What goes in to choosing a name for your child? Do you choose a family name that has been handed down for years? Do you look to the past for a historical name that has reverence or meaning in your life? There are a lot of 20-something’s out there named Reagan and recently there’s been a deluge of baby Baraks’. Perhaps you have an affinity for a particular car, maybe you should name your kid after it, how about little baby Lexus? I’m not kidding, it is a very popular trend right now; and if the brand is fairly successful and who knows, maybe over time it will turn out not to be a bad moniker to be stuck with. I just feel sorry for Baby DeLorean.

Play by the rules?

The truth is there really are no hard and fast rules for choosing from the wide variety of  baby names. But there is a train of thought that suggests; maybe parents should consider how having a really strange name will affect their kid as he or she goes through life. We know celebrities come up with all sorts of unique names for their offspring. Nick Cage named his son Kal-El after Superman and who can forget little Apple, daughter of Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow. But the reality is most of those kids will never have to pound the pavement looking for a job to secure their future. No one will judge them and based on their name, or deny them an opportunity because they have a unique name.

Give it some thought

There is a temptation to emulate celebrities and pick a name that is unique and one of a kind. But is it a good idea to slap a strange name on our kids and send them out in the world to wear it proudly? Will your kids resent your choice one day? Just remember, consider their future before you make an impulsive decision on a name. It really is theirs for a lifetime.