See the results of this poll: Did you wait to name your child?
Respondents: 44 (This poll is closed)
- I waited until I met him/her : 10 (23%)
- I decided on a firm name before birth : 30 (68%)
- I have done both with different children: 4 (9%)
I have always picked names before, but have always had a backup in mind just in case they didn’t “fit” once we met the baby.
I always think it’s best to have two or three favourite names for each gender to take to the hospital with you and make a final decision upon meeting the baby. The baby may “look” like one name or even none of them (hopefully, that doesn’t happen :)). Parents get so stressed out about naming a child but I think most countries do give parents a certain period of time before they have to register the birth. If you still aren’t sure at the hospital, bring the baby home without a name and try some of them out for a couple of days as you get to know him or her. [name_f]One[/name_f] may “feel” right after you become aware of the baby’s personality.
I’ve never named a child before his/her birth. In fact, hubby and I have never even discussed names before at least a day after baby was born!
I aggree with what @ mischa says. [name_f]Imo[/name_f] the better is to wait and see what the baby looks like. I suppose i’am lucky because I will have a few months or so after the baby is born to decide for his/her name ( until it baptized I will not call it by his/her name only by Bebie or beba. )
[name_f]Edit[/name_f] : by accident I choose the wrong option lol
The name I picked for my DD wasn’t even on the top of our name list. We were even discussing names while I was still in labor! in the end, I went with a name COMPLETELY different from what we were going to call her. Our [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] [name_f]Rose[/name_f] was almost [name_f]Esperanza[/name_f] [name_f]Grace[/name_f]. But she didn’t look like an [name_f]Esperanza[/name_f]. She looked like a [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f].
We went in with a list and a favorite, and then decided on a name that we had discussed but wasn’t on the list. I thought we had already decided on a name for each gender for the future, but now we have a top ten for girls and one name for a little boy. I’m just so indecisive.
We knew our first was a boy - and the first words our baby heard was the doctor saying “[name_f]Welcome[/name_f] to the world, [name_m]Joshua[/name_m]” What a thrill. Our second was a girl and my DH and I couldn’t agree on anything. I ended up choosing her name in the middle of the night and calling my poor DH to tell him what I wanted to name her. He wasn’t 100% thrilled but I had bonded with her and the name and he didn’t hate it, so [name_f]Johanna[/name_f] she remained.
It just happens differently sometimes.
Interesting thread! No kids yet, but I plan on waiting to finalize the name when we actually meet him/her. I think even if we have a name we’re pretty sure of, I want a back up or two, in case the name just doesn’t actually fit.
Side note, it completely creeps me out when people start referring to their unborn baby by name, publicly. Anyone else?!
I had the names picked out well before my daughters were born. It’s my experience that my perception of a name has grown to fit the child. For example, I may have envisioned a daughter named [name_f]Alice[/name_f] as a reserved, quiet thing … but I can’t say she’s anything of the sort. Now when I think of the name [name_f]Alice[/name_f] I think of everything that is my [name_f]Alice[/name_f].
We’ve always taken a short list in and made the decision after the baby was born, not because we want to see what they look like as I don’t think baby’s look like particular names when they’re first born, but mainly because we don’t know the gender and can’t decide until we have a real baby to name. Usually I make the final decision after months of pondering and feeling out DP for his feelings on our short list.
I like to wait until birth. It’s weird to me to imagine naming a little person you haven’t even met yet!
We’ve always had a short list with a few favourite names on it before birth but usually waited until after to see what name suited my child best. I think it’s always a good idea to have two or three names in your head just in case. I totally agree with [name_u]Mischa[/name_u] btw.
I haven’t had any children, but my plan is to have a name picked out before the baby is born. However, if the baby comes out and the name is totally not right, I would probably have one or two back-ups if the first choice doesn’t work for whatever reason.
To be completely honest, I always thought the people who said “I want to wait to meet the baby before naming him/her” were ridiculous and probably hippies. I wanted to choose a name before our son was born – not so much so we could use his name the moment he was born, just because I like things organized and prepared. However, we could not find the “right” name. We finally decided on a name we both felt fairly certain was “right” but when he was born and started using it, it felt totally wrong. Strangely enough, my husband and I independently both came up with the same name while each of us was holding him (incidentally, it was a family name, so it’s not like it came out of nowhere) – a name that wasn’t even on our top 20. I couldn’t believe it! Now I see what people mean about waiting to meet him/her. Next time, I will go in with an idea of names we both like and hope one of them fits the baby and, if not, I’ll hope that we have another magical moment where the name just comes to us. I have also learned to be less judgmental of people. 
We had our first name choice firmly decided, but didn’t decide on a middle name 'til we met our daughter.
My plan this time is to do the same, but have a few options in case my hormonal self has a change of heart, but as far as the baby looking like the name I think that is silly. Babies are all smooshy and puffy for the first bit, you don’t start to see what they will really look like til 6 months.
I loved knowing what our baby’s name would be before she was born, my husband said it helped him to imagine her as an actual person while she was still in there.
I am amazed that anyone waits to see what the child will look like. Neither of my kids, especially my daughter, looked like the name we chose. Babies change so much in such a short time that they will fit the name you choose not the other way around. My son’s name was chosen before he was conceived. My daughter’s name was chosen by 20 weeks.
We picked both our kids names out long before they were conceived. Once we found out the gender we referred to them using their name and my husband made a sign with their name for their rooms. When they were born I never had a second thought that they didn’t fit their names perfectly. And even now I truly can’t imagine them with any other names.
Hubs and I both liked having the name picked out before labor… we were able to give thought to the name ahead of time and didn’t feel pressure once the babies where born and you are exhausted to come up with the perfect name Also I have often thought what if the child is born and I think she/he looks just like one name, and he thinks the baby looks like a different name? I would hate to argue over naming our child first thing or regret choosing a name under pressure/sleep deprived… also babies looks and personalities change alot the first few months, mine did at least everyone has their own way I guess!