents spent hours and days carefully curating a list of perfect names.
Name your home
Sure, all houses and apartments have numbers these days, but doesn’t a home that has a name just seem so much more welcoming? And it’ll make giving directions to Baby’s future playmates’ parents when they bring their children over for playdates so much more interesting.
Strange nicknames
“Wait, so why do you call Jason ‘Raphael’ sometimes?”
“It’s a nickname!”
“Yeah, I got that part. But why?”
Recycle them
Of course, if all else fails, you can always save that really spectacular list of just-out-of-the-running names for the next kid!
