Baby Name Advice

Advice on choosing baby names is the focus of these news stories and features, which include advice on choosing middle names and family names, on finding the right baby names, and on navigating name disputes.

The Middle Name Riddle
Tue Jan 24 2017

The Middle Name Riddle

They’ve settled on the first name August for their daughter. But now comes the challenge of finding the perfect middle to go with it.
9 Ways to Name a Boy Now
Sun Jan 22 2017

9 Ways to Name a Boy Now

There’s never been a better time to name a boy baby–all kinds of new options and new ways to reach them.
Family Names: Yes, No, or It Depends?
Tue Jan 17 2017

Family Names: Yes, No, or It Depends?

This dad is pushing for two names from his family’s side for their son, but Mom has reservations. Can the Name Sage help them find a compromise? But of course!
More Baby Names Needed for a Short Short List
Tue Jan 03 2017

More Baby Names Needed for a Short Short List

This reader asks the Name Sage for suggestions in making her short list longer.
Top Ten Girl Names: Too Popular to use?
Tue Dec 20 2016

Top Ten Girl Names: Too Popular to use?

How popular is too popular to use? See ikf you agree with the Name Sage and take the poll.
Baby Name Advice: Use the Name You Love
Sun Nov 06 2016

Baby Name Advice: Use the Name You Love

Here is some helpful baby name advice about how to counter some of the objections you might run into–accentuate the positive and remember that the bottom line is use the name you love!
5 Things Every First-Time Parent Needs To Know About Baby Names
Wed Sep 14 2016

5 Things Every First-Time Parent Needs To Know About Baby Names

The baby name world has moved far beyond Jennifer and Jason. Here, what every first-time parent needs to know about choosing the perfect bayb name today.
8 Biggest Baby Naming Mistakes …
Tue Sep 13 2016

8 Biggest Baby Naming Mistakes …

How NOT to name the baby! Here are the most common mistakes baby namers make and how to avoid them.
How Not To Name the Baby
Wed Jan 20 2016

How Not To Name the Baby

You’ve heard the rules for baby naming–now here are 10 clues to how NOT to name the baby.
How to Find A Name You BOTH Love
Tue Nov 24 2015

How to Find A Name You BOTH Love

Our sagacious Name Sage offers some wise advice on bringing two differing styles closer together. It’s called compromise.
6 Baby Name Pitfalls
Sun Jul 26 2015

6 Baby Name Pitfalls

Advice from the twitterati on possible name problems down the road.
5 Ways to Get Dads Excited About Baby Names
Sun Jun 14 2015

5 Ways to Get Dads Excited About Baby Names

Nick Turner offers five surefire ways to lure a reluctant prospective dad into the baby naming process.
How (Not) to Choose a Baby Name
Thu Apr 02 2015

How (Not) to Choose a Baby Name

Guest blogger Kate Gunn’s adventures in baby naming–and what you might expect when you choose a ‘different’ name.
How to Name a Large Family
Sun Mar 22 2015

How to Name a Large Family

What factors come into play when you have to pick names for multiple children? Guest blogger Kate, speaking from experience, offers her rules of selection.
Baby Name Advice: Straddling two cultures
Thu Feb 26 2015

Baby Name Advice: Straddling two cultures

Guest blogger Beth Grimm offers some sound and solid advice for naming a child who will inhabit more than one culture.
9 Ways to Choose an Unusual Baby Name
Sun Feb 22 2015

9 Ways to Choose an Unusual Baby Name

Abby Sandel shows how you can look to the stars when you’re seeking an unusual names–but definitely within limits.
The Timeless + Timely Baby Name Formula
Thu Feb 05 2015

The Timeless + Timely Baby Name Formula

If you’re looking for a name that’s both classic and contemporary, guest blogger Kara Blakley has a formula for finding just that.
How Close is Too Close?  10 Factors to Consider
Tue Nov 11 2014

How Close is Too Close? 10 Factors to Consider

When it comes to sibsets, there are some traps–several of them quite subtle– to avoid, and Abby Sandel pinpoints ten of them to bear in mind.
Baby Name Flow: How First-Middle-Last Names Can Play Nice Together
Tue May 13 2014

Baby Name Flow: How First-Middle-Last Names Can Play Nice Together

Great advice from Angela Mastrodonato on the role a middle name plays in the order of things, and offers a checklist of how best to get a name with optimal flow.
19 Signs You’ve Found the Right Baby Name
Wed Mar 26 2014

19 Signs You’ve Found the Right Baby Name

When you find the right baby name, it may be like meeting the person you want to share your life with: You just know. Or maybe you’ll know the match is right by one of these 19 signs of baby name perfection.
The Top Ten Baby Name Problems: And how to solve them
Mon Apr 08 2013

The Top Ten Baby Name Problems: And how to solve them

From bossy families to name regrets, here are the baby name problems we hear most often, and ideas on how to fix them.
No Dumb Names: And 21 other baby name rules worth following
Mon Jul 23 2012

No Dumb Names: And 21 other baby name rules worth following

Rule Number 1 when naming your baby? No dumb names. And lots of other sage advice you really should take our word on.
Global Baby Names: Picking a border-crossing name
Wed Apr 18 2012

Global Baby Names: Picking a border-crossing name

You’ve ticked off all the qualifications on your list, but have you considered how your child’s name will fare when you travel?
5 Routes to Baby Name Happiness
Thu Dec 15 2011

5 Routes to Baby Name Happiness

Can’t find a name you both love? Maybe you and your partner need to try an unconventional strategy to find the right name.
The 7 Biggest Mistakes Newbie Baby Namers Make
Mon Aug 29 2011

The 7 Biggest Mistakes Newbie Baby Namers Make

It’s not your fault: You’ve never named a baby before. If you’re a first-time namer, beware of making these common mistakes.