Everyone has certain ideas about what names to choose and what to rule out. What rule of thumb do you stick to pretty consistently? Is it pronounceability? Is it visual appeal? Is it avoiding certain names that are already being used? Is it spousal agreement together?
- No 1st letter alliteration between 1st and surnames.
- Nothing similar to a sibling, first cousin, or potential playmate’s name.
- Nothing misspelled.
- No surnames unless they’re in the child’s family tree.
- First name must be easy for a young child to pronounce.
- No diminutive names. Especially for girls.
- Nothing too popular, overused, tiring to hear, or in the top 10.
- Nothing that makes me think “old lady” before “adorable kid”
- Nothing that has ever been in the number 1 spot
- No obliterated spellings ([name_u]Kassidy[/name_u] vs [name_u]Cassidy[/name_u] is okay, Kassydeigh is not)
1No crazy spellings
2No terrible associations with the name [one annoying [name_m]Daniel[/name_m] wouldn’t matter, but if I met 5 or 6, or one really evil [name_m]Daniel[/name_m], I’d dislike the name].
3No bad imagery in my head!
4This doesn’t matter as much, but it should have only one correct pronunciation. I don’t have [name_f]Rowena[/name_f] or [name_f]Zuwena[/name_f] on my list because they could be WEEN or WEN.
5No common words as names (but they can still be lovely GPs, like [name_m]Cove[/name_m]'s status on my list!)
6No boy-names-on-girls…except Artemis, Charlie, and Phoenix.
I break the last 2 quite a lot, and I have broken #4 with Colin…
You don’t even want to know how oncessive I am 
but yea mostly what you have all said.
- Nothing Top 50 / commonly heard in my neighborhood+circles / used by anyone I know
- Nothing 1-syllable or clashing with our 1-syll / ugly surname
- Must be able to age well and suit an individual in any possible professional and casual situation.
- Must be an actual, established, properly spelled name.
- Ideal if it doesn’t repeat any of our first initials.
- Must pass the ‘blind date’ test.
- Any future names must fit with DD’s name style (classic, not too frilly, easy to pronounce and spell, honours family in some capacity).
- [name_m]Both[/name_m] DH and I must like the name, if not love. Must agree. Each have ultimate veto power.
- Not a name of anyone I know (There are very few exceptions to this, and I’m not fond of naming children after relatives.)
- Shouldn’t start with the same letter of my last name (For right now it’s forgivable because I’m a teenberry)
- Must stand up to the playground test
- No “creative” spellings (ex: Mattyson, Alixandor)
- Must have positive imagery
- Preferably nothing in the Top 50
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I think that’s it, but, none of these are strict, except for the established name, no rhyming, and spelling/pronunciation.
- it can’t be offensive with our last name (pronounced Rash)
- hubby has to agree
- initials can’t spell anything too weird
- rhythm is important
- no names associated with people we don’t/haven’t liked
- meaning is important
- acceptable nicknames are important
I have six rules for deeming a name/name combination “good enough” for my future children:
1) Easy, traditional spelling - No Elissabeth.
2) Easy/intuitive pronunciation - No [name_f]Siobhan[/name_f] or [name_u]Rhys[/name_u].
3) The combination can’t have bad initials - [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] [name_f]Patricia[/name_f], [name_m]Ford[/name_m] [name_m]Ulysses[/name_m], [name_f]Annika[/name_f] [name_f]Susan[/name_f] [name_f]Serena[/name_f]…
4) No nickname names - [name_u]Jo[/name_u] will be [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] and [name_f]Evie[/name_f] will be [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u], [name_m]Harry[/name_m] will be [name_m]Harrison[/name_m] and [name_m]Doug[/name_m] will be [name_u]Douglas[/name_u].
5) Not in the Top 25 in the last five years (incudes variations) - So no [name_f]Isobel[/name_f], no [name_f]Leila[/name_f]/[name_f]Layla[/name_f], no [name_m]Ethan[/name_m] or [name_m]Benjamin[/name_m] or [name_u]Logan[/name_u]. 
6) First names can’t be the name of any close relative - Family names are relegated to middle name territory.
And then a final, golden rule for making an ultimate choice:
7) Must have a positive or neutral meaning, and the literal or implied meanings have to make sense - This is absolutely my most obsessive rule, even though it isn’t the most important; I love [name_f]Mara[/name_f] and [name_f]Claudia[/name_f], but they are out, because I won’t name my baby “bitter” or “lame.” I would never have a baby in [name_u]November[/name_u] and name her [name_f]Summer[/name_f], and I would only use [name_u]Juniper[/name_u] on a [name_u]June[/name_u] baby, because she would inevitably get called [name_u]June[/name_u], which would irk me to no end if she was born in [name_f]July[/name_f]. No Augusts born in [name_u]March[/name_u], no Snows born when it’s sunny and warm, no Auroras born in the afternoon, and no occupational names - what if [name_f]Poet[/name_f] is really bad at English in school? What if [name_u]Sailor[/name_u] is terrified of the ocean? [name_f]My[/name_f] feelings on this are ridiculous, I know, but I can’t help it.
- good pronounce-ability based on the spelling (i.e., [name_f]Aoife[/name_f] won’t do)
- no ambiguity about pronunciation (most -line names are out: leen or line issue)
- not too popular; not in the US top 100 (bye bye [name_f]Sophia[/name_f], I’ll miss you)
- no multiple bad associations (unfortunately, I can’t use [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] for a few reasons)
- no name that rhymes with weird things ([name_m]Chester[/name_m] the Molester is a no-go)
- flows well fn-mn-ln so that I can say it for years of enjoyment
- good nn for a child & good adult name for career
- doesn’t put weird expections on the child (no [name_m]Roosevelt[/name_m], no [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m])
- passes the yelling-across-the-playground test
- the initials don’t spell anything bad
- good meanings and/or meaning to me
- I love it and want to keep it
- Can’t have anything obviously make-fun-of material for other kids to point out. Example: [name_f]Luna[/name_f] = Lunatic.
- Can’t have a middle name or last name that starts with the same letter. Example: [name_f]Mary[/name_f] [name_f]Miranda[/name_f] Meyers.
- It needs to be spelled in a somewhat normal way. As in no little Emuhs! ([name_f]Emma[/name_f])
- It needs to be pretty easy to pronounce, but doesn’t have to be too simple like [name_f]Anna[/name_f].
- It needs to be a REAL or at least a sounds-odd-but-could-be-real name. Example: [name_f]Alice[/name_f], not AbcdeffedcbA.
- It can’t be too common (Top 10-500) at the time and can’t be ever really common at any certain time 50 years or less. Example: [name_f]Olivia[/name_f]
- Most of my family has to like the name.
- Like raevynstar said I can’t have many or sometimes any bad associations with the name.
A name doesn’t get to be on my serious would-actually-use list if:
- [name_f]My[/name_f] partner doesn’t like it. Obviously.
- It is not a legal name in Iceland.
- I know my English family would have a hard time pronouncing it.
- It is a name for the opposite sex in English.
- It sounds like a negative English word (e.g. Steinn sounds like stain, [name_f]Silja[/name_f] sounds like sillier).
- Someone in either of our immediate families already used it for a first name.
- It doesn’t sound good with the patronymic.
- It has recently gone from relatively unheard of to significantly popular (high but fairly steady popularity doesn’t concern me).
- It is, in my opinion, not a name suitable for serious occasions.
- It is spelt with an ” or a Þ (this applies only to first names).
- It includes the elements Guð-, [name_m]Krist[/name_m]- or other overtly religious words.
- It is too obviously Danish (nothing against Denmark at all, just think it’s silly to use Danish names instead of Icelandic when neither of us has any connection to Denmark - e.g. [name_m]Jens[/name_m]).
- It has an obvious short version that I dislike.
I don’t have much.
- Can’t be too popular (now or previously), or a name I’ve heard way too much (like Simran, the 4 I know are mostly great, but I am so sick of that name!)
- Must be 7 letters long (I can stretch to 8 or maybe 6 if I really like a name.)
- Can’t have associations that bug or irritate me personally (That may be because of actual people I know, or more likely fictional ones).
If I have kids (probably not possible, but I still love to thinkgof the names)
the name can’t have a whole bunch of variations it kight be confused for ([name_f]Eleanor[/name_f], [name_f]Elinor[/name_f], [name_f]Elanor[/name_f], [name_f]Eleanore[/name_f], etc.)
Can’t start in the same leter as the last name. Aliterative names just are really annoying and unnecessary.
Middle and first name also can’t start with the same letter.
Or end with the same letter.
I don’t think I have too many:
- Can’t be used by a close friend or family member. (Not used by cousins, but more distant relatives is okay, same with acquaintances).
- Must be able to be pronounced by my in-laws in [name_f]Asia[/name_f] (negating many of my [name_m]French[/name_m] choices)
- Can’t end in T, as it sounds bad with our surname.
- Doesn’t need to be biblical/[name_m]Christian[/name_m], but can’t be a name with a negative connotation in the Bible or in Christianity (e.g., no [name_f]Delilah[/name_f] or [name_m]Judas[/name_m]; no names of other gods and goddesses)
- Must be an established spelling and a name that has a history of use of at least, say, 100 years.